The downtown area is home to a number of the city's cultural and social attractions, as well as government offices and business centers.

[2] The downtown area contains a number of historical buildings, many of them dating to the city's peak days in the late 19th century and early 20th.

Newly constructed ones are less common than older edifices, although some large newer buildings such as the Tech Village are present.

Due to the city's cold winter temperatures (at times falling well below −20 °F (−29 °C)), a network of skywalks was constructed to provide indoor connectivity between most major buildings.

The skywalk system is augmented by an over-the-freeway enclosed walkway leading to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) in the Canal Park district.