[1][2] It showcases northeastern Minnesota's "history and future" and includes a museum, entertainment venue, research center and library, and a park.

The property includes a memorial to Rudy Perpich and holds historical documents and artifacts related to mining in the Iron Range.

The 660-acre (270 ha) museum complex opened in 1977 as the Iron Range Interpretive Center with 34 exhibits and was renamed in 1984 as Ironworld USA.

[3] The Minnesota Discovery Center is operated by a non-profit organization called the Ironworld Development Corporation (IDC).

It was supposed to draw tourists from around the state and other parts of the U.S., but in the late 1990s was struggling to live up to attendance expectations.