Reviews of Soo Locks Visitor Center (Travel Agency)

Michael Tuffelmire

North America's first super highway built in 1881, the Soo Locks are one of the worlds major engineering accomplishments. More than 7,000 ships pass through the locks annually carrying an average of 80 million tons of cargo a year. A single ship can carry up to the equivalent of 700 train cars, making it the moat fuel-efficient way to carry bulk materials. I highly recommend visiting this piece of history.

Sue Stuever

Our family enjoyed watching the boats from the tower and learning more info from the visitor center. It was nice to have a clean bathroom and friendly staff to answer questions.

John W

This was great, we saw two huge freighters going through the locks. And it's free..

David Williams

Amazing to see.

Chris Voth

The structure is nice for watch the boats even if it's raining. They said there weren't any boats coming through on the hotline and in the visitors center, but we're saw two small boats come through, so be sure to check for yourself.

Jeff Abbott

Fun place to see

Russell Hunt

Lots of information.

Bill Tomei (Wilber)

WE visited the locks years ago had a blast watching the ships go through the locks. Very clean & safe everyone should check it out very cool.

Joseph Kunk

In early-November the Visitor center was closed but we were still able to enter the grounds and see the locks from the 2-story glass observation deck. …

Susan Scott

Wonderful place!

Melissa Gibbs

Beautiful

Jeff Sauer

Great info and scenery

jason williams

Lots of history and information to learn about the locks, well worth a stop in during a visit to the locks.

Katie D.

Great educational place demonstrating how the Soo Locks work.

Stephanie Hein

Unfortunately the visitor center was closed so we couldn't enter. We did enjoy a conversation with a wonderful shop owner across the road from the center. She had the most wonderful little shop.

Sydney Studer

It was closed at odd times

UrAboT431

Love this place also it's so cool how we can see this happen

Michael Todd

Happy place

Isaac Olson

Amazing

Liz Koon

Great views of ships going through locks.

Felecia Foxx

Nice viewing area, they have a schedule of ships coming in, so you know what time to be there. Very interesting to watch.

Phil Smith

Very informative, and nicely done. More people need to see and learn about critical infrastructure like this.

Art Hawkinson

First class visitors center and overlook of the locks.

Jesse Hagensen

Place has good security and friendly staff. The viewing platform could possibly be a bit larger; there were a lot of people milling around when we went. However, they have good announcements and an overall good atmosphere. There's hardly no areas to accommodate a truck and rv trailer.

Tracey Boyce

Really informative.

Joseph Brewer

I wasn’t sure how interesting locks would be but I honestly could have spent the whole day just watching boats pass through. The whole process is interesting gets your mind wondering how certain pieces work. The museum has a wealth of well presented info on the hows and whys of the locks and is a great quick stop.

Jason Haas

Love seeing the ship go thur the locks spent 3 hours watching

Todd Leiser

Get up close to the giant freighters coming through the locks. Each one is announced and described as it enters. Use the “FindShip” app to see what’s coming and time your visit so you can watch one of these massive ships enter and lower or be raised to its destination lake’s water height. Good info inside the visitor building. The museum next door (to the west) is also worth a stop. Very informative personnel in their too plus the history of its origination as a weather station to help the sailors avoid storms on the lakes.

Peter Noronha

Interesting to watch a ship approach and pass the locks.

Chris S

Clean park, very friendly staff

Carol Gray

I love this place.

Mr Bowen

Awesome experience. Wheelchair accessible.

Kevin Thompson

I like boats

Franklyn Lydell

Cool and interesting. Routine for us locals but still neat going thru and having your kids along as well. Mine love the documentary on the Edmund Fitzgerald

Jeff Rechten

Interesting to watch once.

Daniel Badger

Got to see a ship go through the locks. It was awesome

Jessica Freedman

The importance and history of the Soo Locks are fascinating and the Visitor Center does a great job presenting how the Locks came to be. They also very well illustrate how the Locks work and what products are often transported. It’s also free to go through and the viewing platform provides fantastic views of ships coming into and out of the Locks.

joe gabrys

Awesome must do if visiting the U.P.

Jim Baker

Interesting

Katherine Woznek

Great place

Lorraine Z

Very interesting

Nikhil Nachappa

Excellent place to learn about the locks

Rho M.

Absolutely the nicest, friendliest staff! Especially the female ticket taker with short dark hair. The boat crew were accommodating and answered all our questions during tour. Luved it!

Amber Boyd

Made a quick stop here on a road trip. Just stayed long enough to watch a couple boats go through from the viewing platform. It was clean and not very crowded on a Monday morning.

Amy S

My husband loves to watch the boats go through the locks and they let you see this up close. Had to go through a security check to get in the park. The visitor center staff is very knowledgable and helpful. The visitor center movie is too slow and detailed. (I tend to get impatient here anyways- nothing moves quickly through the locks. There are park benches so bring a book if this whole thing doesnt interest you!)

Eric Essenburg

Nice view of the ships going though the locks

Linze Willette

Always a must do/must see when we are in the area. The visitor center has the coolest hands on model of how the Locks work. My kids love it. Lots of very interesting information and very friendly and informative people working at the desk. I highly recommend you stop in

Aditya Mahadik

One of the Engineering Marvel. Surely to visit and understand by going there to see how the locks works.

Ava DeVoe

Not exactly what I expected but still great⛴

Michael Hickey

This place does an excellent job of describing the history of the Soo Locks, as well as how they operate. There is also a monitor where you can see the positions of the freighters in the river by the locks, too. Just outside the building riverside, there is an observation platform for viewing freighters up close.

Jessica Vest

Great experience! Loved watching the boats!

Terry Dutt

Big ships up close

Linda Cole

Awesome place no matter how many times I have visited! You will love it and it's free!!!

Mark Heisel

Very interesting!

Michigan Designed

I have been coming here since my grandma brought me here as a child. It is just one of those places you have to keep coming back to. Not only to see the Soo Locks, but to take a stroll through the beautiful adjacent park, to step into the visitor center "that just keeps growing every time I come back". If you are wondering when the next ship will be coming in, one of the wonder staff will gladly tell you or show you on a monitor the next ships arrival time. The visitor center is a wealth of information and history. If you like to read, plan on being in here for at least a hour! There is a large multilevel platform observation deck for viewing the Soo Locks and the ships coming in and out. The first level of the platform is handicap accessible. Remember this is a seasonal place to visit...but seeing it in the dead of winter, all frozen over is quite the sight to see! The Soo Locks Visitors Center is open from Mid-May / Mid-October from 9a.m. to 9p.m.

Chris Fuchser

Must see. Very well done and informative! Hands on exhibits help kids understand the process of opening and closing the locks and raising/lowering the water level.

Beth Slaughter

My dad decades ago used to work for the soo locks I had never seen it before and went on vacation with my best friend and husband very interesting just a very neat place to be educated. And helps that my dad went there brought back a lot of things that he told me about it now that he's gone it meant a lot.

Tina Harvey

Wonderful! Informative! Beautiful!

Ben Lewis

Always a fun place to go. Also a lot of new changes to the place.

Sally Dick

Must go see to appreciate it, the magnificent ships going through the Locks!

Rebecca Kidwell

The center is kept up nice, has informative information about the boats crossing and touristy things to do as well as a couple interactive objects for kids. There are places to sit if needed and clean restrooms.

Shorty Nelson

Nice viewing for barges, and a look at Canada.

Htownink

Super cool place to visit for the day. We went up to the top viewing deck and relaxed for a while watching the ships move thru the locks!!! Amzing

James “JTB21” Blackburn

Up close and personal with enormous freighters. A neat experience, set in a beautiful park. Plenty of shops, eateries, and bars withn a block or two.

Amar Patel

A very nice place with quality staff that is knowledgeable on the local area as well as the Soo Locks. Interesting area full of facts and knowledge. Well kept facility.

Anna DeWeese

Haven't been here since I was little, still beautiful buildings

Mark Lemmers

Very nice and well done visitors center. Literally just a few steps from the locks and a multiple tiered viewing platform. Lots of history and nice displays.

Patrick Sullivan

Clean place well informed staff and a good view of the locks to watch the ships!

Jamy

Very nice little town and the park in big and clean. Good security. They search your belongings before entering. No firearms allowed. Very nice water fountain. Hotels with casino in town.

Amomandherminions 40

Great place to go and watch the ships move threw the Soo Locks

Diane Lehning

Wonderful history lesson and great place to view ships passing through locks.

Andy Hamilton

The visitor center is nicely set up to watch the boats come in. There is an updated list of what is on the way and a few educational displays. It's not like a full day adventure or anything but it's free and a nice thing to see if you haven't.

Benjapol Piyawanichpong

Great place to study history and science of the lock. See the lock operation live from the observation deck!

Noel Montales

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable.

Philip

Great fun to watch

William McDonald

Nice view of the freighters

James Anderson

Very helpful CLEAN RESTROOMS

Eileen Little

Interesting, educational

hannah

Sad we couldn't go up to the viewing area, but other than that it was great to watch the ships do their thing

Kelly Heffron

Educational and somewhat interactive. We got some straightforward information about the Great Lakes and saw models of the building efforts. Outside, watch the process of the ships moving through the locks.

KG

Awesome!

Roger Nyunyu-Kabasele Kengele

(Translated) Small, well-maintained information center in the village of Sault Ste Marie, US side. (Original) Petit centre d'information bien tenu dans le village de Sault Ste Marie côté US.

Jon Sund

Great place to visit for people of all ages It was a cold windy day when we visited the Soo Locks, but we still spent over an hour there. We watched two boats travel through the lock, one in each direction. We were lucky enough to see one of 1000 ft. bulk carriers ease into a lock and watch the action as it was secured before beginning its decent in the lock. Entertaining and educational with plenty of information to help you understand what is happening.

H J Melnick

Great.

Kevin Behnke

Must see the ship’s passing through. Very interesting also the visitor center is very informative. Great stop…must see.

Roxanna Creations by Mama Roxi

Clean restrooms, a cool video and lots of information about the locks

Jason Hughes

Awesome place. Great historic info. Got there in time to watch 2 freighters go thru.

Aaron Clapp

Interesting and informative...a must if visiting the locks.

Elizabeth Scheuer-Murphy

Very informative. Great visuals

walking michigan

Kids loved it. Lots of great information

Kenneth Rhodes

Great spot to see some huge boats and modern engeneering.

Sally J

Lots to learn and see!

George Pappas

Great place in summer for walking, jogging, fishing. Nice and comfortable. I love it.

Craig Sazama

Lots of great information and history! Great viewing platform over the canal locks too! Worth a visit.

Ronald Munro

Great place to relax watch ships and enjoy an ice cream from local shop

Alinuru dot com Yasin

Great spot...

Douglas Monroe

Great place!!!

Wesley James

Good place to watch the ships go through the locks. Though be aware it gets very crowded quickly when a ship is about to go through. The visitor center is very nice and informative and has an updated schedule for when a vessel is due to the locks next. Best part is it is free!

Sam Morales

Great spot to watch boats of all sizes.

Alexander Babin

Great to visit and see the ships go through! The visitor center is open late as well.

Bruce Rugg

I loved this place.

Christopher Thompson

It was fascinating to watch a ship go through the locks! Modern facility that's free to observe. Plan to spend an hour or more here, especially if you're watching a big industrial ship. They move sloooooow. The Soo Locks are the Soo Locks, and are a good thing to look at if you're in the area.

Scott Souva

This is history and is a must do when visiting the Soo.

Brian J Ludwig

Great place to check out.

Deb Mta

Always love going here.

Adam Merrill

Nice visitor center. I recommend checking the internet or calling to determine when the Ships are going through. Alternatively you can pick up a burger from Clyde's Drive-in, eat it at Rotary Park and if you see a ship, then you can gingerly drive to the Visitor Center and still have plenty of time to grab a shake (from clyde's of course) on the way over and still have plenty of time to watch the Ship go though the locks.

Robert Nolkemper

Great place to be, especially on engineers day.

Rachelle Ream

We go to the Soo at least once a year.

Aditya Chittipeddi

Love the engineering behind this Worth visiting place up north

Abhishek S

Always good to visit Soo Locks.. ????

Janeen Harroun

Lots of information, education, and so interesting. Been here many times, and always find something new.

Joel Sellentine

Worth the trip to see these monster ships squeeze through these canals.

Jason Rowe

Great place to the locks in action!

Jay Mumper

Very informative. Unique experience to see huge freighters up close.

Ryan Stroh

Very cool place to watch ships move through the locks while traversing the great lakes. The info provided about the ships coming through is very interesting and definitely enhances the experience.

Jeff Henkel

The Soo Locks are easy to see and you are right up close. They have a great multi-level platform for viewing a visitor center and it’s fairly easy to get in and out through security. One of the largest boats was going through when we were there. Amazing how much commerce goes through the Locks in a year. There is a tour if you want to whole shebang. Downtown area in Sault Ste Marie is nice for walking and small shops.

Laura Essenberg

We lucked out and was able to see a ship go through the locks. Lots of information on the grounds about the building of the Locks.

Dave Solce

A very nice space, not only for recreation, but education!

Todd Ormsbee

Interesting and worth checking out.

Kirby Wendt

Neat place

pam ferrell

This is a great place to visit. It is interesting, historical, and you can enjoy it for free.

Churchtown Custom Cutters

Very nice center. Very helpful and knowledgeable people to answer any questions. Viewing platform can get very full when a boat is in locks. Top level has open area to easily view the boats. Everything is free to enter. Very nice grounds around it too.

Jake Southmayd

Clean place with excellent customer service and knowledge of history of the area.

Stanley Soja

Friendly service

John Sullivan

Few Places like this that you can see the operations of a Lock system up close. The viewing area is elevated. You can see the entire Soo Lock and several miles in each direction up and down the St. Mary's River, the international bridge and into Ontario. You can check ship movements online and see what is approaching from both directions or what is docked awaiting movement through the system. Boatnerd is a good site to do so.

Eric Horner

Fun to see and very educational.

Nawar Hammade

Interesting place to visit.

Linda Cox

Sue Saint Marie Soo locks, are always a highlight me when I'm in the Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It's amazing to watch the ships go up and down to get through the Saint Mary's Waterway

Shawnna Erickson

Very informative

Sierra. Campbell's

Awesome????????

April Mead

Perfect place to see the boats come into and out of the locks and learn about the history of the area and great lakes travel. No gift shop though. Beautiful park for lunches.

John Yee

Beautiful sunsets; very thoughtful design of tourist viewing deck over the locks!

Brandon Dk

Wrong hours was closed when we got here.

Raymond Bell

Great information, wonderful staff and it is free!

Joe Carter

Awesome place to watch the large freighters come in, and have a wonderful time!

J E

We love this place. So educational!

Leopoldo Suescun

(Translated) Very interesting place to learn about the dams and the history of the Sault Sainte Marie and Great Lakes region. In addition, the view of the viewpoint is very beautiful and informative since it allows us to understand how the entire system of ascent and descent of the boats that transits from one lake to another works. Worth a visit. (Original) Muy interesante lugar para aprender sobre las presas y la historia de la región de Sault Sainte Marie y los Grandes Lagos. Además la vista del mirador es muy bonita e informativa ya que permite entender cómo funciona todo el sistema de subida y descenso de los barcos que transitan de un lago a otro. Vale la pena visitarlo.

Glen Miller

Very nice and clean! The grounds are very well maintained! Very neat watching the ships go through the locks!!

Ed Sanner

Learned interesting facts about the locks.

Ashley Darling

Pretty cool learning experience.

Dave Caplinger

It does it's job of telling visitors the history and operations of the Soo Locks quite well, and has a great viewing stand where you can watch the boats come and go. Call ahead to get up-to-date information on expected boat passages.

Rob Fekete

bathrooms

Tony Moumouris

Amazing. Awe inspiring

Edwin M Tjardes IV

Legendary place to be. I saw Paul R. Tregurtha (largest Great Lakes freighter) and CSL St. Laurent in one day!

Lucinda H

Very interesting attraction and it's free. Fun to watch the many ships come through the locks. Lots of restaurants nearby to eat at when your done.

Jake Lang

Always fun to watch the boats come and go. Be sure to call ahead and check the schedule.

lynn donnelly

Very I formative & nice hands on demonstration of how locks work for kids.

Saundra Kiczenski

Very informative. They have a list of the times that the ships will reach the Locks.

Thomas Angst

We visit this place every time we head north. This place has great surrounding shops... But more astonishing is the power of gravity and water. Without using any giant water pumps or cranes or and elaborate contraptions... They move giant ships both up to lake Superior and down to lake Huron. Be prepared... The process is slow and steady.... But it's a great way to teach kids the power of nature and human ingenuity.

Raysha Ferguson

My husband loved watching the ships come through the locks. Very neat place!

Carl Johnson

Very interesting. Sits if fun watching ships go thru the locks. Interesting visitor center.

William Sandborn

Enjoyed this as much now as I did as a kid

Trooper Long

????

Joy Seeker

Under government guard so expect to be checked in. This is a nicely kept clean facility. A very neat 2 story viewing deck partially glass enclosed is located behind the visitors center. Stay and watch the huge ships and freighters come through the docks. Inside the visitors center building you will find enriched history as you learn all about the Soo Locks beginning and through the years. A video room is available to select different short films to view at your leisure. Clean restrooms. Nicely landscaped.

Michael Miles

Amazing place took our kids they never seen it.

Don Schrooten

Nice park, and a lot of good information about not only the locks but also the great lakes.

Jamie Carr

Go. If you havent been...go! If you have...go again

Matthew Whiting

Been going to this place every few years for as long as i can remember. Still just as interesting.

Sarah Shaw

Lovely place! Great visitor center

Laura Yager

Very cool!

Andrew Curtis

This may seem like a harsh review but we went there at 12 noon on a Saturday. The Visitor Center doors were locked. We waited there for about an hour and they never unlocked. Also no water available in the whole park. Weird.

Thomas Cera

An outstanding place to visit and learn about the significance of shipping on the Great Lakes. It is easy to locate right on the Main Street and the river. The visitors center has a viewing area to watch ships so make sure you get to see one or more. The grounds are beautiful, especially in the autumn. There are restaurants close by. Great stop and only 50 miles from Mackinaw City.

Wendell G.

Very cool place to see ships go through the locks. Visitor center doesn't open until May.

Jeanne

Loved it. Visitor Center was very interesting. Saw a ship coming in!

Karen Larsen

Great information and exhibits. It has a two story viewing platform.

Anastasia Norman

Really enjoyed the Soo. Walked around the town and visited the shops. Very nice tourist attraction.

Glenn Harding

Wonderful place

nathanandgerial Butler

Very educational and they have a camera on the water letting you know if a ship is coming into the locks. Very fun teaching experience.

Georgina Tofflemire

Would not allow pets.

Cara Rapai

Very interesting to see the big ships go through. They moved slow though.

Jim&Judy Letarte

I must stop if you're in the area

Athira Unnikrishnan

I was awed by the man made wonder. Some simple physics concept that's used beautifully for a smooth commute . It was certainly a nice experience to actually see how the whole thing works.

Robert Oakman

This is beautiful visitors center. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The displays are also very informative and helped patrons understand how the locks work. It is certainly a must stop while in the area. The ship-locks viewing area gives an up close and personal viewing perspective.

Zellmer

Pretty cool

D. Cimorell

Very interesting. I wish we could have stayed longer to see a boot come through but we had to leave.

vishal kasatkar

Nicely managed and staff is also very knowledgeable

JORGE ALBERTO LANDEROS RAMIREZ

So nice town and place

Tom Bracken

Historic. Well maintained and managed. Cool views of huge ships coming through the locks.

Zach Hoyt

My wife and I really enjoyed this, the big ships are awesome and Park is beautiful. We have a 6yr old that enjoyed seeing the ship but became bored quick.

Erik Smith

Extremely informative. Well worth the stop for all ages.

Dan Nunya

Very cool place

Gary Meerschaert

Absolutely the best place to see the Great Lakes shipping fleet.

Cheryl Curey

Love this place

Paul T. Clark

Love seeing the freighters! They are an incredible contributor to our nations economy!

Elizabeth Rusanchin

Very informative about the locks, and is essentially a mini museum.

Erika Kraus

This place fully satisfied our desire to learn about the locks. Our 4 year old really enjoyed the model version!

Ruth Vineyard

Clean safe environment.

Derek Knight

Great place to watch the ships go by, and to wave at Canada!!

Erin Symonds

This was a really fun time for our family. We were able to see two freighters and the tour boat go through the locks. We spent about two hours here. There are a lot of little shops around the area outside of the center. Definitely stop inside and check the arrival time of the next freighter.

Delores Sampson

Great place to see

Jessica Lee Simerson

Beautiful... A must see

Janelle s.

First time here. I, personally, thought it was quite amazing.

Angelina Wismer

Lots of information! The boat tours are a bit over priced so we didn't partake but standing on the viewing platform was fun, and then learning about the locks was great too.

John Arnett

This was a really cool trip with the family.

Kevin Campbell

Really cool to see the ships move through the locks from the viewing area. The visitor center has great information and history. Well worth the drive

Beth Keenan

Very neat experience for our family

Nathan O'berg

Very neat

Mark Heydenburg

Great place to start your soo experience

AJ

Wonderful experience and I wish everyone could experience it.

James V

This is history everybody should see this place built by the Corp of Engineers in 1867 to help commerce get out to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seway. This is a gov facility the amenities are top notch and well cared for. You need to pass through a security check point to gain admittance. The is pleanty of parking on the street and great little shops for fudge to delectable treats. There is a museum a visitor center a grandstand to view the locks in operation and watch the ships pass. I was told that when the season ends they open up the locks so you can get up close and personal with the locks.

Charity

Educational and clean. The visitor's center will have estimated times for the ships coming and going. While waiting, there are plenty of shops, breweries, and restaurants to visit.

Makarand Raut

A must visit place in Upper peninsula.

Bosco Miller

It's fun to watch the big boats come in and there it's surrounded by souvenir shops, candy stores, and restaurants.

Jim Haaksma

Great saw 2 ships in the locks at the same time.

Robert Hull

Beautiful facility great info wonderful history lesson of the Soo Locks in picture and video and also 3-dimensional models great experience you can even watch the ships live on a monitor if the weather is not good and you don't want to go out to the platform which although covered from inclement weather is not heated watching the ships from inside is great. It is a great experience go and see some history.

Gerid Adams (Wired4Sound)

Guide was awesome and very knowledgeable. Lived to talk about the locks and freighters. Mind blowing.

Bruce W Beaudoin

local attractions

Benjamin Koester

Building behind the visitor's center is free and specifically there for viewing the locks. A great touch was the whiteboard behind the help desk at the visitors center which contains the day's schedule of major ships passing through.

crystal gallandt

It was a neat experience to see how the locks operate.. educational and fun at the same time!!

BethanyJ

Great for freighter "groupies".

Robin Kay Cooke

A great place to take the family. It's fun to watch the ships come thru the Locks and wave to the workers. How lonely it must be for them on the lakes, especially in the winter! They look so happy to see other people

Annette Ratter

Love watching the ships going through the canal

R One (Straykat)

Great place to learn about the ships and the Locks. The employees are very knowledgeable and helpful as to the passage of ships and cargo. Try to take time to watch the movies of the Locks and area also shown in the same building. Just another note, They have a "Music in the Park" on the lower level on Wednesdays evenings at 7:00pm during the summer season and it is also free with many different bands playing and lots of the locals come to it, just be sure to bring your own chairs of you will have to sit on the grass. It is an all family event.

Phil Davenport

Wonderful experience. But dress warmly if visiting in Fall or Winter!

Eric Blair

Cool.

Thomas Thomas

Lots of info on the Locks and a great viewing stand

Marsha Field

The wonders of these ships on how they lower & rise the water from the different lakes

Dennis Dix

Nice viewing platform and visitors center.

Jeff Wenger

Good experience

Carolyn Niemantsverdriet

Excellent place to see the locks from above and to get information.

Michael L

It's always an awesome experience to visit the Soo Locks and watch the ships pass through. This time was even more enjoyable since the wife and I brought along our young grandson. Would recommend this for everyone.

Mr Graham

Very educational

KIM CRYDERMAN

I have enjoyed working at the Soo Locks Visitors Center for the Past 9 seasons. Met and made some really good friends there.

nancy lowes

Awsome

Kathy Currier

They have a lot of information on the locks.

Mary K

The best part about the visitor's center is watching the ships go through the locks. They have a schedule posted inside the center.

Steve Eastman

Very interesting

Phyllis Wrubel

Alright for a visit

Lynda Tewksbury

Cool for about 30 minutes then boring.

Erich Smith

Awesome, watching 1000 foot freighter barges come through the locks.

Christa Hooker

The staff was wonderful and very helpful

Dawn Wadle

Check out their posted times that ships are due in.

Ryan

Free little museum with exhibits showing the history of the Locks, and a fantastic observation deck to watch and photograph ships going up and down river.

BABY FREDDY Alexander

Always good info on incoming ships. But terrible rds getting there.. Bad access

Qadgop the Mercotan

I enjoyed seeing the iron boats up close, and the visitor center was very interesting.

Elijah Schlabach

Get close to the freighters! Nice visitors center

Donna Whitworth

Awesome!!!

Andrew Mass

Super. Gravity at it's best

Ginger Kebler

Arruved at 3:30 pm. Locked up tight. Found ourthe park was closed due to winds and downed tree limbs. Ok.... close the park but at least open the visitors center. We've watched at least 15 people approach the gates and can't figure out why the center/park isn't open. A sign explaning why would have been nice.

Todd Shonts

Lots of fast action

Thomas J Sanford

A fantastic place to spend the day, seeing not only Lakers, but ships from all over the world, passing through the famous Soo Locks...

Hugo Hackenbush

Visitor center building is open 9AM-9PM from the middle of May - Middle of October. The locks are open except Jan 15 - March 25 (due to ice I presume- then the ice breakers do their thing).

M. A. F.

Pretty cool to watch

Robert Vaughn

Good place to visit.

Dennis Fuerst

Great engineering...moves ships up to 1000 feet long up or down 21 feet in less than 10 minutes.

Jennifer Milas

Very informative. They list the approximate time a ship will come through the locks.

Angelina Todd

Nice viewing area of the locks on action. Lots of historical information and a large display of brochures for other things in the area. Very clean bathrooms and friendly, helpful staff.

liz pollick

Staff is very helpful!

Brandonn Clemons

Amazing

Matthew Strzelecki

Definitely a must-see in Sault Sainte Marie hopefully you're lucky enough like I was to see a ship come through

Brian Finney

Cool museum and experience but we had to wait way too long to see a ship come in with a irritable toddler.

karen rome

Nicely appointed space with interactive displays. Only negative is 1 display was closed at the time I was there

Lisa Schnapp

A good place to learn about the locks and see the freighters up close.

Dawn Krebs

Informative and fun.

Lee Juhl

Awesome free spot to visit

Teresa Mcconnell

Always nice people. All are waiting to answer any questions you may have. A lot of interesting exhibits are on display.Also can see where the freighters are on a visible map

bbj blue

Worth the drive

Ken Grosh

Very interesting history & technology.

W McManus

Very nice and clean. A lot of history about the locks. Nice observation deck to watch the ships come and go.

Lon Gerbers

Watch the ships go through the locks

Hari Redyshetty

You are right there to see the action. They announce information about the freighters that go through the Locks. Place is clean. Easily accessible.

Kathy Kline

Fun place to go

Susan Rickert

We tried to see the soo locks but it was so terribly cold out when we were up there we didn't stay long

Ann Smith

Lovely park and visitor center.

Carla Anderson

It was fun watching the ships using the locks

Brian Conn

Fun place to watch the lock boats - tons to do, family friendly.

James Catanach

Nice place to stop in and learn about the locks. Kids loved that someone was there at the viewing deck to answer questions and show pictures

Wade Chapin

Lots of history and information about the locks.

Nick

An American treasure and an engineering masterpiece!

Jim Hall

Nice place.

Marty Buffaloe

Very educational. We were able to watch the locks fill to raise ships to allow them to move from Lake Huron to Lake Superior, then watched them drain the locks to lower ships going in the other direction.

Judith Johnson

Information center & displays are great..nice to walk on different levels to see how the lochs worked

Chris De La Feld

Great place to learn about an amazing man made feet of engineering. Incredible to see the historic photos and details of how these enormous locks. My family and I enjoyed watching some boats go through and seeing the locks in action. It’s free too.

James Tanzilli

Nice visitor center. Friendly helpful staff. Free admission. Two story pavilion right next to Lock 1 provides excellent close up views of lock operations. Well worth a visit.

Carol Anderson

Loved the visitor's center. Lots of interesting pictures & graphs to see. Staff was very helpful answering questions. Although the video presentation was somewhat boring. The commentators voice was NOT convincing that what he was talking about was even interesting to him.

Joe McDougall

The Soo Locks ate something everyone should see. My young children really enjoyed it.

Kathleen Wilson

Very informative, especially for children. Interactive displays & guides to answer any questions.

Tina Pheney

Loved this place. You have to see!

Anthony Cole

It was awesome.

Angel Pratt

Everyone should stop and see this marvelous place.

Kevin Hawkins

Awesome place to visit

Kim Buschelman

We were disappointed that the Visitors center was closed. So were several other people who were also visiting the park. It would have been nice if the visitors center had remained as open until October 26, this is when most bbn of the other business were closing down for the winter. It was still great to see one boat go through the locks.

Gail Sylvester

Educational. Great visit.

David Babcock

Interesting place

LINDA HOIG

I absolutely LOVE the Soo Locks. It is amazing how the freighters squeeze into those locks.

amy Cox

We had great weather the day that we visited and there was heavy traffic in the locks, which made for a fun time from the viewing area!

Julie Witt

Interesting displays and information about the locks.

L Sirman

Free, very informational, fun to watch the boats and canal from. Highly recommend. And really appreciated their water bottle fill station.

Donna Williams

So much information available with hands on activity boards. I understood how the locks worked much better after visiting.

Jon Knutson

Interesting information about so locks and the boats that use them. Recommend checking "boat nerd" website prior to visiting in order to catch the locks in action

T

Its been several years since i was here last. Nice to see it again.

Mindy Robinson

Must see. Had fun.

Frank Ropp

Very good time

joe pavlichek

Very Nice, quite interesting!

kyler thatcher

Clean, fun and very educational!

Shaun Braley

This is something you want to see. Just watch the locks from the observation deck, if you take a boat it gets pricy. But it's totally cool to see the ships going through the locks.

Jaiy Carlson

The lady was very helpful with maps s and information for the areas.

Dan VanAlstine

Great customer service

Mark Myers

Cool place to see a set of locks on action. Needs more parking.

Mr Rottman

Excellent place to visit. Got to watch a 1000 foot barge go through and information center was very educational

Steve Floyd

Loved seeing how the locks worked ,and the big ships coming in .

Michelle Castle

Plenty to see and do. Our family spent about an hour and a half visiting this national treasure.

Ken Spence

A great experience to watch big ships going thru the locks

Randall Sokolowski

Beautiful place to visit nice views of huge ships

Bekka Nichols

Love that place! Excellent service and excellent food!

Christopher Zegarlowicz

Great experience seeing ships enter and exit the Locks. The two older gentlemen at the desk in the museum exhibit were great with the kids! This was an AMAZING FREE experience.

Bryan Niekamp

Was a fun visit.

Gloria Hartman

Great fun watching the ships and the process.

Judi Herrin

So cool!!!

Sherry Pritchard

Very nice.

Waupaca East Cam Railfan

Really cool to see a few freighters coming through the locks.

Bill Ahearn

Really cool views of freighters passing through the locks separating Lake Huron from Lake Superior.

Corey Whiting

They're very entertaining day watching the ships come in and out of the locks with the kids. it was also very informative

Kim Castine

Very educational

Robert Strohl

Well worth seeing!

Matt Harris

Loved it!!! Got to watch 3 ships go thru the locks.

Anna Martell

Fun and informative!

Eli 'S

Excellent display of history, how the locks work, facts about big boats, and watching the locks in action. Free!

Jeff Sullivan

Great way to watch the Great Lakes freighters.

Kenneth MacLeod

Cool place

Chris Sluyter

Pretty cool to see the ship's go through

Christine Stephenson

You can really learn about the history of the Locks and watch them work up close and personal!

Shanan Thode

I have to say I like how they are explaining how they intend to keep the fish alive and healthy.

Laura Johnson

Tons of history to read about and then go outside and watch the ships in the Locks.

Pam Fisher

A must see for anyone! Such a cool, free experience.

Bill Mallonee

Great place to visit. Informative and well documented info on the history of the locks. There is a video feed showing the locks in real time as well as an outside grand stand where u can watch the freighters as they traverse the locks.

Mr. Gadgets

Had never been there. We watched as a ship went through the locks and it was very interesting! A must see place!!

Evan

Watching the ship's rolling in

Saravanamuthu Subramanian

Watched the movement of the ships in Soo locks.Algoma Niagara ship crossing.

umesh tailor

It's was a great experience on seeing the boats transfer here

Ed Olsen

Super unfriendly employee shouted at me when I tried to go in.

Susan Richardson

Awesome. Tons of great information and Edmund Fitzgerald items

Bruce Shepard

Quite interesting.

Dustin Miller

I loved the experience and so did my kids, the visitor center is a great place

WDH Halsey

Very informative and a great view of the freighters. Located in a nice, shady, park.

John Robirds

Great thing to see

Ron Keller

Great place to watch ships

Angie Bishop

Great

Kim Andersen

Very interesting and educational

Jan Fagan

Got to see a barge being pushed out by a tug boat. A freighter going in and then out. And a tour boat. Very interesting.

L K

Clean, nice displays

Google User

Cool place!!????????????????????

Jodi Christian

So beautiful.

Daniel Redford

Interesting. Well done. Very informative - especially the movies. Saw 2 ships go through.

Shotgun Mama

It was a fun time watching the ships. Unfortunately, the entire area is not pretty friendly. I looked all over online and never saw anything that mentioned no pets are allowed in the park area. This was as close as I could get to watch.

Kelsie Confer

Got to watch 2 boats leave the locks within an hour. The visitor center is super neat. And the security guards are hilarious.

A Y

Observing deck is nice would be nice to have a digital schedule synched there for the ships coming in so you plan accordingly. Overall kids learned a lot just by observing.

Peter F. (Tropical 2016)

If you like big great lakes ships this is the place to be. Shipping schedule changes so be prepared to see one or many go thru the Locks. Good platform to view from. Ship move slow so plan on staying awhile. Security check as you enter.

Timothy Bale

Great clean informative place. Video about the locks is a great relaxing break. Nice restrooms. Neat schedule of vessels going thru the locks. Hands on displays and Big pictures explain it all so well. Kids and adults like it. All free. Meter parking on the street. Cafe restaurants only 50 to 100 meters away.

RJM

Some displays are a bit dated, but it the best place to learn about the locks.

Florence Ng

Informative readings in the visitor center. Great lookout to see the actual performance of the locks. Amazing!!

Tamara West

Live watching the boats

Ariane Cagle

We had a great time watching a Canadian ship be lowered in the lock. Really interesting!

Donna Tucker

Everything was closed down but, a beautiful place to visit. The SOO locks were so neat even if we didn't get to ride the boat through the locks. Hope to go back to see the beautiful city of Th SOO Locks.

Maegan Eller

The visitor center is filled with facts, they also have clean bathrooms! I would recommend calling in the morning before you go to see when the ships are coming.

Nancy Webb

Great place to see how the locks work. Window to view was dirty and full of bugs.

Joann Kaylor

Nice visitors center, informative. Locks viewing area great. Fortunate enough to have a large 1000 foot freighter go through the Soo locks while there.

Z

Got to see 1000+ foot freighters going both directions, pretty cool to see

Bob Coghill

Very interesting visit.

Mike Gough

Great Place and wonderful shops.

Robert Shumaker

Great place to learn about how good are shipped on the Great Lakes

Melissa F

Watched a ship come in from the observation deck. I was able to see the workers did their thing! Kids loved it!

charles creed

I love history

Jeff Craig

Great day up at the locks

Jane McCarty

Way to awesome for words!!! Once in a lifetime visit

S K

Tons of history of Canadian and US transportation.

James Mulliniks

Love the locks???? the ships are huge.

Dan C

Cool building with lots of exhibits and great staff/volenteer

Paul Steffen

Great experience

David Carr

The Soo locks Visitor Center is a place to go see when in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. They have displays showing the history of the locks and they have information available. Restrooms are nice and clean. You can also find out if there are any ore boats coming through on a given day.

Tiffany Jones

Great Visitor Center where you can go up three stories and watch ships go through the locks.

H K

Beautiful setup here. Just wish the public had access to the viewing area after hours, as they close at 9pm, because some freighters still come thru during their closed hours.

Karl Matney

This was awesome to watch. The size of the ship's....and the amount of water that gets moved...wow

Susan Murphy

Amazing! I would recommend this to anyone. We watched two ships get lowered through the locks. You learn so much history and about engineering there.

Teresa Vermeesch

I found this very interesting. I would suggest better weather, but it is what it is. The visitor center very nice and informative.

Lynn Miller

Wow. Fun.

Joann Fournier

The visitors information center had the whole history when it was being built. Very interesting place to visit. Pictures from the very beginning of building the locks. Didn't have a big ship but seen this (pic) vessel come through.

Dustin Gaberdiel

I love going to the locks. It is a great experience, especially for kids.

Monty

Excellent explanation of how the locks work

Sam Spade

Informative

Bill Trefney

Clean and well kept

Corey Adkins

A freighter watcher's dream. The soo locks boat tours will take you through the locks. The visitors center will let you know which Freighters are coming up bound or going down bound.

Peggy Lollie

Beautiful

Linda Nickson

Due to Covid Visitor center is closed, at lo east 2 weeks ago it was

Markelle Wachtman

Make sure to call the hotline to check ship arrival times.

Laurel Nease

Super viewing area, and visitor center, with great explanation of the topography and science of the locks.