Soo Locks Observation Platform — Local services in Sault Ste. Marie

This is a great place to stand and watch as boats pass through the American Locks at Sault Ste. Marie. There is tight security so leave your pocket knifes and other items in the car as you will be searched. The place is open from 9 to 9 (check hours on the website) and it is free. There is a small visitor's center with some displays and a board that displays ship arrival times. The website also has a handy link to a marine traffic website that will let you see where ships are in relation to the locks. The main attraction is a multi-level viewing platform that is ADA compliant and once up on the decks, you are given a wide open view of the operations. The space on the platform will fill up quickly as many seem to monitor the arrival times and plan around them.They are also covered so rainy days are not an issue. Go at night and watch with all the lights ablaze. Neat stuff. Ice cream stores are across the street! The nice thing is that the entire waterfront is compact so walking between the many spots is recommended as parking...

Visiting the Soo Locks was such a fascinating and memorable experience! Watching the massive freighters and ships pass through the locks so smoothly was truly amazing — it’s incredible to see the engineering and precision at work. The visitor center is well-maintained and offers plenty of interesting information about the history and operation of the locks, making the experience both fun and educational. The viewing platforms give you a great vantage point & you can watch a ship making its way through right in front of you — definitely the highlight of the visit! The surrounding area is clean, scenic, and perfect for a relaxing stroll. Whether you're interested in history, engineering, or just looking for something unique to experience, Soo Locks is absolutely worth a visit. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone...

Pretty cool watching ships pass through the locks from the top deck here. You can call ahead to find out when ships are scheduled to pass through one of the locks right in front here; we lucked out and saw a couple go in and rise up to continue their voyages west onto Lake Superior. Also kind of enjoyed watching the employees zipping around on their little carts. Only bummer is that it's not a few stories taller, and perhaps a bit longer, as the top deck was quite full on a...