Sault Ste. Marie: Locks, Ships and History

For your trip to Sault Ste. Marie, consider exploring the waterway and its history. The Soo Locks connect Lake Superior with Lake Huron and allow freighters to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. There are also viewpoints, boat tours, and museums offering different perspectives on the locks, shipping, and life along the river. You can watch the locks in operation, travel through them by boat, or explore historical topics in exhibits.

The Soo Locks from Two Perspectives

At Soo Locks Park, the observation platform offers a view of the lockage process. The opportunity to watch may depend on operating conditions. Boat tours also travel through the Soo Locks, taking passengers through the locks alongside freighters and other watercraft. The difference is the perspective: from the platform, you watch the process; on a boat tour, you travel through it. Operators and schedules may vary; check the details for your planned visit.

Admission to the Soo Locks Visitor Center is free. Check the official visitor information before your trip.

Museums About the River and Shipping

The River of History Museum explores the history of the river and its people, from the time of the glaciers through the 20th century. Eleven separate galleries display exhibits, and self-guided tours are accompanied by an audio wand. This broad span of time connects geological history with the development of human communities along the river. If you’re interested in the changing chapters of this history, the museum offers several thematic approaches rather than limiting its story to a single period.

The Valley Camp museum ship has a different focus: built in 1917, it contains more than 100 exhibits in its cargo hold. The ship also has a deck, a pilothouse, and sleeping quarters. These areas show how the crew lived aboard the freighter. The focus is therefore not only on the history of shipping routes, but also on life aboard a ship. Its construction date, the exhibits in the cargo hold, and the areas described offer visitors different historical points of interest.

Views and Cultural History

The Tower of History combines views with historical themes. It has three observation platforms, and from the upper level the view extends 20 miles. Access may vary seasonally. The tower focuses on the history of early missionaries, as well as local history and Native American history. Its focus therefore differs both from the river history presented at the River of History Museum and from the insights into life aboard the Valley Camp.

For your planning, you can organize these topics by the perspective you’re looking for: watch the locks from the park, travel through them alongside other watercraft, or explore history in galleries and aboard the museum ship. This lets you distinguish between technical operations, the changing history of the river, and life aboard a ship. Check boat tour schedules and the seasonally varying access to the Tower of History in advance.

Discover more destinations: Paradise, Brimley, Dafter

For the full travel overview, visit: Chippewa County.