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Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie

4.7

#1 of 18 in Things to do in Sault Ste. Marie

Landmark Tourist Spot Must See

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See how 10,000 ships travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes every year at Soo Locks. Historically significant, the first versions of these locks were built in 1855 to accommodate a 6.4 m (21 ft) drop between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, and they still are noted for their engineering prowess. Today vessels traveling through the lock system here transport more than 86 million tons of cargo. The locks are named for the two cities on either side of the St. Marys River, one in Michigan and one in Canada. Both cities are names Sault Ste. Marie, with Sault pronounced as "Soo." The locks now make up 2.6 km (1.6 mi) of a canal that is run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Plan your Soo Locks visit and explore what else you can see and do in Sault Ste. Marie using our Sault Ste. Marie travel route planner.

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Soo Locks Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1,598 reviews

Google

4.7

facebook

4.6

3 likes

• By maryjanelk

  We sat there for hours, watching the boats- from a 28 ft sail boat, to a massive supercargo ship enter the locks, either go up or down and leave. the whole process was amazing, and we learned that...  more »

• By kabxyz

  Best way to experience the Soo Locks is to take the boat tour. This tour takes you through the US and Canadian Locks. And, the boat tour does a "show and tell" of the history and industry of the...  more »

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Google

• By Florence Van Lew

  Beautiful city friendly and very peaceful. Loved watching the ships go through the locks. Wonderful stores and restaurants. Long Ships Motel was wonderful. We had car trouble and they were very accommodating on our check out time.

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• By Valerie Norris

  The last time I was here I was 8. The locks have been so built up since then in a good way. There is a multilevel viewing deck designed for watching the boats coming in and out of the locks. The visitor center is informative, letting you know when boats are expected to be coming in and out. It also has a lot of interactive activities for the kids. The Shipwreck Museum and gift shop are worth stopping into. The workers there are very knowledgeable.

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