Unspecified/General

In the waterfront neighbourhood of Ballard in north-west Seattle, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, almost universally known as the Ballard Locks, are one of the busiest sets of navigation locks in the United States and a much-loved free attraction for visitors and locals alike. Designed by United States Army Corps of Engineers Major Hiram M. Chittenden, the locks officially opened on 4 July 1917 to connect freshwater Lake Washington and Lake Union with the saltwater Puget Sound through the eight-mile Lake Washington Ship Canal. A pair of locks operates side by side. The large lock accommodates substantial commercial vessels including fishing boats heading to Alaska, while the smaller lock handles thousands of pleasure craft a year. Watching boats of every size rise and fall by some twenty feet between the two water levels is the principal draw for the more than a million visitors who come each year, particularly during the busy summer season. A second highlight is the adjacent fish ladder, a stepped concrete channel that allows salmon and steelhead to migrate from the salt water of the sound up into the freshwater lakes and the rivers beyond. Underwater viewing windows allow visitors to watch the fish climb during the summer and autumn runs, an experience few inland visitors will ever otherwise have. The locks are surrounded by the elegant Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden, a free, year-round display of more than five hundred plant species drawn from around the world and laid out by the gardens' founding horticulturist over more than four decades. Free to visit, open daily and conveniently combined with the nearby Ballard neighbourhood's bars, breweries and Sunday farmers market, the locks offer travellers an unusual, engineering-rich window onto Seattle's working waterfront. A small visitor centre near the entrance offers exhibits on the canal's history, the engineering of the locks and the life cycle of Pacific Northwest salmon, and free public tours led by Army Corps volunteers run regularly through the summer. Picnic tables, lawn space and the surrounding waterfront restaurants make the locks an easy half-day stop.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 3015 NW 54th Street, Seattle, WA, United States

Telephone: 206-783-7059

Website: ballardlocks.org

Opening Date: 04/07/1917