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A Perfect Day In Sault Ste. Marie

Take a morning stroll through Soo Locks Park & Visitors Center A beautiful park provides the ideal setting in which to discover the amazing Soo Locks – an engineering marvel dating back more than 150 years. This system of four locks allows ships ranging in size from personal watercraft to 1,000-foot freighters to traverse the 21-foot drop between Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes. Stop by the Soo Locks Visitors Center to learn more about the facility and Great Lakes shipping through educational displays and video presentations. The wooded park also includes a spectacular fountain and observation platforms.

Lock Through” aboard the Soo Locks Boat Tours

Now that you have visited the Soo Locks, it is time to truly experience the Locks! Take a two-hour narrated harbor tour and “lock through” the American and Canadian Locks. Ride the waters alongside the freighters and enjoy a unique view of the International Bridge, Edison Sault Hydro-Electric Plant, and many more waterfront attractions in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Ontario. Each of the five tour vessels has enclosed climate-controlled lower decks and covered open-air upper decks. For your comfort and convenience, restrooms and snack bars are also located on each boat.

Time for Lunch & Shopping in Downtown Sault Ste. Marie

Equally renowned for its food and its location, the Lockview Restaurant on Portage Avenue offers a fantastic view of Soo Locks Park. With a wide variety of tasty offerings, the restaurant is probably best known for its Lake Superior Whitefish. When lunch is complete, take a stroll down Portage Avenue, where you’ll find gift shops, ice cream parlors, fudge and more. People watching provides just the right amount of after-lunch entertainment.

Step Back in Time at the River of History Museum

Eight galleries showcase and interpret 8,000 years of regional history at this educational and fun museum. The St. Mary’s River tells her story of the events she has witnessed and the people she has met. Set inside the Federal Building (circa 1909), the museum offers interactive displays and a unique gift shop.

Walk across the street to the Tower of History

Tower of History and Historical Homes

What a tall order when you can visit the Tower of History and get a bird’s eye view of Michigan's First City, Sault Ste. Marie. Soaring 210 feet above Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Locks, the tower has observation platforms for visitors to get spectacular views and photos of the world's busiest inland shipping channel. In the view below from the Tower of History, one can see several historic houses, and the Museum Ship VALLEY CAMP