The Soo Locks Visitor Center officially opened up for the 2024 season Wednesday.
Located inside the Soo Locks Park, it's home to the famous and historic Soo Locks located on Portage Avenue.
Many say the park is the best place to view the freighters in the area.
People have been coming to Sault Ste. Marie since the 1850s to watch boats passing through the locks.
By the 1880s, a public park ran alongside the canal and lock with strolling paths, a fountain and places to sit and watch the boats passing.
Then In 1966, the Soo Locks Visitor Center was constructed in the upper portion of Canal Park to serve visitors coming to watch the construction and the boats passing through. This center expanded in 1995 with the addition of more exhibit space.
Open from May until the end of October every year, exhibits in the center help visitors learn more about how the locks work, the boats that pass through and the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Great Lakes.
Last year, nearly one-quarter of a million people visited the center before it closed up Oct. 31 for the winter season.
Michelle Briggs, Chief Park Ranger, says with the addition of several more displays, she hopes even more people visit.
"We took out a lot old, out-dated exhibits and have replaced them with some that are a lot more accessible. We have added hands-on lock model, lock operator simulator, we have added a lot of electronic exhibits and more," Briggs said.
If fact, when those days of slow freighter traffic happen, Briggs has a couple new ideas to keep visitors engaged.
"This summer, probably starting in June, when we have periods of time with no ship traffic, the park rangers will be leading interpretive walking tours. We are working on one with the history of the lock and we have another one called the footer walk where visitors can imagine themselves reporting for duty aboard a one-thousand foot freighter," Briggs said.
The center is open daily from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. with park rangers on-duty to answer any questions.
There is no admission to the Visitor Center or Soo Locks Park although there are security checks at the gates.
