Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Scenic views , great for picnics , or just to wander around. What a piece of engineering !

Where freshwater meets saltwater, there are nice hillsides to picnic and watch the boats go by, and a small botanical park on the grounds . The fish ladder gets quite busy during salmon season.…

Great place for a lazy weekend stroll. Weekdays are quietest time to visit. Check out the Salmon ladder viewing . Parking on Ballard side is mostly metered. Limited free parking on the Magnolia side

Boats stack into locks as three species of a salmon navigate the adjacent fish ladder around hungry seals and sea lions. Underwater viewing area allows visitors to see salmon up close. Educational.

Check out the salmon viewing windows. Follow the bronze salmon medallions on the ground to get there.

Watch the boats go through the locks and check out the fish ladder . Amazing engineering all around

Park on the North side of the locks at Commodore Park . It's less crowded so it's easier to find parking and you can easily walk across the locks to enjoy the garden and museum on the other side.

Come & watch a feat of engineering at work!

Watch the boats travel between the lake and the sound and the salmon at the fish ladder on their return trip to the spawning grounds.

After coming here numerous times over 4 decades, we finally visited the exhibits while killing time in poor weather. And it's great- notably, a lot to learn about what might have been and why.

This is a fun outing wether you live around here or not. Very family friendly . Don't forget to pack a picnic .

Worth the stop. Fragrant gardens and free entertainment, provided a boat is meandering its way thru - what an engineering marvel!

Watch the water change levels in order for the boats to go through. Don't miss the fish ladder or wild seals either!

We dare you to find out how big the ship canal actually is and how the underground water tunnels help to keep the water flow clean and neat!

Very lovey place surprisingly it's so cool watching the ships coming in and out

The fish ladder is surprisingly touching and mesmerizing.

A great peaceful escape within a bustling surrounding urban setting

Love this place always lots going on. Grab take out from Paseos or one of the local fish & chips places and enjoy a picnic while watching boats cruise through.

Great, educational free hour long tours (3 tours available) on weekend afternoons.

Fresh water meets salt water . You can also check out the salmon ladder . And you may see seals!

Look for the underground viewing window, in the right season you will see salmon !

Great place to check out how boats are able tiger around, watch out for goose poop it's everywhere!

Watch the fish ladder and go inside to the information room. But beware the pathway will close at 9pm.

Take the free tour ! You’ll learn a bunch ????

Watching boats going through the locks can be fun, but grab a seat on the grassy hillsides for great people watching also!

What a gorgeous day for a walk in Jan!

Fun to walk the gardens and watch the locks in action .

http://blog.friendsoftheballardlocks.org/. I am a member of the Ballard Locks historical society, we are looking for new volunteers!

If you've enjoyed the salmon and the view , check out more ways to help Puget Sound at Read more

Park grounds unexpected bonus to super cool and busy working lock system

Early morning is my favorite time. No crowds. Very peaceful .

Watch for jumping salmon and salmon chasing sea lions Read more

My favorite place to picnic in Seattle!

Fast, once you're in the lock

Watch the salmon swim upstream in the underground viewing glass!

Late August at sunset is the best time to visit!

It's really worth taking a tour of the locks and the fish ladder .

Check out the free museum . Fascinating.

yep, it's really that good. (but park on the south side where it's free)

See live Salmon here. Don't get trapped on the far side when boats pass through.

Watch out for the harbor seal!

At low tide you can see the salmon better as they approach the fish ladder from the salt water side.

Don't miss the fish ladder - see if you can spot the different kinds of salmon .

Loved exploring the neighborhood . Seattle is a beautiful place.

It's totally worth it to wait for the locks to open and close.

watch the locks in action ; salmon ladder

Visit in July for the best views of the salmon on the fish ladder . Powered by ParentsConnect.com Read more

Free concerts are held every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm from June through Labor Day.Powered by ParentsConnect.com Read more

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, one of Seattle’s most popular tourist attractions

take the Argosy locks tour and check out the fish ladder and the botanical gardens