The Soo Locks Visitor Center in Sault Ste. Marie closed for the season Saturday, Oct. 31, after welcoming nearly 196,000 visitors, Soo Leader reported.
The seasonal shutdown affects the indoor attraction, while Soo Locks Canal Park remains open year-round.
The center, inside the park off Portage Avenue, normally operates from May 1 through Oct. 31. Admission is free, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ visitor information page.
Its exhibits explain the locks’ history, engineering and role in Great Lakes shipping.
Winter visits to Canal Park
The Corps lists park hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from November through April.
The park offers walking paths and a viewing platform overlooking the locks. The platform’s lower level is accessible, while stairs lead to the upper level, according to the Soo Locks Visitors Center Association.
The Corps cautions that its boat schedule hotline is not updated during the winter season.
The visitor center and shipping locks operate on separate seasonal schedules. The locks reopened for the 2026 shipping season March 25 following winter maintenance, according to a Corps announcement.
The Corps says more than 4,500 vessels carrying up to 80 million tons of cargo pass through the locks annually. Common cargo includes iron ore, coal, wheat and limestone.
Soo Leader reports that the visitor center is scheduled to reopen May 1, 2027.
