I visit most days since the botanical garden re-opened after the pandemic stay at home order was lifted. This place is a much needed oasis with the trials weve faced this year. Some things to enjoy: walking the paths, looking at the trees, plants, flowers and listening to birdsong.

If you are visiting Seattle, please dont miss this attraction..️1.Visitor center exhibitand2.watching lock is FREE .Fish Ladder is closed.So,we couldnt watch Salmon.Interesting to watch how the lock works.️.The locks can elevate a 760 - by 80- foot wide vessel 26 feet, from the level of Puget sound to the level of Salmon Bay in 10-15 minutes.There is sea lion and seal . We were able to see seal .Big park to explore different trees and flowers. Lots of squirrels.️️

Had a great time and saw the Salmon fry/smolt closer to the Ballard Locks Fish Ladder area than further down the park area. Ballard Locks Fish Ladder is actually closed (possibly during covid) but you can watch the fish from the park. Kids will enjoy seeing them too. We also got to see a seal swimming around. Nice place to see the salmon, sit and relax. The Salmon Bay Bridge was drawn during our time there too. There were a few people kayaking in the area too.

This is a review for the mini park on the south west side of the locks. Great way to view the boats coming home in the afternoon. Not crowded, but then again not much of a park. We enjoy it anyway. You get. Special thrill when the train goes in over!

A canal lock system built around the turn of the last century. Plenty of interpretive signage explains how the locks work and their history. There is also a fish ladder where you can see fish migrating into the lake (and occasionally a seal!). Also check out the adjacent botanical gardens.

Amazing place! Quiet before 10am or after 8pm. You can see see lions there, salmon and weird looking birds.

This is such a gem! We came on a whim and wish we devoted a lot more time here. I highly suggest making it to a scheduled tour. Our guide was a wealth of info. I suggest bringing a picnic lunch and letting kids roll down the hills. The weather was perfect on the day we came. We watched boats for almost an hr. Wish we lived here to make this a regular activity.

This place is magical and exquisite! I went for the cherry blossom festival and cannot wait to check it out again. It was so beautiful and diverse with all kinds of flowers Ive never seen. Make sure your camera battery has a lot of life in it.

Nice place to spend 10-15 minutes. You can see the boats raising between stretches of water of different levels on the canal.Also, in the season (mid-June through October, with the best viewing through September) you can see salmon swim upstream to spawn. There’re special paths and you can see fish from above but also you can go down and see fish deeper in the water.

We have been coming to visit the locks each time visiting Seattle. We started well over 30 years ago. Fascinating to see the locks in operation, closing the gates on one end, watching tne ships and other watercraft pull in, tie up and then watching the lock on the other end and watching the water in the enclosed lock being either filled or lowered as the lake is higher than the sound. The kids and I never tire of visiting. This past June trip revealed the busiest with hundreds of visitors stopping and watching. You have to visit the gardens as well

I walk the park every night. Its my sanctuary. If you havent experienced the locks...you need to. Just watching the variety of ships is entertaining enough...but the Salmon ladder is also a must see as well.

The Ballard locks are unique on the West Coast. There are two locks, the large and the small. The pictures here are the large locks. The locks were built 100 years ago and still use the same method to bring boats in and out of the salt water. They were built to provide a fresh water port for the Pacific fishing fleet which you can see at Fisherman’s terminal. The maintenance in fresh water is considerably less for boats and ships as well as the safety of having no tides or rough water. The locks also feature a great garden and a fish ladder for salmon. You can cross right over the lock doors. On busy days you can see flustered boaters getting in and out. The lock crews are very experienced!

Very interesting location. Neat to see such craftsmanship from the past.

The Ballard Locks carry more boat traffic than any other lock in the US, and the Locks, along with the fish ladder and the surrounding Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens attract more than one million visitors annually, making it one of Seattles top tourist attractions. The construction of the locks profoundly reshaped the topography of Seattle and the surrounding area, lowering the water level of Lake Washington and Lake Union by 8.8 feet (2.7 m), adding miles of new waterfront land, reversing the flow of rivers, and leaving piers in the eastern half of Salmon Bay high and dry. The Locks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the American Society of Civil Engineers Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.

This place is filled with history. If you get a chance, watch the short film about the history of it. I can spend hours watching the boats come and go...the water rising and dropping. Its an amazing feat of engineering.

What an awesome place to bring your family for some easy walking and great lessons on nautical subjects. The locks work almost continuously with ships and small personal craft coming in and out of the sound about every 30 to 45 minutes in a typical afternoon. Do you wait for the ships and boats to get inside the lot they then tied up together. The lock is then drained of most of its water volume in order to be level with the sound to the west. The opposite is true of course as it goes back in two the east. We saw a see you I am a harbor seal and times of salmon making their way through the Salmon Bridge located opposite of the Ballard Park. The blue herons were nesting at the time and are quite a sight to see in their gigantic nests!

Sadly, it is closed due to COVID so you cannot walk around on the bridge and locks, nor see the fish ladder. However, it has a nice little park on both sides of the water, walkway along the edge with grass and benches, and a carved-earth seating area, where you can casually watch the boats go through the locks. Good place to relax!

Our visit was inspired by its description in Kingsolvers novel Pigs in Heaven. This is a great place to spend an afternoon for both locals and tourists. We brought kids aged 12-15 and spent a couple hours watching the boats transition between the ocean & lake levels. You can figure out the system by observation but it would be nice to have some signage to explain the history & process too. The fish ladder with its underwater viewing station was also fascinating and we learned a couple new things from the talk given there. The highlight was watching seals and a sea lion in the water, probably attracted by the tail end of the salmon migration.

The Ballard Locks are a fantastic place to walk around and appreciate the scenery! There is even an indoor area to view salmon swimming through the ladder!

Brilliant scenery during warmer seasons. A great way to pass a nice afternoon by exploring the history of the docks and watching ships traverse the aforementioned docks live. Great for picnics, and is very peaceful even on weekends.

Great place for a family, couple or yourself to spend a few hours on a nice sunny day. On a hot day, a cool breeze from the water will keep you comfortable. If you like boats or have kids that like them, this will be a great place to visit.Not in boats? Take a walk through a park or walk to the other side of locks, take a look at salmon and walk along waterline. Sit on some steps or rocks and relax. In spring, watch out for heron droppings that will cover bushes and path, on the other side, and listen to their squawks. If you’re lucky, you may even spot some sea lions.

Great experience to see the boats come up and down the locks. Beautiful gardens too. I will be back with the family when the salmon are making their way up the ladders so we can experience that as well.

Such an interesting place, scientifically built with great staff. Its a must visit. Never knew how locks worked and controlled so much of boat traffic. And the fish ladder for salmon smooth runs between the fresh water and sea water is unusual. You must take a guided tour, which is free, for best experience.

I always enjoyed visiting the Ballard Locks. I could stay here looking at these boats for a few hours. Lots of different boats with different sizes come and go. When we were there last time, we saw a beautiful, huge, sail boat going through. We saw a few salmon in the salmon ladder, too. I highly recommend visiting this place while you are in Seattle.

Great place to visit while in Seattle. The locks allow ships to pass from the Puget Sound to Lake Union. Its a great piece of engineering! Wait and observe how the locks work and ships pass through.There is also a wonderful botanical garden on the area with a wide selection of trees. We were here in May and many of the shrubs and trees were in flower.Public restrooms are close to the locks and in the garden.

Absolutely amazing place to come and learn more about the famous locks that connect the Puget Sound to the Lake Union. View the fish ladder in the underground structure that gives clear glass views of the fish ladder although depending on time and season, you may not be able to see any fish jumping up the ladder. Seeing the locks open and close is a real treat and theres constant traffic no matter when you come. The sunset is also beautiful and lots of seating to have a snack and enjoy the waterfall sounds in front or behind you.

Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks is great way to learn about the different water bodies of Seattle and the fishes especially Salmon at the Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks. Do start your tour by visiting the gift shop and viewing a small movie on the locks. You can also bring a sandwich and have a little picnic in the botanical gardens. Great spot to come with kids. While we were here we saw large and small boats/ kayaks cross the Puget sound and it really was intriguing to see how the locks work.

The glass looking into the fish ladder was cool (go down the stairs!) and of course the lock itself was interesting but Im kinda a geek and could watch that over several times...

This is a very cool place to go and see. Watching the boats go through the locks is very fun, especially for kids. During the salmon run it is really cool to watch the salmon swim through the viewing area. The whole Ballard area of Seattle is cool and I would definitely recommend coming here if your looking for some cool things to do/see in Seattle.

Its fun to watch civil engineering at work: bridges going up and down, levees holding back water, boats coming and going through the small lock, etc. There are nice pedestrian paths on both sides, seals playing in the water, grassy areas to sit on, public restrooms, free parking, etc. Theres a nice circuit track round an arboretum. A concession stand would be nice. The foot bridge across the big lock is a bit scarey with little kids; its impossible to tell from the pictures but it would be certain death if you went over, which is not hard to do! I guess its on a regular commuter path, because theres quite a bit of foot traffic at regular intervals.

Always a fun place to visit. Staff in the visitors center is friendly and knowledgeable, always happy to answer any questions you may have. The botanical garden is also definitely worth walking through. The perfect place to spend a warm Sunday afternoon.

First time to go into the park, have a nice afternoon with stunning Lake Union view, classic harbor architecture, British garden, and you have chance to see the Salmon pass the special bridge.Good for family ,all season .And the best thing is the park is free.

I missed most of the locks filling and opening. The fish ladder would have been awesome if I had come just a little sooner. My big complaint is something the location cant really control which is just people. There were so many, and, with the lock bridges being so narrow, this was only amplified. The gardens surrounding were beautiful!

Classic Seattle destination. Something for everyone, young and old. Beautiful gardens, fish ladder (in season, usually late summer through early fall), all kinds of crazy boat action in summer months, interesting technology. Lots of bars and restaurants nearby, decent parking.

I come hear fairly often to watch the locks and wildlife. Nice place to spend a few hours

Its free - how can I complain?Free tours from 2-3pm - see their website for details. You meet at the visitor center and get a little history lesson first. Then the tour guide takes you out for a tour of the place. It definitely meant a lot more than if we had just gone to see it by ourselves! However, we had zero knowledge as to what the locks were before we went, and found that the tour guide kind of assumed that we knew the basics of what the locks were. I suggest you do a quick search of what locks are before you go. Get some basic prior knowledge, and then get everything else from the tour guide.

This is a great way to spend an hour - especially if youve never seen locks before. You can get right next to the the action and stand on the foot bridges spanning the locks to watch the water pour in. Also there is a nice park to wander through afterwards. I highly recommend to anyone in Seattle and to all visitors fascinated by engineering marvels.

During the Spring and fall, spending time with a sloping Hills around the Ballard docks is a lovely pastime.The docks, and the parks around them, provides a great place for the entire family

Super cool place. Have lived in WA all my life and finally got to check this place out. Very fun. Lots to see and do in and around the locks.

This was an amazing place! The engineering behind this is amazing. This is a great one to visit as well because it is the busiest locks in the country. We actually got to watch a locking happen AND they were doing their annual cleaning and maintenance of the large lock for the fish migration, so it was empty and we got to see how large and deep it was. Truly amazing!

An amazing place! You can get up close to where the boats come through. There are beautiful walking trails throughout. A very interesting and historical place!

Wow, totally cool. Was awesome to see the locks and bridge at work. Also got to see a salmon swimming through the built in viewer. Just one but it was very nice. There is a parking list here, not big and it’s free.

Incredible feat of engineering & its awesome that they were thinking of the salmons and build a salmon ladder even when they built it way back in the early 1900s. The visitors center is small but informative and the staff are so friendly & helpful. They even have a free penny smasher and when we didnt have any pennies they gave us 2.

Fun to explore and watch boats going thru the lockes

Fun touristy place to watch the vessels navigate through, back and forth between the Sound and Lake Union. Botanical garden adjacent to the locks needs some serious upkeep though, looking pretty sad these days.Paid parking in front of the place but you can find plenty of free street parking around the neighborhood.Check out the fish ladder on the south side of the locks during the salmon spawning season.

This is a great place to spend a day with kids. There are so much to do beside the locks, botanical garden, salmon viewing, and beautiful view of the bay and canal.

So astonishment to watch the locks operating, and a cozy park for relaxing beside the water as well.

Such an awesome place! I had the great honor of being the recipient of a one-on-one tour of the place by a prominent Seattle architect. Beautiful, historic and technical.

How beautiful! A park with grass terraces for enjoying the outdoors along with learning how fish ladders work, how the locks work to allow passage of boats from the Sound to the Lake and beautiful gardens. There is also a museum and gift shop whivh show the building if the system 100 years ago.

A must visit. Gorgeous gardens, great viewing area for fish ladder and high traffic locks you can walk all around. Super friendly staff. The lock workers will answer all your questions

This is a must-see in the Seattle area. The locks were designed and built over 100 years ago and help boats manage up to 24 feet of difference in the water level between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. The botanical gardens are well kept and look amazing when the trees and flowers are in bloom. The fish ladder is also very cool to experience, especially during the fall.

Really enjoyed a free walking tour.Seen ships goong though locks while whatever level changes. Also seen large size salmon swimming aroind

Very interesting place and a marvel of engineering. Run by the Army Corps of Engineers. A guide speaks about what is happening and the history of the locks as boats pass through. It is also a way to pass over the river, although it is sometimes blocked off by passing ships.

Very interesting place to see boats cross. The locks is a system by which they transfer boats from higher to lower (and vice versa) water due to crossing over from fresh water lake to saltwater (and vice versa). It takes millions of gallons but was designed in such a way no electrical pumping is used. Also you can see the salmon climb the ladder during their migration to lay eggs. They have 2 free tours daily that really help explain the locks and their use and the salmons biology etc. We also even saw a harbor seal waiting to feast on salmon!

Fun to watch on a nice day. Takes about an hour for each cycle.

A must see in place, it’s really nice to be here, it’s not just to see how day pass the boats Between the two ways, it’s also a place where you can spend a lot of time your friends Or family

We were staying near the airport and made the trek to Ballard Locks via public transit as we dropped off our rental early. It was an easy Metro, bus, and walk there which was half the fun! You can spend maybe 1-2 hours here (or longer if you love boats) just watching the boats pass through the locks. Dont forget to stop by the visitor center and watch the movie so you can gain some insight on to why and how they were created. Also check out the salmon ladder down below. All for FREE

Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks is a unique spot to come for tourists and locals alike. There is a lot to learn about here, from the process to the history, as well as just a lovely place to relax. There are lovely botanical gardens in addition to the main event. While watching the boats move through the locks may be a little slow, its a pretty neat thing to witness.Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks is also a great place for spotting wildlife! Of course, there is the fish ladder with the chance to see the fish going from underwater, but you can see a lot of birds and other marine life. We saw jellyfish and sea lions on our last trip.

Great history behind the locks and we had a great time watching the boats coming in and out. The walk through the area is lush and beautiful.

I had never been to the Ballard Locks even though I have lived in Seattle for more than 20 years. I finally visited on a Saturday in August and it was a nice experience. I liked the fish ladder with the windows that look into the water so you can maybe catch a glimpse of the salmon swimming back upstream. Unfortunately I did not see any and coincidentally the next day learned that 2019 has had the lowest number of salmon coming upstream for the past decade or so. The locks themselves are a nice spectacle to see once or twice through as well. Nearby Commodore Park is a nice place to relax as well and watch the locks and water.

We were lucky enough to visit on a Sunny Day in December.The fish ladders were bare due to salmon season ending in November. So we walked to the locks and watched ship and after ship pass through.Such a fun and unique experience.Afterwards we walked into Ballard and grabbed lunch at Portage Bay Cafe. Lots of great shops on the other site of this awesome Seattle landmark.

Definitely worth a visit in Seattle area. Interesting history (was previously separate and then annexed by Seattle). I did the kayak tour which is an excellent was to see the locks and house boat communities. Will definitely visit this area again and try some of the restaurants.

First time here. Pretty cool seeing the boats come in and all that goes into changing the water level. Also walked around the nearby garden with my wife and kids. Beautiful place.

Such a cool place to visit. Gritty with an old world charm. Louis Ruth Photography.

There were lots of seals swimming around looking for salmon. They were so cute and fun to watch. This is a great place to see wildlife and its also cool to watch the boats go through the locks.

What a beautiful place I was having the time of my life with my kids our vacation was amazing in this state pesplo are friendly love it

Amazing place to see history and how things work!!!! Take your children and the rest of the family!!!!

We know the locks from the boating perspective. Our boat is moored inside the lake, so we transit the locks a lot. The lock master crew is outstanding! Im always amazed how efficient they are. Sometimes, it gets quite chaotic in the locks.

If you are a plant/flower lover this place is for you. The park grounds are simply beautiful and mostly maintained by a botany club. The locks themselves are entertaining and educational as well as historic. Be prepared to pay for parking, and come hungry because the Lock Spot serves some of the best fish and chips in Seattle.

Saw the salmon today! So amazing.

Decided to come here in the evening for a walk and to watch the sunset. Beautiful view of water, and nice plants, bet it will be even better when they are in bloom! I want to come back during the day time because I really want to visit the visitors center. Just be careful in the grass, there are lots of presents left by dogs.

Was surprised at this park. Got “dragged” there by my husband but ended up having a fascinating time watching the locks in action. The views are incredible. No fish in the fish ladder (an underground cement room with viewing glass into the water where you would be able to see salmon if it’s the right season). The botanical garden & buildings next door really capture your attention as well. All in all, very nice.

Its always interesting watching boats go threw the locks. Theres some great bird watching on the south walking path. Plenty of parking street side. Great place to bring a book and a cup of coffee.

Absolutely fascinating and super cool! From the beautiful botanical gardens to the awe-inspiring locks, to the fish ladder, we were enthralled the entire time. The person manning the locks was very friendly and very willing to answer questions. The fish viewing was cool even if there were few fish at the time. Plus, there is the draw bridge in the background which lifts up fairly often. I highly recommend a visit.

Such an interesting place. You HAVE to stop here if you are ever in Seattle!

I have been in Seattle for quiet sometime and I regret not visiting this place so far. It is very good place to do site seeing and experience how the boats are transition from one side to other. Will visit again during salmon migration time.

Very nice place to take a stroll. Loved all the trees

Do you love ships, pleasure boats, super yachts or even trains? How about seabirds or sea critters? You’ll never know what’ll come through these historical century old locks. Oftentimes you may spot a sea lion or an otter or two waiting fo feast on the various Pacific salmon species who swim up the cascading ladders as their young are flushed out the spillway tubes into Puget Sound. Many breathtaking Great Blue Herons nests along the southern side of the park. On the northern side take a stroll around the Carl S. English Jr. botanical garden. There’s always something blooming year round here even a rose garden if you are feeling in the mood. During the summer months there are musical performances or vintage car shows to capture your imagination. Come see this beautiful destination as it will be unforgettably memorable.The Locks are also very pet friendly, but please do keep pets always on leash and pick up after them as well.

Ok. The bridges over the locks are shut down in these COVID days (passing distances were too small, I guess) but its still a fascinating place to go with a kiddo; the boats, the train bridge, the seals, the schools of fish, the water... We went to just stop by and 90 minutes later we left.

Awesome system! Exciting to experience nature (Chinook salmon swimming upstream to spawn, seals, seagulls, osprey) interacting, the cycle of life before our very eyes, the salmon nurtured by man-made locks & ladders. I recommend you add this site to your bucket list of must do items!

Definitely worth checking out if youre in the area! When people suggested going to the Locks I figured it was just the boat elevator thing, but theres a big beautiful park with all sorts of plants and paths and flowers as well. Lots of great stuff to see, a great place to go for a long walk especially with ice cream.

Such a amazing place, the locks that carry the boat/ship to different side. Also can see salmons on the salmon ladder. Often can see seals and eagles around it.

Such a beautiful place to spend a Sunday!! Definitely recommend for those wanting to learn more about Seattle’s history! Awesome exhibits and interactive things to do!

What an experience!!! Neat, exciting, and beautiful! I will definitely go back in the spring to catch the salmon ladder.

Nice place to have day out in Seattle. Knowing the history that is still exist until now. If you are lucky, you can see how this place works and also meet some seals.

I’d never seen locks so was cool for me. I went when it was not salmon migration season unfortunately. I enjoyed passing through here on my way to Discovery Park.

It was my first time at this place I always want to go so it was magnificent, you have to see the whole process of closing and opening and changing level of water and boats can come out and come in, its really interesting and I had a chance to ask employee information about whole process, so he was so informative, he explained everything, it was amazing experience, and also it was perfect time, when you can see salmon, it was breathtaking. Definitely worth to go and they have three parking so its really convenient.

Coming through the locks by boat is great! If you are patient, willing to listen and accept direction, and nice to the employees and fellow boaters, it can be a great experience! Of course, like anything, there can be jerks that ruin it. But 9 times out of 10 I have had a great time going through!

Interesting place to visit. I have been to soo Locks in Michigan and these ones seemed more interesting as you can walk over the locks to see the different machinery. The place is very calm especially if visited in night.

Locks is not opened right nowBut the garden still is!

Great grassy areas to sit and watch the boats go in and out to the sound. You can stand right on top of lock to watch them fill and empty. Also has salmon ladders, which do not operate apparently in the spring.

Great spot. Saw seals and sea lions. Worth the trip!

A fine way to while away a bit of the day watching the coming and going marine traffic. Sometimes the drama is amusing, sometimes confusing, but always entertaining.

Nice organic visitor spot. Enjoyed the gardens, sea birds and seals. Lucky to see both big ship and smaller boats go through the locks.

Nice quiet place to visit to escape the hustle and bustle of Seattle. It is free to visit. The water locks were interesting to see in action. The water ladders for the Salmon were also interesting. We saw some seals feasting on some Salmon.

Terrific place to bike to. We took three JUMP bikes here and then explored the locks and park. Wonderful place!

Very interesting place!! You can spend hours looking at these locks in operation. They are usually busy or at least have some traffic. So anytime you come here you will get to see some action. There is one small canal and one big canal for bigger boats. The bridges above usually get crowded with people but you can get a good spot. The locks and the video they show in Park, both are informative. Good place to take kids.

Visited in summer 2019-A fun way to pass the time. Besides watching the boats, you can people and dog watch. Dont miss the gardens next door!

They let boats through. The fish come here to do their thing. You can see them in large glass things.Its OK.

Amazing little spot with the salmon ladder, so you can watch the fish try to make it over the lock. Also right next door is an amazing botanical gardens! And we wrote our bikes there! High recommended