Ballard Locks in Seattle is a fun outing to learn how the locks work!

A visit to Ballard Locks is both a fun and educational experience with multiple areas for learning and enjoying the locks in action. It is exciting to watch boats and vessels of all sizes come into the locks, slowly be raised or lowered, and then navigate into the next section.

The Locks are needed because Lake Washington is at a different water level than Puget Sound. The locks are the easiest and most efficient way to get people and goods from one to the other. It's a pretty ingenious system, and this particular one is the busiest in the country!

When you first arrive, head over and check out the visitor center first, where there are numerous educational exhibits on the history of the Locks and how they work. This is a great spot to take the kids as they will be able to see visually first-hand how the water is raised and lowered within the locking system. 

If you are visiting Ballard Locks from mid-June through September, then be sure to make a stop at the fish ladder as well. This time of the year is the salmon migrating season, and if you are lucky, you will be able to see them swimming through the ladder through a special viewing window. They are in the middle of the 40-50 mile journey upriver to spawn and need the fish ladder to continue. There are three types of salmon that will pass through here during their runs: Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho!

Ballard Locks is also home to a 7-acre botanical garden that you can stroll through or listen to concerts during the summer months. This is a great spot to bring the kids and let them get some energy out or for you to go on a quiet stroll after dropping them off at school!