Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Seattle City Highlights Tour

• Seattle City and Snoqualmie Falls Half-Day Guided Tour

• Seattle City Tour

• The Best of Seattle City Highlights Tour

• Seattle Locks Cruise

It’s free to visit the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, the Visitor Center, and the adjoining Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden, and free guided tours are held daily. Seattle sightseeing tours that include the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks start at US$74, while cruises of Seattle’s locks start at US$63.

Start by browsing the exhibition at the Visitor Center to learn more about the history of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, then head down to the locks to admire the boats, stroll around the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden, and watch the salmon run at the Fish Ladder.

The Salmon Fish Ladder is a manmade passage at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks that allows salmon to safely pass through the locks. At the purpose-built Salmon Education Center, visitors can watch the salmon through the viewing windows during their summer migration from Puget Sound to Seattle’s freshwater lakes and rivers.

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks—also known as Ballard Locks—lie along Salmon Bay, part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal that connects Lake Washington with Puget Sound. The locks are located in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and can be reached by car, bus, or taxi from downtown Seattle.

Yes, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are accessible to wheelchairs, strollers, and those with limited mobility. Wheelchair users can explore the grounds, watch boats passing through the locks, browse the exhibitions at the Visitor’s Center, and visit the viewing areas to watch the Salmon Ladder.