Ballard Locks (Hiram M. Chittenden Locks)
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Locks linking Puget Sound and Lake Union. Watch yachts rise and fall, and see salmon swimming upstream in the fish ladder.
The Ballard Locks, officially the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, were built in 1917. They connect the saltwater Puget Sound with the freshwater Lake Union and Lake Washington, and are among the busiest locks in the United States. You can watch yachts and fishing boats rise and fall inside the lock chamber up close. The fish ladder on the south bank has underwater viewing windows, where from June to September you can see Chinook, sockeye and coho salmon migrating upstream. The north bank is home to the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden. Admission is free. From downtown, take the D Line RapidRide bus and then walk about 40 minutes. It can be combined with a visit to the Ballard neighborhood.
Opening hours
07:00–21:00
Nearby sights
- Discovery Park
- Kerry Park
- Fremont Troll
- Olympic Sculpture Park
- Chihuly Garden and Glass
- Gas Works Park
- Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
- Space Needle