Join us on June 26, 2026 for Soo Locks Engineers Day! It’s a day full of celebration and amazement. It’s your chance to enter the Soo Locks park to get up close to the freighters and learn about the Soo Locks complex.

The event is put on in partnership with the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, we are ecstatic to help put on this special event. Beginning at 9 a.m., a section of West Portage Avenue in between Ferris Street and Gov. Osbourne Boulevard will be closed off to traffic until 4 p.m. and will feature over 50 vendors. The Soo Locks Park and observation deck will both be open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.

The day celebrates the engineers who built the Soo Locks along with the men and women of the past and present who maintain the Locks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites people of all ages to come explore the Soo Locks for free. Visitors are invited to stroll the Soo Locks Park, explore history in the Visitor Center and climb observation platforms as mammoth freighters ply the waters of the St. Marys River system. Be sure to stop into the Visitors Center to explore all of the new displays and test your hands at being a Lock Master.

• Lake Superior State University Center for Freshwater Research and Education will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Engineers Day Open House presented by the Chippewa County Historical Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Hospice of the Eastern Upper Peninsula and Superior Health Systems Arts, Crafts and Family Fun Fair at the City Hall grounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Cloverland’s Engineers Day Touch-a-Truck will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours dock.
• Tour the M/V State of Michigan docked at the Museum Ship Valley Camp throughout the day
• Annual BookFest will take place from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm outside of Island Books & Crafts
• Carbide Dock Ribbon Cutting. Celebrate the completion of the dock with an opening ceremony and ribbon cutting. The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. at 98 Salmon Run Way. Read more here.
• Kokosing Alberici Traylor Engineers Day 5K starting at 6 p.m.
• Official Boatnerd Cruise aboard the Famous Soo Locks Boat Tours at 6 p.m.
• Engineers Day Appreciation Special all day long with the Original Soo Locks Boat Tours
• Showing of Twisters at LSSU. Movie begins at 7:30 p.m. at the LSSU Arts Center.
• Little Sailors’ Day will provide family friendly fun where the kids ride for free on the Original Soo Locks Boat, Saturday, June 28th from 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• International Bridge Walk Saturday, June 28th starting at 9am. Please note: the bridge will close for vehicle traffic between 8:45 a.m. and ~10:45 a.m.

If bringing a bag into the Soo Locks please note: Clear bags only and no larger than 12 inches long, 6 inches deep, and 12 inches wide will be required for entry to the Soo Lock.

Throughout Engineers Day be on the lookout for the free shuttle service. This ride will take you from the Osborn/Portage intersection near the Soo Locks Park all the way to the east side of the hydroelectric plant where Lake Superior State University’s Center for Freshwater Research and Education is located.

Looking for a spot to park? Check the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s metered parking map. Meters accept coin and use the Passport Parking app.

Stay tuned to this page and our Facebook page for more updates on Soo Locks Day.