Ballard Locks Fish Ladder

Fascinating to watch vessels passing through the locks. The cranes on one end of each lock are there in case any of the lock gates fail, to lower temporary flow impeders across the lock and prevent the lake level from dropping until repairs can be made. The fish ladder and observation room were interesting, but would be awesome to visit during fish migration season.

No fish but an interesting stop

So cool. Got to watch a boat go through. There was no fish to see right now, but I did see some seals. Very cool place.

Nice place no fish tho

Excellent and interesting area to visit while in the Seattle area, doesn’t cost any money and has nice walkways and things to see. We saw massive cormorant nests up in a tree that made the stop worth it alone. The train drawbridge operated while we were there as well which is really cool to see. We didn’t stick around long enough for a boat to go through the locks but even without that they are really neat to see.

One of the coolest parks in the country. I've seen probably 5 or 6 parks in this country.

My son lives in Ballard and we love visiting the locks and the fish ladder. TIP: Park on the north side at the Carl English Botanical Garden (convenient payment with the machine or the PayByPhone app - careful, there's more than one lot #) and walk across the lock walkways to the fish ladder. And make sure you walk far enough east to see the awesome wave sculpture!

The Ballard locks is an amazing place to go. There is industrial age ingenuity and beautiful nature coming together. We saw sea lions, seals, herons, and salmon. We watched a boat come through the locks.such and amazing sight. The plants and the botanical garden were still blooming in October. What a lovely place to visit. Cheap parking right on site

A beautiful botanical garden perfect for a relaxing walk. There are a few bridges to cross, connecting the saltwater and freshwater bodies. You’ll also see many beautiful boats and yachts, adding to the scenery. In my opinion, it feels very romantic.

Inside, it’s fascinating to learn about the migration of salmon and the places and years of their existence. For those who love seals, there’s a chance to spot one if you’re lucky. We were fortunate to see two seals in the water. The air is filled with a pleasant scent of seawater.

I highly recommend visiting this place and will definitely return again!

MIn my top ten free things to do in Seattle especially late summer/early fall.

Underrated gem, worth a visit for the ambiance of the locks and for seeing so many salmon

although I've been here before I didn't really know when the salmon were coming through the ladder. the viewing windows gave a great insight and graphics helped explain what was going on. Seemed like the kids really were captivated although I do not have kids. Seeing the Lorax while boats large and small move through is interesting I'll be back to see the gardens in the spring.

The Ballard Locks Fish Ladder is a very interesting place to visit especially if you like to look at fish. There are great big square viewing areas to be able to see all the salmon and a screen above with a narrator explaining about the fish ladder and the salmon. It's a very educational place to go especially for young kids. I used to go there 20 years ago when I had my boat moored at Shilshole Bay Marina and I still go there today. It's a place I'll always go back and visit. If you've never been there then I suggest checking it out. You won't be disappointed, and there are very nice clean bathrooms nearby.

Ballard lock is an engineering marvel, this is one place where you can get to see our freshwater lake connects with an ocean and the transition from one side to the other side for a cruise or a ship is managed via water locks.
This also the place which facilitate translation of Salmons from one habitat to the other Using water ladders, and this is showcase beautifully via glass chambers, underground.

Salomon swimming backwards! Sealions are cute!