Hiram M. Chittenden (Ballard) Locks and fish ladder

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, completed and opened to navigation in 1917, operate a working lock system that connects Puget Sound with Lake Union and Lake Washington. The site includes a fish ladder that allows migrating salmon to bypass the locks; local residents commonly gather at viewing platforms during seasonal salmon runs. The locks and adjacent Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and are a frequent local spot for picnics, boat watching, and nature observation.