About this city
Also known as: The Soo
Sault Ste. Marie is the absolute oldest city in Michigan and a historically dense, strategically vital maritime metropolis positioned directly along the St. Marys River on the Canadian border. Founded meticulously in 1668 by French Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette, the city controls the dramatic 21-foot rapids separating Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Sault Ste. Marie is internationally famous for housing the Soo Locks, a monumental infrastructure wonder that serves as the single busiest canal system by cargo tonnage on the planet.
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Economics & Local Vibe
Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Watch massive global freighter ships transition through the water gates at the Soo Locks Observation Platform, view marine history inside the Museum Ship Valley Camp, and view panoramic vistas from the Tower of History.
