Long Weekend in Sault Ste. Marie: What to Do, Where to Stay & Where to Eat

Lock tour

Take a boat tour of the locks with a local company and navigate the very same channels as massive freighters. Feel the boat rising as you’re lifted up to navigate westward, then dropping down in the lock as you journey back in the other direction. Guides share informative stories about the colorful characters who have shaped the shipping trade in this area over the centuries.

Tower of History

This quirky attraction was begun with a vision for a work of art that would be a magnet for tourists from around the world. That vision was never completed due to budget issues, and the tower has less religious significance without the church that was supposed to be constructed next to it. Today, the tower offers an observation deck with sweeping views of the surrounding area.

River of History Museum

Sault Ste. Marie is the spot where the St. Mary River connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron (with “sault” being the French word for the rapids occurring at the river’s sudden 20-foot drop over a short lateral distance). This museum tells the story of that river, from its formation by glaciers up to the present day.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

Located about an hour from Sault Ste. Marie, this museum is well worth the drive. It’s located on Whitefish Point (far from any major town), but plenty of visitors make their way here for the unique collections and artifacts, so make sure to buy tickets in advance—especially in high season. Learn about the lives of the lighthouse keepers and their families—and about the ships that lost the race against time to turn the corner around Whitefish Point, gaining refuge from raging storms and accessing the bay’s relatively calmer waters.

• Head to the Lock View Restaurant in the heart of downtown for the all-you-can-eat fish fry with whitefish prepared several ways (all delicious). Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—all with stunning views of the ships as they navigate through the locks directly across the street. Be sure to read the history snippets on the menu, which include the original owner going across the street to catch fish in the river and serve it up as the catch of the day.

• If you’re in a hurry, Oh Crepe is a solid option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, serving up sweet and savory crepes in inventive flavors (we loved the gyro crepe for lunch and the s’mores crepe for dessert).

• Also in the heart of downtown, Frank’s Place has hearty Midwestern breakfast and the Palace saloon has been serving Mexican and American fare to customers for more than a century in its original location.

• Just down the street at Bird’s Eye Outfitters, you’ll eat breakfast amid outdoor gear that’s for sale or rent—but the food is the real star. Expect a produce-forward breakfast with fresh ingredients. (Example: Avocado toast with roasted red pepper hummus and habanero lime sauce.) Open all day.

• More than 200 mounted animals and a hunting lodge vibe are among the charms of Antlers (located east of the main downtown area), where you can order burgers, BBQ, fish and chips, poutine in the French Canadian style, and an assortment of appetizers known as the Bait Pile.

• After dinner or for the afternoon crash, head to Zak & Mac’s Chocolate Haus for classic and creative fudge flavors—or head just down the street to Sugar Daddy for overstuffed milkshakes with candy toppers and more candy bedazzling the side of the cup, using fudge sauce as glue.

• Head uptown to José’s for Mexican food that will give any place in the Midwest (and beyond) a run for its money.