MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Josef Walker

315-764-3218

SEAWAY VISITORS’ CENTER OPENS MAY 27, 2022

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) is announcing that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Visitors’ Center, located at the U.S. Eisenhower Lock in Massena, N.Y., will  open to the public on Friday, May 27. It is scheduled to remain open daily, including weekends, through Labor Day, September 5, 2022. The hours of operation are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

The Seaway Visitors’ Center at the Eisenhower Lock provides tourists and ship watchers with an observation deck where they can view commercial vessels as they transit the lock that raises and lowers ships more than 40 feet. The Center’s exterior grounds and observation deck will be open. The Visitors’ Center is a Federal Facility, and all visitors are required to comply with all posted health and safety notices.

The Center is located off State Route 37 in Massena, N.Y. Turn right at the traffic light onto State Highway 131 across from the St. Lawrence  Centre Mall entrance if approaching westbound or left if heading eastbound.  The Visitors’ Center entrance is 1.5 miles on the right. Presently, there is a detour for State Highway 131 at this intersection due to a bridge project.  Please follow the detour signs posted on State Route 37 accordingly. Parking is free in the lot adjacent to the Center.

Hundreds of ships from all over the world make thousands of transits through the St. Lawrence Seaway annually. They carry a wide variety of cargoes including grains, iron ore, coal, steel, stone, and large cargoes such as windmill components. The Visitors’ Center historically attracts visitors from all 50 states and more than 20 countries. Guides are available to provide more information to tourists.

For up-to-date information on estimated vessel transit times, call (315) 769-2422 for a voice recording of that day’s projected lockage schedule. Additional information is on the website at bit.ly/NavigatingTheSeawayMap. This map updates every 15 minutes with details on those ships currently in transit within the Seaway System. To obtain specific lock information, visit our Vessel Transit Information page (bit.ly/LockOrderOfTurn and pull down the Order of Turn information. This offers real-time information on those vessels preparing to enter any of the locks.

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