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Hiram M. Chittenden LocksHeritagePhoto Wikimedia Commons

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Washington · United States

10 story sections

The Ballard Locks are what the locals call it. If it is the right time of year, you will see salmon returning to the fresh water lakes where they were born to spawn. Possibly seals & a sealion on two, sometimes Eagles are hunting for fish & bird eggs, hence nesting Blue Herons perched high in trees on giant nest. Wild Kingdome meets Seattle.

History & cultureBY TELLBY

Contents

10 sections · tap a section for its opening lines
  1. 1Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

    Welcome to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, a monumental achievement of civic engineering nestled at the western edge of Seattle's Salmon Bay. …

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  2. 2The Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden

    As we enter the grounds from the city streets, our first encounter is not with massive concrete walls or roaring water, but rather with a stunning expanse of meticulously curated flora. This is the Carl S. …

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  3. 3The Administration Building

    Emerging from the tranquility of the botanical gardens, we approach the stately Administration Building. This structure serves as the intellectual and organizational nucleus of the Hiram M. …

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  4. 4Cavanaugh House

    A short distance from the Administration Building, we find a residential structure that commands a distinct historical reverence. This is Cavanaugh House. …

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  5. 5The Machine Shop and Pattern Room

    Leaving the quiet domesticity of Cavanaugh House behind, we now transition into the raw, industrial heart of the facility. Approaching the Machine Shop, the ambient soundscape shifts dramatically. …

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  6. 6The Large and Small Locks

    We have now arrived at the primary operational theater of the site: the locks themselves. Standing at the railing, you are observing a brilliant, gravity-fed elevator system designed exclusively for maritime vessels. …

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  7. 7The Control Tower

    Rising prominently above the central dividing wall of the locks is the Control Tower. In a facility characterized by early twentieth-century concrete and bronze, this structure stands out distinctly with its mid-century…

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  8. 8The Spillway Dam

    Continuing our walk southward along the concrete causeway, we arrive at a structure where the latent power of the water is most palpable: the Spillway Dam. While the locks are designed for the precise, measured transit of…

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  9. 9The Fish Ladder and Passage

    Crossing over to the far southern shore of the complex, we arrive at the final, and perhaps most ecologically vital, component of the locks: the Fish Ladder and Passage. As we have observed, Chittenden's engineering triumph…

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  10. 10Closing

    Standing here on the southern bank, looking back across the expanse of the locks, the spillway, and the botanical gardens, we can truly appreciate the colossal scope of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. …

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What is Hiram M. Chittenden Locks?

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks is a place in Washington · United States with 10 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.

Key facts
LocationWashington · United States
TypeHeritage
Story sections10
Text languageEnglish
Coordinates47.6655, -122.3972
Last updated

Nearby places

within a 5-minute walk
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