GreatLakesCruises.com is a sales agent for every cruise line that operates on the Great Lakes.

Contact Us
Find A Cruise

Sault Sainte Marie

The city of Sault Ste. Marie

The city of Sault Ste. Marie is located on the shore of the St. Marys River in Ontario, Canada close to the U.S. border.  Centered in the middle of the Great Lakes, this magnificent waterfront community is the sister city to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which allows easy access from southwestern Ontario to the midwest United States. Explore world class out outdoor experiences such as hiking and biking through wooded trails at some of the most beautiful parks in Canada to kayaking the waters of Lake Superior. For a Great Lake cruise to enter or leave Lake Superior, it has to pass through the Soo Locks. Because of this, Sault Sainte Marie is a common stop for tourists to disembark, while the ship and its crew slowly navigate the locks.

Sault Sainte Marie (Ontario, Canada) is a Port of Call for the following Great Lakes Cruises:

Pearl Seas Cruise

Things to do in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario

Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre

Bush pilots were the main protection against Canadian forest fires and remote communities. These hard working pilots lacked fear of the unknown and endured many hardships in order to keep people safe. They flew to many uncharted areas where mistakes were often fatal. The Canadian Bushplane Museum features 29 vintage planes from as early as 1920 to 1990. Their exhibit includes the first Beaver Float Plane ever produced. Also onsite you will be able to climb a replica fire tower and view a vintage collection of fire pumps.

​Address: 50 Pim St, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 3G4
Website: https://www.bushplane.com

Sault Ste. Marie Museum

The Sault Ste. Marie and 49th Field Regiment Historical Society Museum currently occupies the “Old Post Office” building which was a landmark of the commercial section of town.  Being the largest building in town it soon became the monument of Sault Ste. Marie and an important gathering place for all who lived there.  Among the many exhibits you will find the Skylight Gallery which features vignettes using artifacts, maps, text and photos to tell the story of Sault Ste. Maries early beginnings. The Marine Gallery features a pictorial display of early cruise ships that frequented the Great lakes along with history about the locks and replica models of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Chicoree and the Sisters Light lighthouse. 

Address: 690 Queen St E, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2A4
Website: http://www.saultmuseum.ca/

Get to know Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario

  • Sault Sainte-Marie in French means “the Rapids of Saint Mary”. The Saint Mary’s River runs from Lake Superior to Lake Huron; what are now the twin border cities that are located on each side. 
  • Originated in 1969, Sault Ste. Marie is the official home of the annual International 500 Snowmobile Race ( The I-500).  Inspired by the Indianapolis 500, this event draws visitors from all over the U.S. and Canada.​
  • Sault Ste. Marie’s Entomica Insectarium is the first federally approved insectarium located inside the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center.
  • Ernest Hemingway was quoted saying the trout fishing was the best in the St. Mary’s Rapids of the Canadian Soo.  Under the International Bride and along the St. Marys Rapids you will find an ample supply of Atlantic Salmon and Trout.
  • At age 16 Wayne Gretzky played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds hockey team.
  • In 1992 Sault Ste. Marie’s very own Dr. Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman to travel in space aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery which orbited the earth for eight days.