Sault Ste. Marie is geographically located in the north channel of the St. Marys River which joins Lake Superior with Lake Huron. It was a meeting place for the First Nation people of the area for thousands of years. It also played a mjor role in the early fur trade, and was well known for its whitefish. The early history of the city was dependent on the local waterway for transportation of people and goods. 

The exhibit offers a pictorial display of early cruise ships, a brief history of the Locks and scale models of the sidewheeler Chicora used during the Red River Rebellion, the Edmond Fitzgerald and a lighthouse which played a major role on the Great Lakes.