The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (called the Ballard Locks by locals) and the 8mi Lake Washington Canal were completed in 1917, allowing access from Puget Sound to Lake Union, then on to larger Lake Washington. Behind the visitor center, the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden takes in seven acres of walking paths beneath shade trees and past plantings of shrubs and flowers that represent some 500 species from around the world.