MASSENA -- The Dwight D. Eisenhower Visitors' Center will open on Friday and remain open daily, including weekends, through September 5, according to the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with free admission.

Tourists and ship watchers can watch boats go in and out from an observation deck. Guides are available to provide additional information.

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, steel slabs, and project cargoes, SLSDC said.

The Massena Chamber of Commerce will operate a gift shop featuring items from local vendors and Seaway memorabilia, as well as provide tourist information to visiting guests. Starting May 27, it will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Due to security measures, visitors will be asked to leave all packages, bags, backpacks etc. in their vehicles, SLSDC said.

For those necessary items that need to be carried into the viewing area, people may be asked to present them for inspection or have them checked by a metal detecting wand. This will be conducted at a manned checkpoint at the visitor’s center entrance.

The center maybe periodically closed to visitors at the discretion of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

It is located off state Route 37. Turn right at the traffic light at the St. Lawrence Centre Mall main entrance if approaching westbound or left if heading eastbound. The visitors' center entrance is 1.5 miles on the right.

For up-to-date information on estimated vessel transit times, call 769-2422 for a voice recording of that day’s projected lockage schedule. Additional information is at http://bit.ly/1N0chPb. This map updates every 15 minutes with details on those ships currently in transit within the Seaway System. To receive specific lock information, visit http://bit.ly/1JqtoWr and pull down the “Order of Turn” information. This offers real-time information on those vessels preparing to enter any of the locks.