Miraflores Locks

Sailed down the Panama Canal as an excursion from our cruise ship. It was a brilliant experience and to think that it was manmade too was just amazing. The view of sailing under the Bridge of Americas was spectacular. Loved the view of Panama City from the Pacific Ocean too. Highly recommend.

Visiting the canal was more interesting than I was expecting it to be! They announce every ship going through, including sharing information about it. You can stand so close to the ships that you can talk to the people on them! The movie is amazing. I really enjoyed my visit!

Amazing experience watching an engineering marvel operate in front of our eyes. The visitor center was understandably crowded - but it is great to see major interest in how this operates. These massive locks, located in the Miraflores section of the canal, play a crucial role in facilitating the passage of ships between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Towering steel gates, operated hydraulically, control the flow of water, allowing vessels to be raised or lowered to match the elevation of the next section of the canal. Completed in 1913 as part of the canal's original construction, the Miraflores Gates represent a marvel of early 20th-century engineering and remain a vital component of one of the world's most important maritime routes. Beyond their functional significance, they also serve as a symbol of human ambition and determination to conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the pursuit of global connectivity and trade efficiency.

The movie was great and very informative. The canal itself is pretty cool but you only see the "small" boats cause it's the old canal. A lot of people in the afternoon. I recommend the morning so you can see the boats going up which is more impressive than going down.

Crowded on a Thursday afternoon, but still worth seeing. We actually saw the first ships to pass through the locks that day.
The Imax movie is a bit pricey, but worth it. This truly is one of mankind's greatest engineering feats.

Very affordable and a seem-less flow since there is staff there to direct each transition. The narrator during our visit was very funny and informative. The imax is a great film and precursor before going to see the actual Canal.

Last week was my first time at the Canal, I wish I had more information. I enjoyed the whole thing, but it could have been better. I watched the movie, etc. I didn't know there were better spots to watch the ships going through the Canal, if I'd known this I'd skipped the movie and get a spot at the 2nd level of the building and maybe watch the movie later. If you go with kids [it is hot there and a lot of people] you know your kids better than anyone else, just prepare if they're between 1 and 7 yo.

The Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal offer a captivating glimpse into engineering marvels and global trade. Watching colossal ships pass through this iconic canal is mesmerizing, providing a firsthand understanding of this historic waterway's significance. The visitor center provides informative exhibits, allowing visitors to learn about the canal's history and operations. A must-visit destination offering an awe-inspiring experience.

Great experience to see the Panama Canal and importance as one of the modern marvels of the world. After watching the movie, it's best to go around 2 pm since most ships pass around that time. Recommend calling ahead to see how many ships plan to make the pass so can see it first hand.

Truly a wonderful experience. The IMAX movie will educate you about the marvels of engineering it took to build the Panama Canal, and the inadvertent medical science discoveries that occurred as a result of the endeavor (GO USA 🇺🇸).
Seeing the locks in action will impress anyone and it is a great way to spend the afternoon.

It’s obviously a must visit when you come to Panama City, Panama. The tickets that we purchased at the counter were $7 to view the Canal and $10 for an IMAX movie for a total of $17. I did not see anywhere if you could purchase them separate. It was a very cool experience to see the locks raise the ship as it went through.

Very entertaining visit. You can watch on an Imax a movie about the construction on the canal. Check the website for information regarding ships passing the canal when you visit. The total tour takes about an hour, but it is a bit far from the city center. You can take an uber to get there

Amazing experience learning about the Panama Canal. I ubered and bought my tickets there. 1st there's a 3D movie on one of the largest IMAX screen in the world, basically giving the history of the Canal and voice over by Morgan Freeman. Then you get to view the operations of a ship passing through the Canal. I thoroughly enjoyed and would defn recommend!

A fascinating experience. Highly recommend leaving time and coordinating so that you can see the full IMAX movie.

If weather is hot or crowds are large, comp prepared with cold water and a hat, as waiting for the locks to fill and transfer can be lengthy. Very worthwhile

This is a very informative and underrated tour location. There is a 3D video, narrated by Morgan Freeman which precedes the viewing of ships traversing the locks of Miraflores. The viewing points are crowded so be sure to sit close the exits of the theater to ensure being one of the first to arrive at the view point.

Going to see the Locks was an amazing experience! It's incredible the sheer size of these ships!! The 2 people who were narrating the experience were very knowledgeable! When one of the freighters was going by, I caught a glimpse of a woman on the ship which I'm sure is a male-dominated field. Super encouraging! Girl Power!!

The IMAX movie narrated by Morgan Freeman is a must. Very informative.

Amazing Engineering Work

IMAX was great and offered food and drinks. Viewing the ships was fun too, but can be crowded at times. Overall, I'd definitely do it again and recommend it.

Great experience and lovely to get a large cheer from the visitor centre...however any visitor to the Panama canal shouldn't forget the huge suffering and loss of life that occurred building it
I highly recommend reading Between the Seas by David McCulloch an absolute fascinating and informative book

One of the wonders of the world, the Panama Canal is amazing ! It’s a must when in Panama. They have an IMAX Cinema where you can watch a movie about the history of building the canal and the people behind it.
The movie is narrated by Morgan Freeman.
The canal itself is a world’s great engineering marvel ! Check it out, while in Panama 🇵🇦