Map of Ketchikan — Best attractions, restaurants, and transportation info (2024)

1 list

Small museum that is a good value on a rainy late September day. Paid $6 to enter.Most exhibits are of items produced within the last 40 years, so definitely more heritage than historical.Interesting, informative signage. Totem are amazing works of story telling.Adjacent creek was full of salmon on a late September day.

Totem poles are the wood carvings created by local native people to represent ancestry, history, important people and events. Totem pole are created from red cedar wood, which is available here abundantly.Totem Heritage Center houses the collection of these totem poles which were created in 19th century. They were collected from Tlingit and Haida villages in 1970. Most of the old totem poles are severely weathered and damaged. However, the skills and the artistic ability is seen in the details of these poles.The staff of the Totem Heritage Center was friendly and helpful. We reached the Heritage Center just before 20 minutes of closing. They gave us the free complimentary pass to see the museum, as we didn’t have much time left to explore it.The totem poles have no religious significance, but has great cultural importance. These poles were never worshipped. They were created to honor the important and prestigious people, mark the significant events and proclaim the lineage of the owners or clans.Each totem pole has different story, meaning and purpose which was passed down from generation to generation orally. Unfortunately, the original history and stories behind these totem poles are lost due to no proper records, but some were retrieved from the elderly living people.

So much history and information packed in! It was good to learn the history behind totems and see so many up close while learning what history we can know from these creations. Thank you for a very educational site.

Coming in on a cruise? After you Dock take the short 15 minute walk from Coffee Creek along the Married Man’s Trail up along the Ketchikan Creek to Herring Way next to City Park and arrive after 8am to tour the Totem Heritage Center. A trip well worth the walk. If you are too tired to walk back to town you can catch the free bus just out front to downtown that runs every fifteen minutes. It is easy to spend an hour inside and well worth it. Minimal entry fee and donations welcomed.

A variety exhibits with beautiful Native Alaskan artwork. There are plaques that accompanied the pieces of art that were well written with historical information.

Excellent museum dedicated to Totem poles. The poles were gathered from the surrounding areas, represent various groups, and were brought here to protect them from vandalism and the environment. Very informative displays and beautiful artifacts.

Very good value for your money. $6 for adults and children 12 and under are free if I remember correctly. It's not a huge place and does not take long to go through, but you can learn a lot about totems in a very short amount of time.The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and willing to answer all your questions.

Good job! Very informative. Answered most of the questions we had about the local totem pole culture. Great mix of actual totem poles. Beautiful setting near City Park and river.

Great Center showing the heritage and history through totem poles. Some of the displays are over 200 years old. It was $6 per person to enter. Children under 17 are free.Easy to walk to from the port

A nice walk to the venue, and a fantastic park and salmon breeding centre next door. Some nice old totem poles and some history. Probably wouldn't go again. It would have been nice to seen a workshop or a totem in progress

I had the privilege of visiting the Totem Heritage Centre, and it was a profound experience. The totem poles and artifacts on display are not only beautifully crafted but also serve as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous communities. The Centre's commitment to preserving and sharing this history is evident throughout the exhibits, and the knowledgeable staff adds to the overall experience. It's a must-visit for anyone interested in indigenous culture." -

The Totem Heritage Center is a small museum showing off native Alaskan totem poles and art. One can reach the center by taking a free bus from the cruise ship docks or by walking.The price of admission if relatively cheap, only $6 for adults. US veterans and their group get free admission.I felt like the insides of the museum were interesting and it was worthwhile to visit. The museum was not very large, and my party was feeling finished after ~45 minutes of being there.Notably, there are bathrooms inside the museum, but there is no food to purchase.

What an amazing experience- the museum has so much information I could have stayed all day! We were there for just over an hour and I would advise taking 2. The totem poles were incredible to see, and the embroidery, baskets and textiles were gorgeous! $6 admission or buy a museum day pass (good at all Ketchikan museums) for $9.

Great small museum dedicated to the totem poles heritage. There is a pleasant park near by. There is a free shuttle from the museum to the downtown area. Ticket costs 6$ for adult.

This museum does a beautiful job displaying indigenous totem poles. They have a continuous running (very interesting) video telling the history. There are also beautiful display indigenous artifacts. Only negative is it is a self guided tour.

Excellent display of artefacts and information about the history of the local indigenous people and their arts and crafts. Served by a hop on hop off bus service which loops around Ketchikan makes it easily accessible . Better than simply shopping in the town.

1 list

Small center, but many good displays and exhibits. Cost is $5and includes a show in the theatre.

Small, but excellent displays and exhibits. Especially helpful if you are unfamiliar with local history.

We were only in port for a few hours and I wish we had gone here first. The Discovery Center was included with our America the Beautiful pass. It covered logging, salmon industry, indigenous peoples, wildlife and everything related to S.E. Alaska. The kids earned the Junior Ranger badges/patches. Definitely a great stop for families.

Very clean and well put together experience. The people were very nice and were more than willing to share their knowledge!

I learned so much about the history of the town and how it developed over the years. The exhibits we great. Also, the films the showed were very informative. Highly recommend you go see this museum

Very interesting. We got there right before they closed, about 335 and they close at 4 so we didn't experience everything like the video, for example, but it's a great place to learn more about Ketchikan.

Amazing exhibits. The rainforest exhibit was real cool! A like I-Spy hint for taxidermied critters!

One of the best exhibits I have seen in a while. The staff is engaging and accommodating. Like I said the exhibits and information is both in engaging and informative.

If you are interested in learning about Nature, Native Culture and Economy of Southeast Alaska this is an excellent place to start. The displays are highly detailed and organized. Each section is clear and visually pleasing to the senses. There is audio/video companions and interactive displays throughout. There is also a Theater that shows movies and has special guests regularly. You can find something for the entire family and will keep children engaged and happy. Southeast Alaska Discovery Center demonstrates the complex and colorful history of Alaska in an understandable form that everyone can appreciate. If you are in Ketchikan stop by and get out of the "Liquid Sunshine" for a little while and learn what Alaska has to offer.

Nice museum. Worth the time to walk through it. A great place to go and see if the rain forces you inside. Bring your National Park pass - you will receive free admission if you have the pass. If not, adults are $5/each and children are free.

I was there in May last year. Perfect weather, staff was friendly and the place was very informative.

The movie theatre is quiet and clean. Walk thru is fun. So mich beautiful art to see.

1 list

Nice boardwalk. Expensive shop. In August you can spend ages watching the salmon jumping

Great little place to walk around and browse the various shops in Ketchikan. If you take a cruise line and it stops in Ketchikan you'll probably find yourself right at Creek Street.Creek Street itself is pretty small, but there are quite alot of shops along the way - plenty of places to stock up on Ketchikan and Alaska goodies. Prices at the shops seemed pretty reasonable to me too (usually these types of shops seem to fetch high prices for their items).

Very cool, historical fishing structures along a beautiful creek. All the structures and I’ve been turned into cute little shops that are fun to go through.

A must-see if you're visiting Ketchikan. This is a piece of history that not many know about and it's worth the experience. Lots of shops along the wooden street including some historical buildings. There's a couple of lookouts spots along the street that are beautiful as well.

Free to browse, adorable fishing village vibe. Massive wild salmon swim in the creek. Many historical buildings and placards describing them are well placed.

A quaint area with a seedy history. Great for a wander along the raised board walk on wooden pilings over Ketchikan Creek. The area houses shops, restaurants, Dolly's House Museum and private dwellings. There's also a Salmon Walk from the northern end of Creek Street, marked by the Yelatzie Salmon. In salmon season, it is fascinating to watch the salmon ascend the fish ladder. Our visit was preceded by unusually heavy rainfall and as a result, there were large numbers of dead salmon (very sad to see) on the banks of the stream, creating a rather offensive smell!

You can see salmon running here. Great stairs and views of the creek.

Nice so nice to see salmon A lot along the river

18 years later… however so many cruise people, I couldn’t finish the walk, had to get out of there

Great place to walk, see salmon, get off the sidewalk and feel away from the traffic.

1 list

1 list

Ketchikan does it again: sets up a tourist spot but only half- heartedly. These totem poles need a description for each. They should have a walking tour map or an online audio file showing what each totem pole is depicting. Or a link to a voice narrative giving a description of the historical significance of Saxman. Beautiful totems to be sure, but without context.

Really cool totems. There is a master carver demonstrating his craft. Unfortunately, he wasn't there on the day we went, so maybe check that ahead of time. Also, if you are interested in the cultural program and dancing, that is only available through a tour.

Upon arrival at the park, native American tour guides explain how totem poles are made, what their symbolism means and the visitor also learns a few interesting things about the Tlingit culture. My favorite aspect of the visit was the dance performance in a traditional long home of a Tlingit clan.

Perhaps we were expecting too much from this visit to a Native Village? The entire tour was mediocre, from the dancing and singing in the meeting hall to the wood carvers. Their skill was clearly exceptional, however, the talking was too long and drawn out. The totem park was the most fascinating aspect of the visit. The various types were described and pointed out, and their original use as an "address" was explained. This was the only highlight of the tour. There was a gift shop to visit at the end of the tour.

First Nation People have preserved their heritage and art of making totem poles. We had guide give history or story behind the totem poles. The gift shop is wonderful!!!

Neat park! We visited this with our tour guide and saw a bunch of totem poles and walked around the park. There's not too much to do, but it is neat to see the totems and learn about them. But I highly recommend getting a tour for this, as it is better in my opinion!

The totem poles were beautiful. The workshop where they are made is very interesting.The native dancing was ok, but it was just a bunch of kids. I felt like I was at an elementary school presentation. I'm not picking on the kids, but expected more for my money.

The Native Americans here show you where local totem poles carvers work, explain the history and several totem poles outside and then invite you to share in their joy of dance. It truly is a privilege to be amongst them. This was an excursion on a cruise ship.

This may not be a fair review, so adding context. I took a shore excursion from a cruise ship. When we got to Saxman Totem Park, we could not go into the carving center. It was not part of our tour. We looked at a totem in front of the carving center. Then we walked about 150 feet and stood in the center of several totems. Maybe if we saw more, I could give a higher rating. I paid a lot for a tour and hardly saw anything. I liked our bus driver. He seemed nice and perhaps was following protocol. Finally, we were directed to the gift shop. I really like the gift, no complaints about that.

It was a tour during a cruise it was beautiful especially the wooded area they ask you to walk

Extremely disappointing. Bus driver/guide was new and temporary, that was obvious. But, there was no real depth to the experience. We were forced to stand far from another group and listen to the guide's stories about the poles away from the poles themselves. Then, when the other group left, we had only limited time to actually check out the site, without the guide, with the recommendation to visit the gift store. I chose to check out the native house. Unfortunately, though workers were out back smoking, they were very unfriendly and answered questions with one word. Not exactly warm and friendly. Additionally, there was some sort of private event I was told keeping our group from entering. This was just not enriching or enjoyable at all.

We had been to Totem Bight National Park to see the totem poles several years ago.I liked Saxman Totem Park because the totems were closer together, the park was easily accessible, and there were totems on the side streets as well as the central portion of the park. Also enjoyed seeing a master carver working in the shop.There are more totems in Saxman Park than in Bight Park. Bight Park is lovely as it is set near the water. Saxman feels more like a real village.Easy access using the City Bus. No need to pay for a tour. When you pay to go into the park, you are given a self-guided map and description of each Totem.

Truly enjoyed the Welcome dance and other dances performed. Great guided tour that included the history of the clan house and stories of the totems. Seeing the Carving House where today's carvers make custom ordered totems was very memorable. Highly recommend visiting the Cape Fox gift shop as well!

Very interesting stop to visit some local culture. There is a small gift shop and some walking trails in the area to enjoy. We also saw bald eagles in the area by chance down the road near the lake. Was able to take the city bus from the downtown area and reach the park with no issues. Definitely worth a trip ans it has the largest collection of totem poles in the world!

Sourdough Tours brought us to this location as part of their Tour. Rodney was our driver and he was very knowledgeable. He gave us background stories of each totem pole and what each one meant. There's a gift shop on site where we grabbed a few different types of Jerky.

Great excursion from the Princess Discovery cruise to Alaska. The costumes, dancing, drumming and information was wonderful. Then we learned about the totem poles which was very interesting and informative. We then saw a master totem pole carver and got to speak with him and ask questions. The guide was very informative. The Native shop was great to visit.

Interesting little place to visit. Truthfully not much here besides a little store, restroom, wood working shop, and a small park where the Totems are. I would describe the park area as the size of an infield of a baseball. Pedestrian traffic is very minimal besides the folks on the tour that came with us. Very little seen from the actual indigenous people.

It was a really cool place to visit. We had a tour through the carving den as well. Very informative. Would go back.

1 list

Cool piece of history. Frindly staff. Unfortunately city order to remove few rooms from museum, so exhibition not full.

Great place of history. Little gems of knowledge of time past. Smells very musty.

Very interesting history of the creek area. Read the documents on the walls and watch each of the videos in the room. Fascinating. Support local businesses!!!

Nice area to visit. Former Dolly house turns into a museum.

Thought the lady was rude. Her fishing polls sucked! I wasn't expecting to catch anything, but she told us we didn't need bait, it would probably helped to at least get a nibble so I highly recommend getting bait!!! When she is explaining anything she needs to slow down on how she talks. This is the only thing we were looking forward to when we came here was to fish, so very disappointing.

Interesting artifacts about the life in Alaska in 1920's... and of course about Dolly Arthur herself. Nothing has been changed in the house since that time...

Had a very enjoyable and informative excursion. They went above and beyond to make sure we got to see as much as possible

Dolly's is a fun and naughty look back to "the original female owned enterprise" during the gold rush days in Alaska. There are no secrets here and no surprises about what went on in this this house, but if you have an open mind and remember to keep things light, it's a quirky and unusual look at the alternate but very true history of this and every other little start-up town in the world!

1 list

The Tongass Historical Museum really provides you with a holistic view of the area and rich history. From the beginning with fossils to mining, oil, cannery (fish), logging, pulp mills, totem poles and the Tlingit people!There are 1,000’s of artifacts and pieces in their collection to see. They don’t charge very much ($6) to go thru and see all the fascinating nuggets of history!

Smartly curated museum in a beautiful location overlooking the creek. The museum's collection of antiquities and artwork is impressive and intriguing. Struck up a conversation with a fellow museum goer that had a similar antique record player at home, the collection proved provocative and alluring. I enjoyed learning about the indigenous tribes in the area and how the white settlement affected their families and livelihood.

Amazing place to go if you have time to kill and you love learning. Tickets only cost $6 for adults, $5 for elders, and anyone 17 and younger gets free entry. They have two exibits, the main one being Ketchikan history (including fishing, lumbering, and a little bit of mining history), and they also have a smaller dinosaur exhibit. They have a lot of items on display and I found it all very fascinating. They even recreated the framework for one lengend of that area, fit with it's real skull. I was there for over an hour and didn't even read every sign they had. Highly recommend, especially if you love museums like I do!

Had seen this place the first time i was in Alaska. Decided last time I was there to stop in and i loved it. Well worth the time, learned a lot of history of the area and saw some neat artifacts.

Beautiful and informative museum. Great experience here.

Nice little museum with plenty of arifacts and interesting old photos. Inexpensive too. We really liked the beautiful river that you can view from the museum, or walk to it behind the museum.

The Tongass Historical museum is amazing it have the history of Alaska like the gold rush and the Alaska Purchase and many wonderful displays and real native items. We enjoy it but we also went the gift shop they very nice items..

Very appreciative that individuals, volunteers and whom ever made the efforts to share the knowledge, experiences, artifacts, with feelings and emotions so that I and others can have a "small" understanding & experiences of those whom came before me, their work, struggles and pleasures. Gives an appreciation of maybe how better I or we have it.The enjoyable photographs that others have taken... just shows a small sample of things of life experiences. An experience that Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Heritage Center and others locations are very important to all US and those who came before us. Do not miss the opportunity!!

Great little museum we visited on our trip. We loved learning about how Ketchikan began and has evolved as well as viewing local artwork . The stream out back has tons of salmon to watch trying to swim up stream which was an unexpected bonus. All around fascinating.

Low $ price, High Value! A stroll thru here will enrich your view of the town! Military Betrans & family enter for free! Display appeals to all generations. Fossil and plants and people

I love this museum. My grandfather Eugene Wacker built his own city, back in the early 1900's. It was known as "Wacker City, Alaska."I've enclosed original pictures that my grandparents took of Wacker City. I included the back sides of pictures to name individuals in the photos. Enjoy, sorry about them being upside down or sideways.

1 list

Best store for authentic Native Alaskan Art! Huge selection and great locally owned shop.

We visited from Belgium in August. Have seldom seen a gallery that has so much beautiful art by local artists. I love our print of the Ketchikan town sights. Thanks again to the owner who was very kind and helpful, and I hope you meet your Belgian pen pal soon :)

Got a painting framed, David was very helpful in selecting the right frame and was completed in a timely fashion. Happy with the results. Thank you

If I could buy the entire store, I totally would!! So many favorite artists it's hard to choose. And the staff is top-notch as well!! Love all their smiling faces!

Terrific art/craft store carrying local arts and crafts. Very pleasant staff.

My name is Teri Marx,aka Teri Smart...this is a wonderful place to buy gifts..They don't only have art they have GREAT art, but,,they have very cool little gifts for anyone, i always shop there, its my little hide away to buy great gifts for any one ,any gender, including little ones,so before you blow all your permfund money on stuff you think you have to buy because there isn't anything to buy here but the usual,,,,GO HERE ,i never walk out without a smile on my face ,,and its very affordable.

Lovely art gallery with an array of beautiful paintings, photographs, and other wonderful items. The service is excellent!

Beautiful artwork by Alaskan artists! Skip the T-shirt shops and find uniquetuings only found here!

1 list

There are some points that the trail track is not so obvious. I thought I was on track but actually walked away the trail and down as much 50 yards where I could not go any further and had to climb back up, which was wet and tough. That took half an hour and had to be quite careful because there are quite some rotten trunks that would not support an adult’s weight. Overall is quite a pleasant hike with extremely fresh forest smell and a little bit of view down at the town and ships.

Great short hike by the cruise port. Get a taxi to the alaska campus entrance and wall back to Port via this 1 way trail. About a 1-1.5hr trip! Beautiful trees and greenery.

Totally enjoyed this hike. Went with a first time hiker and he was able to easily do it. There are a lot of rocks so make sure of your footing. There were areas where you could actually see the cruise port. We took a taxi to the trail head which worked out perfectly. The weather was perfect. Would recommend to anyone doing a cruise to the town.

Great 1/2 day hike. Small waterfalls on the first part when starting from the college parking lot. The second half highlight was the view of the water. Let out at the north entrance and walked back along the road to where we parked.

We took a taxi to the University trail head. The middle of the hike is a bit of a scramble, but the two ends are maintained. At the end (starting at the University) it’s a 1 mile walk down hill to the cruise ship docks. Very nice hike. Found a bear paw imprint and two deer wandered by, not scared at all by the humans.

Beautiful hike, entrance by the university. Bring hiking boots, muddy when it’s raining.

Sweet and simple trail close to downtown and cruise dock. 10 min taxi ride from cruise dock, about 12 usd. If you're short on time best way to get a glimpse of the majestic tongas national park. The shades of green and size of trees you see will be nothing short of spectacular. There are 3 points of entry - we got in from parking and out from South Side and took us about 40mins (including picture time)

Gorgeous hiking trail through the evergreen rainforest. Honestly, the toughest part is reaching it on foot from the town. Waterproof hiking boots and solid gear to put against ample local rain are highly recommended. Many a person comes down with a mud-caked posterior.A note: Regard the map of the trail. One half is maintained and the other half is not. If nervous about the wilder side of the trail, then there is a clear path that allows you to exit to the roadway. The sidewalk runs to town.

Very beautiful hike that is not far from town. I took an uber to get to the far end of the trail by the college and then it's an easy walk back to town from the closer end of the trail.

Nice easy trail in town - lots of steps up/down on North end- then small up and down winding rock pathways along the side of the hill! Great views and sounds. 30 minutes north to south- 1 hour round trip. We parked in the lot on the north end which is off 3rd Avenue.

Great little hike near town, I recommend you start at the school and work your way back.

Great hike! Definitely medium to high level of activity, lots of climbing over rocks, up steep spots, and across tiny waterfalls. Loved it. Little tricky to find the entrance near the University, needs some signage for sure! Odd that it stops right on the highway on the other end but doesn’t take long to walk back to downtown.

1 list

I really was not impressed with this totem pole or town. This felt more like a cruise ship tourist trip than anything else.

Nice little park of not more than 4 benches surrounding a native totem pole. Note that Google maps does not show that these roads are one way for pedestrian traffic and secured by chain link fences. You won't be able to cross the road just anywhere.

Very cool!Great photo opportunity here.It's fun for everyone!Little park with benches as well.A few other totem poles nearby too!

I love the downtown Ketchikan area. So many awesome things to do. The salmon run is so cool.

Interesting history here as a quick stop.

Good place to grab a photo

1 list

Been a beach we have gone to for over 60 years. I love that they drain it and clean out all the yucky stuff and then let the seawater back in. Love seeing children having fun, listening to their laughter. The play area was a great idea. I miss the tree we use to swing out on rope ,drop in water and the diving board. But, for safety reasons it was removed. Happy everytime we go there. Great family time for us all!🙏❤️ Grateful for having this beach thank you Mr Bugge for leaving it for us to enjoy. God is Great, to show us the beauty on our earth.

Beautiful place to hang out or maybe swim a bit. Brand new tables, grills, and kid's play area.

Beautiful park, right off the highway. Plenty of parking. And just a tiny walk to the shore. I’d highly recommend it for any visitors, though without your own transportation, it might be challenging to get to. Great place for a family picnic or just relaxing with a book. There are bathrooms here, but they are the closest I’ve ever been to using a prison toilet. You can picture it- stainless steel, no seat. The bathrooms leave much to be desired, and almost cost this cute little park a star!!

That's not much here but metal musical instruments to hit, a beach,c places to swim, picnic benches.

Absolutely beautiful little spot in Ketchikan. My fiance surprised me with my proposal here. Definitely will never forget! It was so pretty and so perfect.

Kids love this beach. Rocks to walk on and see the sea life. They have a small playground. No swing so wasn't my kids favorite. Can't wait to come back.

Great place to park the campervan, see wildlife, sit at a picnic table and have lunch, go for a swim, or just walk around and look at the beauty and then maybe see a whale!

This is a great spot to pull over to chat on the phone, sit and eat lunch, or watch the sun set, while the Jets land at the Airport. Plenty of parking, great place for a walk, or just relax. Always something happening and people there are friendly.

1 list