Local culture and markets in Ketchikan
Totem poles stand throughout town, in designated totem parks and at the Totem Heritage Center, which keeps Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian crafts alive through year-round classes. At Totem Bight State Historical Park you can walk among the poles and learn about efforts to keep traditional art alive.
Places to go
Creek Street
Creek Street is a wooden boardwalk built on stilts above Ketchikan Creek, the most scenic stretch of downtown. Shops, galleries and old brothel buildings line the walk.
Downtown Ketchikan
Downtown Ketchikan is a compact historic district of wooden storefronts, galleries and shops, easy to cover on foot. It is the town's main place to browse on foot.
Totem Heritage Center
Totem Heritage Center is a museum at 601 Deermount Street that holds one of the world's largest collections of unrestored 19th-century totem poles. Visitors also see Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian art and watch carvers at work.
Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
A Forest Service visitor center in downtown Ketchikan, with exhibits on the Tongass rainforest, native cultures and wildlife. A good first stop in town.
Totem Bight State Historical Park
Totem Bight State Historical Park is a 33-acre state park on the ocean about 10 miles north of Ketchikan. It holds a collection of totem poles and a replica of a traditional chieftain's house.
Saxman Totem Park
A public park in the city of Saxman, just south of Ketchikan, with a collection of totem poles. Many poles came from abandoned Tlingit villages in the region.
Tours to book
Prices are per person, booked with our partner, Shore Excursions Group.
Saxman Native Village and Ketchikan City Tour
