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Alaska (AK)
Ketchikan
Things to Do in Ketchikan
Totem Heritage Center
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Totem Heritage Center

See all things to do
See all things to do
Totem Heritage Center
4.5
#8 of 57 things to do in Ketchikan
Historic SitesHistory Museums
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
The Totem Heritage Center was established in 1976 to house and preserve endangered 19th century totem poles retrieved from uninhabited Tlingit and Haida village sites near Ketchikan and to preserve and promote Native artistic and cultural traditions through traditional classes. The Center is home to 33 authentic poles, numerous historic images, and Native art works. Educational and interpretive tours are available.
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See what travelers are saying
  • Lili813
    Tampa, Florida91 contributions
    Worth a visit
    For a small museum, it offers a lot. The movie on loop in the totem preservation area was especially helpful in learning about Haida culture and efforts to pass on language and customs today. (I do wish there was space for more than 3 to sit at a time, as it’s lengthy but again, it’s small). And, you can pay just a couple dollars more to get a combo ticket to the other museum (Tongass).
    Marni R
    We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! I hear you about the seating and we'll see what we can do. The video on loop is called Our Native Legacy and is part of a series called The Ketchikan Story project. Google it and you can see a great introduction to our small yet vibrant community!
    Written May 31, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 26, 2023
  • naturelovergal
    Orlando, Florida30 contributions
    History and important legacy held in this museum
    I was so glad we visited the incredible Totem Heritage Center. It was so well done. We loved learning at all of the exhibits within the museum. The highlight however was seeing the older totems preserved. Excellent.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 18, 2023
  • Marcus Y
    5 contributions
    Have some very old heritage Totem which is unique, free bus,
    We live in BC Canada so Totem is not something special for us, but you can see some heritage ones here which I never saw them in other place. Salmon Hechary is just at the back but it was closed. You can either take the free bus from the bus stop beside the visitor center at the port. or walk along the creek after viewing the salmon run and the heritage center is right beside the city park.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 9, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
549 reviews
Excellent
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TN-610
Chattanooga TN108 contributions
Poor Customer Service - OK small museum.
Aug 2022
The Lady at the Ticket window was EXTREMELY rude. I walked up to the ticket window and said "I'll take 1 please" and she said "one what!?" and I said.. "well one ticket" and she replied "I'm not a mind reader sir" - what a way to welcome a guest.

The actual museum is much smaller than I had thought. There's only 4 standing totem poles, and some addiitonal poles that are horizontal in display cases. A few other displays but it's very small. There aren't any docents inside to tell you about the history, just some signs to read.
Written September 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marcus Y
5 contributions
Have some very old heritage Totem which is unique, free bus,
Sep 2023 • Family
We live in BC Canada so Totem is not something special for us, but you can see some heritage ones here which I never saw them in other place. Salmon Hechary is just at the back but it was closed. You can either take the free bus from the bus stop beside the visitor center at the port. or walk along the creek after viewing the salmon run and the heritage center is right beside the city park.
Written September 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
carincher
Fort Lauderdale, FL59 contributions
Very interesting, good information
Sep 2022
Very nice and informative, very interesting. Just kind of small. But worth visiting to understand all about the totems, what they mean and why they are built, and all the struggles the native tribes passed through the years up to today.
From that museum you have a path to go along the river to the salmon ladder and end in Creek street, no need for tours or taxi, you can just walk from downtown.
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shoe54
Safety Harbor, FL14 contributions
Several totem poles to view but no one to provide explanation.
May 2023 • Couples
There was minimal to see as compared to many years ago when I had gone. The main building was not open. There was a young man carving a small totem who would answer questions but there was no one to provide information. There is a gift shop which is well staffed and very helpful.
Written May 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marni R
Hello! I am sorry you were disappointed, but your photo is from the village of Saxman and not the Totem Heritage Center. While there are many totem poles and other cool things to see at the Saxman Totem Park as an independent traveler, like the carving shed you spoke of, there are tours that visitors can sign up for (usually a cruise ship excursion) that are guided, provide information, and allow you inside the clan house. I believe the tours are booked with Cape Fox Tours. For independent travelers, just know that Saxman is part of our community and not a museum/heritage center with a lot of interpretive signage and the like. The Saxman Totem Park is definitely a must see if you have the time in town. The gift shop is fantastic and has only been open a few years--I am gad you enjoyed it!
Written May 31, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
naturelovergal
Orlando, FL30 contributions
History and important legacy held in this museum
Aug 2023 • Couples
I was so glad we visited the incredible Totem Heritage Center. It was so well done. We loved learning at all of the exhibits within the museum. The highlight however was seeing the older totems preserved. Excellent.
Written August 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lili813
Tampa, FL91 contributions
Worth a visit
May 2023 • Friends
For a small museum, it offers a lot. The movie on loop in the totem preservation area was especially helpful in learning about Haida culture and efforts to pass on language and customs today. (I do wish there was space for more than 3 to sit at a time, as it’s lengthy but again, it’s small). And, you can pay just a couple dollars more to get a combo ticket to the other museum (Tongass).
Written May 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marni R
We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! I hear you about the seating and we'll see what we can do. The video on loop is called Our Native Legacy and is part of a series called The Ketchikan Story project. Google it and you can see a great introduction to our small yet vibrant community!
Written May 31, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Greg G
Austin, TX396 contributions
Inspiring museum visit
Aug 2022
Excellent, small museum that took us just over an hour. All exhibits are outstanding and we left with a much better understanding of the Tlingit culture. Highly recommended. Easy walk from the pier if on a cruise ship.
Written August 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camper6530
lincoln, nebraska1 contribution
Wonderful old totem poles
We visited the Totem Heritage Center as part of an Alaskan Cruise. These are the real thing. Made by the local tribes as part of their culture. There is a guide who explains the basics of the meaning, use, etc of totem poles. Wish we could have spent a little longer there.
Written January 2, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoanKotker
Bellevue, WA13 contributions
City of Ketchikan
Sep 2012 • Couples
We took our first cruise this month, from Seattle to Alaska via the Inland Waterway, and almost everything about this type of cruise has already been described in brochures: fun to be in, as it were, a floating hotel, fun to have a wide choice of entertainment on board, great to have all the food included in the price, etc., etc., etc. As my husband said, it’s sort of like going to summer camp: the day’s activities are all planned out for you. One recommendation: the cruise we were on goes from Juneau to Sitka to Ketchikan and when we got to Ketchikan, we decided to do our own mini-tour rather than one of the scheduled tours so we went to the Ketchikan tourist office (it’s right there when you get off the ship) and asked for a tourist guide/map, and it turned out that there’s a free bus that circulates around the city and takes you from the harbor to a very special totem pole museum (it looks like a rustic lodge) that has a collection of poles that goes back 100 years. They are displayed in a very simple, straightforward fashion so that you focus on each pole and can see how the poles were created, what the figures mean, how the paint would have looked before it weathered...a small and wondrous vision of a slice of life in the far north. (There isn’t even a gift shop! Do you believe!) When you go back to downtown Ketchikan on the same free bus there are, of course, a number of shops at the harbor. Most are to be avoided (lots of souvenir stuff made in every place but Alaska), with one great exception: there’s a small, salmon-colored building right in the center of the group and it has a stunning collection of note cards and jewelry (I could afford the cards—the jewelry will have to wait) by the superb Haida/Isleta artist Marvin Oliver. The cards are absolutely wonderful; the ones I bought show a gorgeous, realistic heron looking into a pool of water and seeing its reflection as it would have been depicted by the original Native Americans of the far north. Turns out Oliver is a well-known Native American artist who spends the winter teaching art at the University of Washington—it’s always a treat to find the real thing. Final note: Holland America was great; we went on the Westerdam and would go again in a heart-beat.

Joan Kotker
Bellevue, WA.
Written September 29, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
huttpl
Washington State74 contributions
The best part was the walk back down the hill along the river!
Aug 2011 • Couples
We took a $7 taxi from the cruise ship up the hill to the Totem Center. The Totem Center is very interesting and the $5 admission was reasonable. The best part was walking back down along the river and seeing the millions of huge salmon spawning in the creek! As you walk down the street you will see a wooden boardwalk on the left. That boardwalk takes you to Creek Street with all the shops, etc. After going thru all the shops it's an easy walk back down to the cruise ship. We were lucky as the sun was shining and the walk back down from the Totem Center was delightful!
Written March 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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