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.

Relaxing tour of state park containing many totem poles and replica of a native lodge. Our guide provided a great deal of information and history.

Lovely place to visit. While some may enjoy the official tour, we liked walking around ourselves and reading the signs. Don't miss the tide pools!

Nice relatively small park with great views by the water. It was very easy finding the city bus stop from the cruise ship terminal which was only about a 5 min walk. $2 each way and the city bus drops you right at Totem Bight Park. There's a machine (looks like a parking machine) that takes card payment for the $5 park admission fee. Nice short forest trail about a 10-15 minute loop through the park. If you walk a bit past the entry to the park you'll come to a large gift shop with a small museum. Definitely worth checking out.

Lovely little park. You can walk the whole thing easily in an hour and look at all the neat totem poles and learn about the native cultures.

We came here with a guided tour via our cruise company. We learned which each totem pole represented. It was very interesting. We got to look through a window and see the man who made many totem poles working on his last one, and teaching his apprentices. It is a short ride from the terminal, and if you are looking for something that doesn’t take long I suggest you go. You could also come on your own. It was not too crowded dispute multiple cruise ships in town. There is also a gift shop with items. We got a great deal on two hooded sweaters, buy one for $10, get the second for $5. The workers in the store were friendly and attentive.

Very interesting and informative, the art work on the totem poles where amazing specially considering the tools they used. The old cars were cool too

What a great location! You walk through a peaceful forest before getting to a opening full of totem poles and they are marked with numbers that you can find on your guide to read about them. The grounds are meticulously kept. The clan house is just awesome. You walk around the grounds and can even get a bite to eat if the salmon berries and blueberries are ready, oh and they also have raspberries! There is also access to the beach for those of you the beach comb.

We took a bus to the site. There was not a park ranger, just a box with a suggestive donation of $5. There were self-guiding maps. The park had seen better days, but it was still a nice stroll and informative. We enjoyed it. Then we caught the bus back to town.

Very beautiful and stunning. Enjoyed learning about the totems. The gift shop and museum inside were really great as well.

Fun historical place to go. Only a $5 entrance fee. Totem poles were amazing. Also includes a museum and gift shop.

Nice place to visit! The park is well maintained, and there a bunch of huge totem poles to look at. We didn't go inside, but it was nice to see the outside and get some pictures. We had a tour guide (Highlights of Ketchikan tour), and I recommend getting a tour when going to this place. I think it gives a better appreciation and understanding of the totems.

Our tour guide from Ketchikam Native Tours was a beautiful woman named Syd. She is married to a Tlingit Man who carves Totems. I'm adding this here because She was Amazing. She drove us to various sites and knew history we would never learn unless the guide was deeply involved with native traditions. This Park is full of history and beauty. Just walking among the Totems you realize that all things in nature are important. It's not only how you use nature, but how you return it back to itself. The meanings of the Totems, the characters on them, the colors and even the placement of where they are all have meaning. I really enjoyed this Park, the history and what it represents. If you are spiritual in any way, go here you will not regret it.

We were in Ketchikan port for the day and rented a car. This is a must see with lots of history and the totem poles are spectacular. So glad that there is an effort to restore these unique work of art with stories surrounding them.

This is a small place. You'll probably visit this on an excursion with your cruise ship. Our complaint was our guide was young, new and very rough with her driving and not good with time management. This however, was not a takeaway for the park. It's quiet, interesting and shows the culture and history of the area. They have bathrooms, a rather large gift shop with friendly staff. You can learn a lot of information on totem poles, their meaning and values here. Though, I'm not sure if you would get as much information without a guide as there are no plaques explaining things. We actually learned most of it by listening to another guide 😏. If you have the time, it's worth the look if you want to see and learn about totems. There's nothing else in the "Park" so if that's not your thing, skip it. We did this as part of the city tour /lumber jack show.

Great state historical park in Ketchikan, Alaska . The presentation of the two native tribes of the area and the stories behind the totem poles was excellent.

The totems were awe-inspiring. Our guide told us much about the designs and how they were erected. Saw totems being restore and went into the lodge replica. Saw a bald eagle very close and fireweed. Worth every penny.

Hi, my name's Travel Nurse Gary. I've traveled all over the United States as part of my job. I want to take a moment to talk about how cool this tour is. As you can see from the photos, the Misty Fjords National Monument is so beautiful. The boat is huge and nobody was seasick from our group. The staff was very friendly and very knowledgeable of the environment. The captain took us off the route to watch a Humpback whale breach 3 times before diving. Warning: it is a rainforest and rains 300+ days a year. So be advised that sunny days like my photos aren't always an option. I live here in Ketchikan so I picked a perfect day to go.I want to give an estimate of 4 hours total round trip. On the way home a snack of Clam Crowder was provided and it was delicious. I also noticed that many people on the tour had adult beverages. The concession stand is available. Free coffee, hot chocolate and tea for guests. I brought my own water. Loved this tour and thank you to everyone at Allen Marine Tours for this tour!

A nice cruise to check out the wilderness, seals, eagles, salmon, mammals and other wildlife. But remember, it is always raining.

Amazing views of fjords carved by glaciers retreating from the last ice age.

Beautiful, beautiful scenery. We flew in with a small float plane when the weather was perfect, so we got great views of the rocky mountains surrounding this lovely fjord. Our flight also landed and we are able to take in the lush greenery close up. The area gets lots of rain, hence a lot of vegetation. And with the plane's engine off after we land, you can take in the calm waters and scenery in perfect stillness.

Really nice view from the seaplane

Beautiful area, well worth the trip.

Dont go! Its a waste of time and money. There was nothing to see and the waterfall was a big disappointment.

Absolutely Beautiful! Thank you for keeping this area protected and clean! What an experience to enjoy!

We booked the excursion through our cruise ship for black bear tour. Highly recommend, we had a wonderful experience! The elevated boardwalk helps you get close to the bears without disturbing them or feeling unsafe. Our guides, Elijah and Fletcher, were very knowledgeable and had bear spray! Very close encounters with birds who cannot be released into the wild who are taken care of at the raptor center. Brief talk by a Native totem pole carver who has beautiful totem poles and shares about his family’s history of carving. Highly recommend this experience and would definitely go again!

Fantastic guide hike through a wonderful sanctuary. Our guide, Loki, is super knowledgeable , funny and personable. I learned a lot about the local plants, trees, mosses,…time well spent. Oh, the Eagle!!!

We had a great tour while we were in port on a cruise. The company picked us up at the Ward Cove terminal and we had a private tour for the 4 of us. Amy was our tour guide and she did a great job. She was fun, informative and engaging. While on the tour we were lucky enough to see several wild eagles We stopped by the Raptor Center and got an up close look at a Bald Eagle, Red Tail Hawk and a Peregrine Falcon, while learning more about the work of the sanctuary. We ended the tour speaking with a local craftsman continuing the heritage and culture of hand carving totem poles. After the tour we had the option to return to the dock or get dropped off in town. This is a great operation run by a friendly team. Thanks to all, especially Amy!

We went on this excursion/ tour from our cruise ship in early May 2023. The weather was great. The tour guide was knowledgeable and did a decent job of answering questions throughout the tour. If you love trees , shrubs, and moss, then you would likely rate this tour higher than I have chosen to. The biggest issue I have with this tour was the cost or value of the experience. On this trip, we have done many cruises for similar price scales, and this one seems quite high for the experience you get out of it. The highlight for us was definitely seeing the eagles that were on location. They had a bald eagle, a golden eagle, and a Great Horned Owl. These animals are absolutely majestic. And we're beautiful to see up close. The totem poles and totem artist are also a neat thing to see at the end as well.

Fun for all three generations of our family! Our guide, Redd, was informative and entertaining - pointing out seals, salmon, bald eagles soaring through the trees and nearly EVERY type of banana slug. Easy stroll through an otherworldly forest with amazing beauty around every corner. Highly recommended for all ages. Pack a rain jacket and enjoy!

Claire and Captain Annie did a fantastic job. Nature walk to Glacier was beautiful. Whale watching was amazing. Got video of whale breaching the water and many tails.

We visited as an excursion booked with our cruise line and it was billed as a nature and totem park. It was an excellent visit and we loved it. The guide pointed out lots of local plants and trees etc, and the forested area is beautiful - it’s located about 20 minutes from downtown, and just up the road from George Inlet. The absolute highlight was seeing several Black Bears from the elevated boardwalk - a mamma bear with her Three (!) bouncy baby cubs, and later another bear in the wooded area (the guide said her cubs would also be nearby). The bears all come to the estuary area to catch the salmon who are returning to the salmon hatchery where they were spawned years earlier. Bear sightings are not guaranteed. The visit ended at the Totem Park where we met a native man who carved Totem Poles. There is a collection of Poles in the yard each with their interesting descriptions & story. This is an excellent “compact” tour / visit where you can learn about Alaskan native plants & trees, learn about totem poles, stand next to a bald eagle inside it’s cage … and possibly see wild bears! Highly recommended!

We visited as part of a cruise excursion. Our guide was great! So knowledgeable in helping us identify the trees and made the life cycle so interesting. The walking path and the pace was easy. Included was a pass through of a bird sanctuary where a guide was there to tell us about 3 birds they had outside. And ended up at the totem poles and gift shop. We were able to see a few salmon and a black bear. My Merlin app sound identified several birds that would be "lifers" for me.

Holy cow!!!! This place was off the charts cool!!! We walked on these bridges over the rainforest bed. We had been walking quite awhile with no bear sightings and then BOOM we had bear! But I have to say that before we saw the bears, I was truly soaking up the gorgeous views of the moss covered rain forest. The trees are so insanely tall and the streams and waterfalls are so beautiful and peaceful. But, yes, getting to see the black bears was incredible. They would swim into the water, put their snout in the water and boom they had a salmon in their mouth! Then they would take it over to a rock (aka table) and feast. And then repeat over and over. Such an awesome tour. I highly recommend this company.

We visited the sanctuary today and it was a magnificent experience. Our tour guide, CARTER, was fantastic and I would recommend him to anyone! He was knowledgeable, passionate about his work and took his time to ensure that we didn't miss a thing. He found a banana slug along our way and was patient to ensure that everyone had a chance to get a photo. I had to take 2 since my first one was a little blurry. We also experienced Eagles, salmon, and deer in the wild. Thank you Carter for making our experience memorable and sharing your binoculars!

This was our first excursion on our Vancouver to Seward cruise and we had a great introduction to Alaskan weather (quite rainy) and a lot of information about local plants and animals from our guide, Reese. I really enjoyed seeing my first bald eagle in the wild (first photo) and then a close up intro to the birds from the Raptor Center - Sitka (bald eagle), Owlison (great horned owl), and Qigiq (snowy owl).

Our guide was fantastic and we got to see all the wild life that was around including juvenile eagles and the raptors in the sanctuary.

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.

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.