Totem Heritage Center
A city museum holding weathered 19th-century totem poles brought in from abandoned Tlingit and Haida villages.
By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026
A city museum holding weathered 19th-century totem poles brought in from abandoned Tlingit and Haida villages.
Read more about its history
- Ketchikan museum catalogs historic totem pole fragments Juneau Empire
- Totem Heritage Center: why the old poles came to town ALASKA.ORG
Highlights
- 33 poles in all, 16 of them on permanent display, many left unrestored
- Poles came from the Tlingit villages on Tongass and Village islands and the Haida village of Old Kasaan
- Opened in 1976; the poles are listed on the National Register as 'Alaska Totems' (1971)
- Baskets, masks and regalia, plus photos of the original village sites
Facts checked October 18, 2026 with ketchikan.gov, en.wikipedia.org, alaska.org. Hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Hours and admission →Map: Totem Heritage Center
The 3D map shows the walk here from Berth 2. Expand it to pick your dock and explore.
Map: USGS elevation; streets and buildings © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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