Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
A Forest Service center on the Tongass rainforest, Native cultures and local industries, a block from the docks.
By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026
A Forest Service center on the Tongass rainforest, Native cultures and local industries, a block from the docks.
Read more about its history
- Ketchikan calls itself 'Salmon Capital of the World.' Does the title still fit? & the West, Bill Lane Center for the American West, Stanford University
- How developers plan to turn a symbol of Ketchikan's timber past to a hub for tourism KRBD
Highlights
- More than 20,000 sq ft of exhibits on the rainforest, Native cultures and ways of living off the land
- Three entrance totem poles representing Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian cultures
- Theater named for Tlingit civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich
- Ranger-led tours, map talks and talks offered each hour in season
- Alaska Geographic bookstore
Facts checked October 18, 2026 with fs.usda.gov, fs.usda.gov, fs.usda.gov. Hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Hours and admission →Map: Southeast Alaska Discovery 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.
More in Rainforest & Outdoors
Married Man's Trail
A short climb of stairs and path from Creek Street into the hillside, once a discreet way out for brothel customers.
Deer Mountain Trail
A steep forest-and-alpine climb that starts at the edge of downtown and tops out above 3,000 ft.
Round out your day
Pioneer Cafe
Old-school Mission Street diner where fishermen and tradespeople come for big breakfasts at all hours.
Heen Kahidi Dining Room
Cape Fox Lodge's restaurant, on the hill above Creek Street, with forest and harbor views and Alaska seafood.
Star Gallery
Evon Zerbetz's gallery in the old Star dance hall on Creek Street, and the shop where you'll find Ray Troll's fish art.