Ketchikan's Totem Parks Compared

Home / Guides / Ketchikan's Totem Parks Compared

By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026

Four totem parks are within reach of a Ketchikan port day. Some are 19th-century originals brought in from village sites that were left empty; others were carved as copies in the 1930s by Native carvers paid through the Civilian Conservation Corps. Here's how they differ and how to reach each one.

Which park

Place	Distance from the docks	What you'll see	Entry
Totem Heritage Center	About 2,700 feet; 15 to 20 minutes on foot, or the free shuttle	Original 19th-century poles indoors, many left unrestored	2026 fee not confirmed
Saxman Totem Park	About 2.5 miles south; city bus or tour	Outdoor poles gathered from abandoned Tlingit villages	$5 self-guided (alaska.org)
Totem Bight	About 10 miles north; city bus or tour	CCC-era poles and a clan house on a seaside trail	$5 per state fee page; alaska.org says free
Potlatch Totem Park	Next to Totem Bight	Private park with clan houses and a carving shed	Not confirmed

Totem Heritage Center

If you see only one, make it the Totem Heritage Center. It holds 33 poles, 16 of them on permanent display, collected from the Tlingit villages on Tongass and Village islands and the Haida village of Old Kasaan. Many came from a 1969 to 1971 project that collected the last poles still standing at those sites, and the center opened in 1976. Many are shown as they were found, weathered and cracked, rather than repainted.

The City of Ketchikan lists hours of 8 am to 5 pm daily from May to September and 1 to 5 pm on weekdays from October to April. We couldn't confirm the 2026 admission price, and part of the building was being refitted in fall 2026, so confirm before you go. One museum pass covers this center and the Tongass Historical Museum.

Saxman Totem Park

Saxman is a Tlingit village south of town whose people came largely from Old Tongass, Cat Island, Village Island, Pennock Island and Cape Fox, and the carvings from those places were gathered here. Much of the park was built under the CCC in the 1930s; the Lincoln pole arrived in 1938, and the Sun and Raven pole was raised in April 1939. The outdoor park is open all year, with guided tours from May to September. Two addresses circulate (2706 S. Tongass Highway and 2660 Killer Whale Avenue), so confirm the address with your driver.

Totem Bight State Historical Park

In 1938 the Forest Service used CCC funds to hire older Native carvers to repair or copy decaying poles, training younger carvers as they worked. By the time World War II slowed the project, Totem Bight had a community house and 15 poles. The clan house was carved by Charles Brown, a Tlingit carver from Saxman. The park sits on the shore, and its trails and main features are listed as ADA accessible.

Potlatch Totem Park

Next door, the privately owned Potlatch Totem Park has one large clan house surrounded by four smaller ones, a carving shed where you may find carvers at work, and signs explaining figures such as Raven, Killer Whale, Thunderbird and Wolf. Its tallest pole stands 42 feet. We couldn't confirm its hours or entry fee.

Tours that include a totem park

Tour	Park	Time
Off the Beaten Path Photo Safari	Totem Heritage Center and Potlatch	About 3 hours
Rainforest Walk and Totem Park	Potlatch, plus a rainforest walk	About 3 hours
Alaska Native Cultural and Wildlife Tour	Totem Bight, with Native guides	About 3 hours
Saxman Village, Lunch and Lumberjack Show	Saxman, run by Cape Fox	About 3 hours 45 minutes

Prices are as listed on October 18, 2026. Clan House Tours is Alaska Native owned, and Cape Fox Tours is run by the Native-owned Cape Fox corporation.