Walking to Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan?

[wdwmickey]

How far/long of a walk to the Totem Heritage Center from the Lumberjack show? TIA

[Putterdude]

How far/long of a walk to the Totem Heritage Center from the Lumberjack show? TIA

 

Depending on your pace, it's about a 15 min walk, a little up hill towards the end of the walk.

 

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Totem+Heritage+Center,+Deermount+Street,+Ketchikan,+AK,+United+States/420+Spruce+Mill+Way,+Ketchikan,+AK+99901,+United+States/@55.3455933,-131.6401243,15z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x540c2502d8beb2e3:0xea24818dbed53557!1m2!1m1!1s0x540c2504fd1b3f4d:0x71f10502bfe6f085!3e2?hl=en-ca

[wdwmickey]

Thanks so much.

[4774Papa]

Depending on your pace, it's about a 15 min walk, a little up hill towards the end of the walk.

 

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Totem+Heritage+Center,+Deermount+Street,+Ketchikan,+AK,+United+States/420+Spruce+Mill+Way,+Ketchikan,+AK+99901,+United+States/@55.3455933,-131.6401243,15z/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x540c2502d8beb2e3:0xea24818dbed53557!1m2!1m1!1s0x540c2504fd1b3f4d:0x71f10502bfe6f085!3e2?hl=en-ca

 

Thanks, I haven't been very impressed with the tours for this port. This may be a good choice. Is this the best place to see Native Alaskan totems for this port?

[Putterdude]

The Totem Heritage Center is more of a museum of totems. If you wan to see some great totems and a long house then I would recommend take a municipal transit bus out to Totem Bight. Not sure of your time in Ketchikan but this junket will take the better part of 4 hours from start to finish.

 

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/totembgh.htm

[Coral]

Thanks, I haven't been very impressed with the tours for this port. This may be a good choice. Is this the best place to see Native Alaskan totems for this port?

 

This museum bored the heck out of me. I had free entrance due to another tour but for me, it was not worth it. Maybe if it is pouring rain outside but in Alaska, I want to be outside.

 

You may want to look at Saxman or Totem Bight for totem poles in Ketchikan. Both have different merits.

[CowPrincess]

Just another point of view. :) I adore the Totem Heritage Center, and try to get there any time we stop in Ketchikan. I find that it touches my soul, somehow, being surrounded by all those old totem poles. It honestly brings me to tears, every time I am there.

 

My DH, on the other hand, thought it was merely "okay".

[Jasperdo]

There is a free shuttle bus that goes up to the Totem Heritage Center. We picked it up right in front of our ship. It might have a stop by the Lumberjack Show as well. I enjoyed the museum. Here are a few photos I took if you're interested:

[4774Papa]

Frankly, I wasn't that excited about the Totems at all, but this port doesn't have a lot of great choices.

[Putterdude]

We have visit Totem Bight, the Totem Heritage Center, and Saxman Village a number of times. All are interesting in the own right but if I had to but them in order of interest this is how I would rank them:

 

Totem Bight

Saxman Village....a real close second

Totem Heritage Center.

[capriccio]

In 2012 we walked to Saxman Village (it was a beautiful, sunny and warm day) from the dock. I think it was about a 60 minute walk (3 miles) and then took the public bus back to town for $1 each if I remember correctly. We thought it was very interesting and the village and walk was a lovely way to start our visit to Ketchikan. When we returned to town, we visited the museum and walked around town.

[fleckle]

Thanks, I haven't been very impressed with the tours for this port. This may be a good choice. Is this the best place to see Native Alaskan totems for this port?

In Ketchikan we also enjoyed taking the public bus out to Potlatch Park and Totem Bight.

 

You can stop off at Walmart on the way back if you need anything there, and then catch the free Walmart shuttle back to the ship.

 

It's a bargain "do it yourself" excursion at $1 each way for the bus ride, and only 50 cents for seniors.

(Or it least those were the bus prices the last time we went, a couple of years ago.)

 

Free admission to both totem pole parks, which are right next door to one another.

.

Here are links for both.

 

Totem Bight State Historical Park

 

Potlatch Totem Park

 

Potlatch Park also has a large garage full of antique cars.

 

You can ask the bus driver to drop you off at Walmart on the way back, if you need anything there, and then catch the free Walmart shuttle back to your ship later.

 

 

[berrytarte]

In Ketchikan we also enjoyed taking the public bus out to Potlatch Park and Totem Bight.

 

You can stop off at Walmart on the way back if you need anything there, and then catch the free Walmart shuttle back to the ship.

 

It's a bargain "do it yourself" excursion at $1 each way for the bus ride, and only 50 cents for seniors.

(Or it least those were the bus prices the last time we went, a couple of years ago.)

 

Free admission to both totem pole parks, which are right next door to one another.

.

Here are links for both.

 

Totem Bight State Historical Park

 

Potlatch Totem Park

 

Potlatch Park also has a large garage full of antique cars.

 

You can ask the bus driver to drop you off at Walmart on the way back, if you need anything there, and then catch the free Walmart shuttle back to your ship later.

 

 

 

 

Do you happen to recall where you caught the public bus in Ketchikan? I've been looking at the very low tech transit website and it's hard to tell how close the bus stop is to the cruise ship dock.

[Denise&Paul STL]

Do you happen to recall where you caught the public bus in Ketchikan? I've been looking at the very low tech transit website and it's hard to tell how close the bus stop is to the cruise ship dock.

 

I would also like more info on the bus. Sounds like there are several busses and shuttles. How can we tell which goes where. Crowds always rushing off the ship to get places and I would hate to end up in the wrong place. Thanks!

[Jasperdo]

Do you happen to recall where you caught the public bus in Ketchikan? I've been looking at the very low tech transit website and it's hard to tell how close the bus stop is to the cruise ship dock.

We didn't take the city public transit bus, but we caught the free downtown shuttle to Totem Heritage Center right along Front Street. Here's a photo of the shuttle bus we took:

 

 

Also, here's a link to the Ketchikan City Bus map. It looks like their buses go down Front Street as well:

 

http://www.borough.ketchikan.ak.us/DocumentCenter/View/2318

Edited May 28, 2016 by Jasperdo

[mapleleaves]

Do you happen to recall where you caught the public bus in Ketchikan? I've been looking at the very low tech transit website and it's hard to tell how close the bus stop is to the cruise ship dock.

 

This thread from March has more details about the city bus stop and some other good info too.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2324929&highlight=bus

[MarieF4861]

I am interested in Totem Bight but we are only in port from 7-1:30 and have some concerns about using public transportation. Does anyone know if cabs are generally available in the vicinity of where the ships dock and how difficult if would be to get one from Totem Bight back to the ship? Thanks.