potlatch totem park

When we visited Potlatch Park this summer, my wife and I had a very welcoming and warm experience. The family that owns Potlatch is extremely friendly and they are very talented craftsmen and women. My wife and I were amazed at the artistry, precision and skill that the carvers put into each totem in the park, and the fact that most of these beautiful creations are carved on site by the family is absolutely amazing! They are truly a sight to see. Upon arriving at the park, we were given a very interesting tour to see all of the totems around the park, along with the fun, interesting legends behind each one. How cool it was to find out that each piece of each totem plays an integral role in the story that it represents! There’s also a very impressive collection of antique cars in the park, including a rare Stanley Steamer, which is an experience in itself, both for the young and old (fans of the Cars movies may know that the character Stanley is a Steamer). There’s also an incredible museum in the gift shop with some very, very rare guns. To try to list them would do injustice, but even to someone who is not terribly knowledgeable about firearms, there were some really cool pieces to see. Another very interesting part of the park is getting to walk into and experience the native clan house, and to feel what it must have been like to live that life so long ago. Back to the totems – One of the other really cool aspects of our visit is that one of the carvers, Woody, actually took the time to talk to us about his craft as he worked on a new totem right in front of us! That was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip to Alaska: Getting to see history in the making! We were also able to pick up quite a few cool souvenirs in the gift shop, including our own hand-carved mini-totem to bring home with us. In all, I would say if you’re lucky enough to get to visit Ketchikan, you must take the time to visit Potlatch Park. It worth every cent of the admission price, which is ABSOLUTELY FREE!

We had q great. Visit! We were the only couple with our tour guide so we actually got to go inside where a guy was carving a totem. Our guide knew everyone her so it was excellent. The stories of the totems was so interesting, different from what i had thought all these years. Recommend this if you are ever there! Had plenty of time to walk around the city afterwards to visit out her sites.

Interesting collection of native art carved onsite. Add a great view, next to a totem park and has a gift shop. Good for a short day tour.

This park was authenic and beautiful with nice walking paths directly to the water. They allow visitors inside the building room to see what they have been working on for years!! This is so special. The owners are super friendly and inviting. Also, do not pass up the old rifle mini museum in the gift shop!

This is an unusual destination as it is privately owned by a guy who collects totems, antique cars, and guns. We went for the totems. Our guide really was at heart a story-teller. Each totem tells a family story. Even though there were supposedly fewer totems here, it was fulfilling to know the legend behind each of them. Although we were visiting at the end of the season, his retelling was as fresh as the first day in May!

Location, extraordinary mix of things to see [vintage cars, totem poles etc.] very good shop. Informative about lifestyle of First Nation people.

Some great totem poles there, all authentic. The best thing about this place is the Gift Shop. All totem poles and articles inside are truly native, and Alaskan made. I really enjoyed the small gun and arms museum inside the gift shop. Some truly fabulous weapons in there and other stuff too. If you want to buy a totem pole, this might be the best place to get one, as there is quite a good selection.

Art from Ketchikan Taxi Tours brought us to this park. He guided us through. It has a great little museum with guns and stuffed prey, including bear, moose and wolf. They even had a Gatling gun. The sight has authentic totems for sale and several in the park. It also has a beautiful meeting house. Well worth the stop.

Gorgeous setting. History of totems and their explanations of carvings are given for each pole. Very educational. Also, very peaceful.

If you are not familiar with totem poles and you are fortunate to have a good guide who can interpret the visual elements of each pole, you may find a visit to Potlach Park instructional. If you know the basics already, you will likely be bored. The guides vary greatly in knowledge and commitment so select wisely.Allow one hour if you visit. The highlight is the clan house which contains a fire pit and one wall covered with a mother and child carving that is quite impressive. Outside, there are around a dozen totem poles, most with signage that interprets their meaning.Unfortunately, the gift shop is larger than the clan house, an indication of the principal motive of the governing native tribe in organizing the park. The park is around 15 minutes drive from Ketchikan. Parking is readily available.

An absolute must. The totems are really something to see and we learned there is more of a story than a visitor may think.

We took a taxi cab tour and our driver took us to the park. Nice stop. The couple we were with enjoyed the Gun Musuem. Nice tour with an action building where they are currently carving a totem pole. It does involve a little bit of walking, but it's all downhill if your transportation meets you at the bottom of the hill.

We visited at Potlatch Totem Park while in Ketchikan, and hearing how the totems are created was very interesting. We were told about the process, it was an interesting visit.My husband also enjoyed the vintage cars.

We went out to Potlatch Totem Park on our visit to Ketchikan. It was very interesting to see all the Totem's and our guide was wonderful. He told us all about what the different totems were for. We saw how the tribe's community building was constructed and why it was that way. Many beautiful totems, even a small car museum. Put it on your must see list! We were part of a group that had paid for a guide, also worth the money.

Our tour of this park was very interesting. Lots to look at and learn. Clean and well kept. Glad we went.