Southeast Alaska Discovery Center

Beautiful place, wonderful experience. Attended the ranger talk. Wow!!! Didn't expect an hour, but learned so much!! This guy covered all of Alaskan history. It was nothing I learned in school. What a great opportunity. They have a lot of extra experiences, such as videos and local artists. It's well worth it. The displays are nice. It's a beautiful facility. We did go at opening. You may want to as well. It got more crowded as we were leaving.

I enjoyed our visit with my friends, and one of them said, “this place was perfect. They had just enough information on the signs that you learned something, but not so much that you were overwhelmed.” That sums it up, but I also noted that a lot of effort had been put into the choice of exhibits, and I liked the balance of discussing history, culture, biology, and ecology.

Great little museum with rotating movies and Ranger talks. Options for earning different jr ranger badges, and a download able app challenge to keep kids (or adults) enganged and learning. Can earn a prize for completing different challenges or searches. Nice gift shop. Great staff and rangers. Talkes under an hour to visit unless you are watching movies and going to Ranger talks.

Fantastic Find!! So educational and inspiring. They have a craft area for everyone. Video Room to view the past and present heritage. The Museum areas such as the Rainforest and fishing is phenomenal. They also provided treasure hunt. I felt great that I was afforded the opportunity to leave a donation from Michigan. In addition, military veterans and family get in free!! Awesome must stop.

Absolutely worth the 5 dollar entrance ticket. Good introduction to history and ecology of area. Even had a live proformance from a traditional dance group.

Excellent visitor center that has a gift shop and a museum. The visitor center is ran by the National Park services. You can get your National Park passport stamp/cancellations on this place. The place didn’t have a restroom so you need to go across the road for the restroom.

Mostly a gift shop if entering without a ticket or pass, but otherwise a good spot and centrally located.

Really worth taking the time to visit. Very well done and great artifacts and information on the history, culture, and environment of southeast Alaska and the Tongass National Forest.

Very well stocked and easy 30min+ educational center in the heart of Ketchican. You can learn about the wildlife and the fishing culture that surrounds the 4th largest town in Alaska. Very interactive, clean, and close to the Ketchican downtown scene If you have time, drop in.

June, 2025. My husband and I loved our visit to Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, a collaboration between the US Forest Service and Alaska parks on the Tongass National Forest. We spent about two hours in the center, but easily could have spent more. There are interesting cultural and ecological displays spread over two floors -- in well laid out and open display areas. There is also extensive programming, both with Ranger Programs and regular films in the comfortable theater. We particularly enjoyed watching two Native artists -- one putting finishing touches on an oil painting and the other painting a symbolic paddle. Youngsters can participate in the Junior Rangers Program. I was able to get a stamp in my National Parks Passport though technically this isn't a national park, and to buy a refrigerator magnet souvenir. Summer admission is $5 for those aged 16 and above; free for those 15 and younger. Tip: if you have a National Parks pass, it's accepted at the Discovery Center so don't leave it at home in Virginia! The Discovery Center is an easy walk from the cruise terminal, as well as the Creek Street area, but doesn't have the crowds of either.

Very cool discovery center. Great collaboration between Alaska parks and the National Park Service. My nephew was super excited to be able to participate in the Junior ranger program and we were able to use our America the Beautiful pass to visit. We listened to a ranger give a talk about the area and history. it was great. I. am so glad we stumbled upon the center while walking through Ketchikan. If you are traveling with kids, it is an absolute must!

National Park service facility for the Tongass national Forrest Nice exhibits about the area including wildlife, geography history and people and culture of the area, There is a theater showing different films about the srea area Reasonable admission charge $5

Our Junior Ranger enjoyed discovering the culture and crafts of Southeast Alaska in this beautifully decorated and well appointed Discovery Center. The exhibits at the Discovery Center thoughtfully tell a story about the native cultures of Southeast Alaska - how the people lived here, how they hunted, what crafts they made. The Discovery Center rangers are very helpful. They told our Junior Ranger about Tongass National Forest and answered questions about the differences between National Forests and National Parks. Our Junior Ranger earned a beautiful Tongass National Forest badge here. The Discovery Center is located in the walking distance from the cruise port. I would definitely recommend Southeast Alaska Discovery Center for curious Junior Rangers and their families.

If you have kids, or enjoy history, GO HERE! One of our favorite stops on our Alaskan cruise. If you have kids, one of the best things National Parks do, is the Junior Ranger Program. Usually kids complete 4-6 pages (depending on their age), in a colorful, fun, educational booklet. Then, they can turn it in to be sworn in as Junior Rangers. In turn, they receive a badge or ranger pin. Free, fun, educational. AWESOME! We were delighted that this place was a block from our cruise port. Totally within walking distance. Much better then running around trying to score free jewelry (felt like my daughter was trick-or-treating along the stores trying to get the free jewelry). But, I digress. Seems like this place was recently re-done. It's clean, creative, fun, educational, inspiring and beautiful. Great for all ages! In addition to the Junior Ranger program, they also have a scavenger hunt for kids within the museum. If they finish it, they can choose a prize. Rangers at the front desk were informative, and it wasn't crowded. We really enjoyed the documentary in their theatre about the history of the Japanese in Ketchikan. Very moving and well done. The other exhibits were top notch, interesting and informative about the history, natural resources, etc. I didn't realize they had a salmon ladder. Not sure if these pictures are old, or we just missed it. I would say 1-2 hours is a good time frame. You can go for longer or shorter. They didn't have a gift shop :(. Always fun to spend money. Anyways, highly recommend!

You can learn more about Alaska's natural resources here as there are plenty of displays: salmon fishing, logging and mining. Admission is only $5 and you can also go on a walking tour about the salmon ladder.

You must pay an admission fee to explore this center, but we didn't do that. Just bought a Mendenhall Glacier magnet from their store since we forgot to buy that magnet when we visited this national park. People are friendly, and there are seats in the lobby area for you to sit and rest for a bit.

I would have rated this place 5 stars, all the way but we encountered some unpleasantness during our visit. I would say that the center in itself is totally worthwhile to come to. They provide a history of the local area and a lot of educational visuals. Everything here, the art/visual presentations are all well thought out and planned. It is also a fun space for children to walk around and look at all the different educational literature. My toddler loved pushing this button that lit up a specific feature in their exhibit. The only issue I had during our visit was when my 2 year old and my 2.5 year old niece ran down the stairs ahead of my parents, who were suppose to be watching them. The lady working here told the kids to stop running or they will be asked to leave. My daughter was pretty upset and scared after this happened since this interaction happened with a stranger. I know my daughter is tall for a 2 year old but I think there are more effective ways to talking to a toddler rather than be impatient and curt. I know it was a safety issue that needed to be addressed, which I did afterwards with my daughter but the entire interaction left my kid feeling sad. After an hour and half, I asked her what was wrong and she said, "lady mean. I sad." I think its unfortunate that she left feeling this.

At the recommendation of a Ketchikan local, we visited the discovery center. We only had an hour or so before they closed for the day, but we got through most of it quickly enough - and saw the movie they were showing. I think we could have spent a couple hours there total if we had had the time, but probably not a lot more than that. Well done exhibits on the area, friendly staff. Give it a try if you're looking for something more intellectual than Lumberjack shows or diamond shopping.

A couple of friends and I ran into this center because we were in Ketchikan for a brief cruise stop. I was super excited to go into this place because I adamantly support the USFS and I'm an avid hiker. When we walked in for some directions to nearby trails, we were not so much as extended a greeting by the three ladies who were working the front counter. One was a younger girl who sat on a high stool with her feet almost on the counter. I smiled and tried to break the ice with cordiality. I began by asking them how they were, to which they looked at me as though I was trying to rob them. I was dressed for hiking: jeans, flannels, slouch hat. I asked if there were any trails closeby for a quick hike through the rainforest, and told them we had only about three hours. They literally threw their heads back and gafawed at me to one another. I stood there in shock. I continued on to ask about proximity to trail heads, while the older lady, who couldn't smile if her life depended on it, kept interrupting me and blaring if I was going to pay to come into the exhibits or not. After saying no repetitively, and having had enough, I decided to just leave. There were USPS stickers for visitors on the counter and I reached to grab one for my suitcase as I proudly support the park service, and I was immediately reprimanded and condescended to with her saying "ONLY ONE PER CUSTOMER!!" Yes. They said "customer". I told her that I grabbed the two for friends who were behind me. I didn't even get one for myself. I handed them to them and we just left. As mentioned, I'm a huge supporter of the park service, and I literally ran excitedly into this building as if I was running home or into a friend's house. Well, in all my visits to the visitor's centers, this is the first time I have ever been made to feel like an idiot piece of trash. Shame on them. These three ladies seemed to be three individuals who were very miserable with their lives, especially the older one with the sharp tongue, the frizzy salt and pepper hair, and the scowl. The first time I was glad to miss a new hike, actually pay a tour guide to take me on one, then get back on the ship, and get "outta Dodge".

Excellent doable museum, and wchair friendly. Great little bookstore at the end and real good for the whole family. Uses knowledgeable Native docents and Elders who teach their culture. Great place!