southeast alaska discovery center

Thanks for visiting us and we're glad you enjoyed your visit to the Discovery Center!

We're glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to the Discovery Center, and I'll pass along your kudos to the rest of our staff. Come back and see us again!

The Southeast Alaska Discovery Center located in Ketchikan is an impressive collection of history, geography, natural flora and fauna and the peoples of the region that call Tongass their home. The Tongass is a vast region and encompasses huge landmass across the planet, you will discover rare insights with their 18 minute film which talks about the local Tlingit and Haida cultures and the Alaskan history. The Museum is very interactive and not that big so you will be able to see almost everything there is on display. The 'Rainforest of Alaska' section is really made well and very impressive, so is the insights into its lands and people. They also have a very impressive souvenir shop wherein you can purchase rare Alaskan collectibles and books.

Thanks for visiting the Discovery Center and sharing your honest thoughts - we think the center offers a great visitor experience but we agree that some of the exhibits need a refresh and we're in the planning and design stages of some renovations and upgrades. We hope you'll come back in the future and experience the Discovery Center again.

We're glad you enjoyed your visit to the Discovery Center, and thanks for letting folks know that we're worth the trip!

There is a great film on the Tongass National Forest. We got in free with our national parks card. There are some great exhibits and a nice way to learn about the area, tribes, and history. It's an easy walk from the cruise port.

This is a nice visitor center and an overview of the Tongass National Forest.My son always loves the Junior Ranger program, and it was convenient that we could pick up the book here and get started on it, and then turn in the completed book at Mendenhall Glacier visitor center when our cruise hit Juneau the next day.

Free facility within walking distance from cruise ship docks. Run by the US Forest Service and is totally non-commercial, though they have a gift shop area. Excellent exhibits.

This was the last place we visited on our Alaska Cruise Tour, but it would have been a good place to get a review of what is to be seen. There is a "rain forest", a good display of early tribe life, nice artifacts and a really wonderful film. We walked from the cruise ship in the rain, but enjoyed the hour and a half we spent here.

This museum was great. I am really sorry that we had under an hour to see it, as we had to get back to our ship. It is very modern and well laid out, and gives a pretty comprehensive overview of Alaska -- its wildlife (with pictures), its topography, its industry, its history. In truth, this would be a great way to begin a trip to Alaska. Since Ketchikan was our last Alaskan port, unfortunately we only saw it at the end. Too bad. Highly recommended.

Really gave us a good perspective on the whole state of Alaska. Excellent short film about the rainforest, and informative displays. Well worth a quick trip.

The Discovery Center is a place where you need to have a couple of hours to spend. We had a hour before going on another tour and the person at the desk told us it would only take 45 minutes to go through. This may have been true if you didn't try to read about the displays and the area or do any of the numerous activities in the Center. We spent our hour but "ran" through the last half of the displays. Anyway, the displays are filled with interesting information and there are a lot of hands on activities scattered about the displays. It is very well done and I only wish we would have had a longer time there. The admission is $5.00 and well worth it.

We're glad you enjoyed your visit to the Discovery Center and thanks for sharing your experience here! Come back and see us again.

This was my second visit to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. The first time for my wife and grandson. You have to pay $5 per person for entry but you get great value for that. It is right in the heart of downtown, a couple of blocks from Creek street and the cruise ship docks. The interpretative portion of the center is very informative focusing on all aspects; wildlife, ecosystem, native peoples, and the main industries; fishing, logging and mining. Allow for at least one hour to see everything. Make sure to see the 18 minute movie about the Tongass National Forest. The scenery of this video is stunning.

Within easy 2 block walking distance of the cruise ship dock, right in town.The $5 admission is a bargain. Excellent US Forest Service film and nice dioramas displaying rainforest habitat , Tlingit & Haida cultures and native flora & fauna.