Creek Street is not really a street at all. It is a wooden boardwalk raised on pilings above the mouth of Ketchikan Creek, with a row of gabled houses clinging to the rock on one side and the tidal creek on the other. From 1903, when the city council ordered the town’s brothels out of the centre and across the creek, until prostitution was finally shut down in 1954, this was Ketchikan’s red-light district — at its height some 30 houses, serving fishermen, loggers and miners. Local wits called it the place where both men and salmon came upstream to spawn.
Today the houses are painted in cheerful colours and hold galleries, gift shops and cafés, and the whole district is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. It is the most photographed spot in town and the natural first stop on any walk from the ship. Come early or late in the day if you can: at midday, with several ships in port, the boardwalk is crowded.
Top things to do: Creek Street & Dolly’s House
Visit Dolly’s House
Number 24 Creek Street was the home and workplace of Dolly Arthur, the street’s best-known madam, who lived here from 1919 until shortly before her death in the 1970s. The small house is preserved much as she left it, with her furniture, photographs, a hidden liquor cache from Prohibition days and plenty of wry commentary. A visit takes 15–20 minutes and costs a few dollars, paid at the door.
Look for salmon, seals and eagles
From about mid-July to mid-September the creek below the boardwalk fills with pink salmon heading upstream, joined later by other species. Harbour seals sometimes follow them in on a rising tide, and bald eagles watch from the trees. Even outside the run, the view down the creek to the houses is the classic Ketchikan photograph.
Browse the galleries
Creek Street has some of Ketchikan’s most interesting independent shops, including galleries selling prints and work by local artists. It is a better place to look for an Alaskan souvenir than the jewellery stores near the docks.
Walk the Married Man’s Trail
A path and staircase climb through the trees from the upper end of the boardwalk — the route by which customers once slipped away unseen. It leads to the salmon ladder and on towards the Totem Heritage Center.
Ride the funicular
A short hillside tram connects Creek Street with Cape Fox Lodge on the bluff above, where there are totem poles and a wide view over the town and the Narrows. It has usually run for a small fee or free for lodge guests; if it is not operating, a signed trail climbs the same hill.
How to get there
- On foot from the downtown berths: walk south along Front Street and Mill Street, then follow Stedman Street to the bridge over the creek — about 5–10 minutes from Berths 1 and 2, 15–20 minutes from Berth 4.
- From Ward Cove: take the cruise shuttle to downtown (about 20 minutes), then walk as above.
- Access: the main boardwalk is level and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, though the planks are slippery when wet. The Married Man’s Trail has steps.
- With a tour: many town tours include a guided walk here; see our tours page.
Insider tips
- Visit before 9 am or after about 4 pm for photographs without crowds; the light on the houses is best in the morning.
- Check a tide table if you care about the picture: at high tide the creek is full, at low tide the pilings stand over rocks.
- Wear shoes with grip. Wet boardwalk is the most common cause of accidents in Ketchikan.
- Dolly’s House opens on days when ships are in port during the season; hours vary, so do not leave it to the last half hour.
- Keep right and keep moving on the narrow sections — this is also a route that residents use.
Best tours for this sight
These bookable Ketchikan excursions fit best with a visit to Creek Street & Dolly’s House:
Show & meal from $158 Ketchikan: Lumberjack Show & Crab Feast
Two Ketchikan traditions in one ticket. First the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, where timber athletes race through axe, saw and tree-climbing events in a covered arena; then a sit-down feast of Dungeness crab, served until you have had enough. Easy, fun and weatherproof.
- An hour of chopping, sawing, climbing and log rolling
- All-you-can-eat Dungeness crab feast
- A short walk from the downtown cruise berths
Guided tour Ketchikan: Town Tour, Totem Heritage Center & Trail Hike
A guided tour that combines a narrated drive around Ketchikan with a visit to the Totem Heritage Center and its original 19th-century poles, and a hike on a trail in the Tongass National Forest. Check the product page for the current price and pickup point.
- Narrated tour of the town
- Visit to the Totem Heritage Center
- Hike in the Tongass National Forest
Guided tour from $99 Ketchikan: City Tour, Saxman Village & Salmon Tasting
A guided overview of Ketchikan’s history and landmarks, with a visit to Saxman Native Village to see its famous collection of totem poles and a tasting of smoked salmon. Reviews are more mixed than for other tours, so read the latest before booking.
- Narrated tour of Ketchikan’s landmarks
- Saxman Native Village and its totem poles
- Smoked salmon tasting
