Ketchikan, Alaska · creekstreet.org
Ketchikan's historic boardwalk over the creek: what to see, where to walk, and the stories behind the houses on pilings.
Walk in from Stedman Street, a few blocks from the downtown cruise docks.
Busiest on big ship days. Daily passenger counts at ktnport.com.
Pinks in August, coho late August into October.
The tram runs from the boardwalk to Cape Fox Lodge.
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Businesses change hands and hours change by season; details here come from published sources and were last checked in October 2026. Many buildings on the street don't have entries yet. Owners and longtime residents are welcome to share a building's address, history and current use so it can be added.
Practical information for an afternoon on the boardwalk.
Mornings and evenings are quieter than midday on multi-ship days. Check that day's cruise passenger count at ktnport.com.
Typical timing for Ketchikan-area streams from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Runs vary year to year; the local ADF&G office has current conditions.
From houses on pilings to one of Southeast Alaska's most photographed streets.
A city ordinance moves brothels out of downtown to the east side of Ketchikan Creek. Houses go up on pilings, linked by a boardwalk, and Creek Street becomes the red-light district.
The Star, at 5 Creek Street, starts as a small gable-roofed house. It is enlarged in 1910 and 1917.
The house at 24 Creek Street, later Dolly's House, is standing by this year.
Dolly Arthur moves into No. 24, where she lives for more than fifty years.
The New York Hotel is built on Stedman Street at the foot of Creek Street.
Coast Guard pressure forces a wartime closure of the houses in the interest of national defense.
Prostitution is outlawed and the red-light era on Creek Street ends.
A fire at The Star leaves the building derelict.
Dolly Arthur leaves No. 24. The house later opens as a museum of her life.
A replica of the Chief Johnson totem pole, carved by Israel Shotridge, is raised.
The Star is restored, and the tram between Creek Street and the new Cape Fox Lodge begins service.
The Star is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Stedman–Thomas Historic District, including the New York Hotel, is listed on the National Register.
The Creek Street Historic District, covering Creek Street, Married Man's Trail and Totem Way, is listed on the National Register on August 6.
A rebuilt tram, with a new stop at the Eagle's Nest restaurant, is certified in June and celebrated in September.
Public design review for the Creek Street district resumes after about ten years.
The street's character comes from its buildings, railings, signs and pilings working together.
In downtown Ketchikan, Alaska, along Ketchikan Creek. The main entrance is on Stedman Street, a short walk from the downtown cruise docks.
Its wooden boardwalk and houses built on pilings over Ketchikan Creek, and its past as Ketchikan's red-light district from the early 1900s until the 1950s. The street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Creek Street Historic District.
Walking the boardwalk is free. Museums, the tram and shops along the way may charge for admission or rides.
Pink salmon run in August, chum from late August into early September, and coho from late August into October. Timing varies from year to year.
A museum at 24 Creek Street in the house where Dolly Arthur lived from 1919 to 1973, furnished with her belongings from those decades.
Ride the tram from its landing on the boardwalk, or climb Married Man's Trail, about ten minutes on foot.
About an hour to walk the boardwalk and watch the creek. Allow more if you visit the museums or ride the tram up the hill.
Creek Street has been photographed for more than a century. Historic images are held by local collections and will be shared here with their permission and credit.
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