5 must-see statues in Alaska on a cruise ship visit! Alaska cruise port tips

Hi there!

As part of your cruise memories, there are some statues and monuments in Alaska that you might want to take a picture of!

And there are a few iconic ones that you can see during your Alaska cruise.

Most (but not all!) of these statues can be seen if you have an hour left at the end of the day before your back-on-board time.

So if you were out all day doing other things in port and don’t want to return to the cruise ship quite yet, you can go and see an iconic statue in an Alaska cruise port!

So here are statues in Alaska cruise ports that you may want to go looking for!

I have been to Alaska cruise ports multiple times and here are the sculptures and monuments that I have come across that you need to know about!

1. Takhu “the whale project” sculpture (Juneau)

The must-see whale statue in Juneau is Takhu the whale, also called the Whale Project!

This is the statue that you’ll want more than an hour to go and see.

This big whale statue in Juneau is about a mile from the cruise port. So walking at a leisurely pace, it might take you 20-30 minutes one way… 15 minutes if you walk quickly! (map)

And of course you’ll want to give yourself some time to walk all the way around the Takhu the whale!

The whale project is located at Overstreet Park, and this is also a spot where you can see more totem poles. (The first time you’ll see totem poles will be the ones that are lined along the boardwalk near the cruise ship! If you want to see even more totem poles, you can also do the Goldbelt Tram as another activity. There’s a totem trail at the top.)

If you’re up for more walking, you can continue walking further past Overstreet Park and across the bridge to Douglas Island. From the bridge you can get a great view of the cruise ships!

If you’re looking for more to do, you can get on the bus to go to Sandy Beach and Savikko Park. I saw jellyfish! See easy walks in Juneau that you can do.

2. Orca dream sculpture (Icy Strait Point)

If your cruise ship is going to Icy Strait Point, the iconic orca statue will be one of the easiest statues to see during your Alaska cruise!

Orca is another name for killer whale.

If you’re getting off the ship, chances are you will be doing a walk along the Icy Strait Point beach in one way or another, and in that case, it’s impossible to miss the orca statue!

See more easy walks in Icy Strait Point that you can do.

3. Skagway centennial stampeder statue

Those who embarked on the journey to find gold during the Klondike Gold Rush were called stampeders.

Skagway was one of the gateway towns for these stampeders who sought gold in the Yukon of Canada, and you can walk to a statue that signifies this part of Skagway’s history.

Depending on where your cruise ship is docked, this might be a 5 to 15 minute walk from your cruise ship.

This statue will be in the area of the iconic locomotive 52 display. Once you’ve located this, you can look in the direction of the cruise ships and there’s a pedestrian walking area, and this is where you’ll see a stampeder statue. This will be a walking path along Broadway. (map)

To learn more about Skagway’s Gold Rush history, be sure to stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park visitor center that is in downtown Skagway. You can watch a short film there that’s on repeat throughout the day. Also look for the park ranger program schedule board!

There is another stampeder statue near the visitor center. (map)

See more easy walks in Skagway that you can do.

4. “The Rock” statue (Ketchikan)

The Rock monument is another one of the easiest statues to see during an Alaska cruise because it’s located right in front of where some cruise ships are docked, literally!

It represents the different types of people that made up Ketchikan as the first city of Alaska.

This statue is in front of berth 2, which is right near the Ketchikan tourism visitor center and the Liquid Sunshine Gauge. (map)

Because of its location, this statue is in an area with high foot traffic. If your cruise ship is in port until evening and you’re docked nearby, then go to this statue 30 minutes before your back-on-board time, and you may be able to get a picture without as many people in it! (This is the same for Creek Street!)

This was one of the last things I did during one cruise ship visit to Ketchikan, and it was amazing to see just how few people there were, considering how packed with people it was earlier! I was literally like, there’s no one here! Now, my cruise ship was the only one in port, so… that probably also helped!

From the Rock statue, you will also be able to see the classic Ketchikan welcome sign that you’ll want a picture of, so it makes for a good reference point too!

There are also some totem poles in Ketchikan that you can walk to around downtown.

5. Yeltatzie Salmon sculpture (Ketchikan)

The salmon sculpture is an easy one to see if you’ll be going to Creek Street in Ketchikan. This is also within walking distance of the cruise port.

If you walk around Creek Street and the Married Man’s Trail, then you’ll come across the salmon sculpture that overlooks the creek. (map)

If you’re in Ketchikan during salmon season (which typically starts mid-July) then you will also want to look for the salmon swimming in the creek!

When I was in Ketchikan in early September, there were still some salmon there, although I imagine not as many as I would have seen if I was there a few weeks early. Still, since it was my first time seeing salmon swimming like that, it was exciting to see!

See more about the salmon ladder.

See more easy walks in Ketchikan that you can do.

More pictures you need to take: Welcome signs in Alaska

HAPPY TAKING PICTURES OF A STATUE IN ALASKA!