Plan Your Visit

Hours

Special Openings

• Bald Eagle Festival 2025; Saturday November 8th 11:00am-3:00pm

Open June 2, 2026 – August 29, 2026

Hours:

• M-F noon-4pm
• Sat 1-4 pm
• Closed Sunday

Note: Closed the Saturday of the Southeast State Fair, 4th of July and for Cultural Events (these closures will be posted in advance here and on the Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center Facebook page).

Call ahead and book a guided tour of our exhibit hall and our traditional knowledge camp. The traditional knowledge camp consists of a fish processing area with a smoke house/drying shed, an adzing shed with a 37-foot canoe on display and a traditional long house. While in the long house you will hear the story of how Klukwan was founded. 

Call to request a group tour  (907) 767-5485

Our Tour Guides

Directions

Located just past 21 mile, on the Haines Highway

Address: 9  Chilkat Ave,   Klukwan,  Alaska (map it)  907-767-5485 

Features

The Whale House Collection is one of the most highly acclaimed collections of Pacific Northwest Coast art in existence. 

For the first time, these beautiful works are open  to the public in the newly built Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center in Klukwan. In addition to the famous Whale House posts and Rain Screen, the heritage center includes exhibits on Chilkat weaving, our contemporary way of life, our traditional history and territory.

Klukwan [Tlákw.aan] is a vibrant Southeast Alaska  Native village with a rich, cultural history. The people here still maintain their traditional subsistence lifestyle and are eager to share their stories with you.
The Heritage Center addresses the pressing issue of where to house precious clan treasures where they are safe and well-cared for. The center supports the community’s desire to revitalize and perpetuate their culture. 

The clan treasures housed within the Heritage Center are great attractions to visitors, but their greatest significance is found within the context of this ancient village where the people still look to these works as treasured crest figures and visual reminders of their history.

Visit Tlákw.aan to learn about our history and  let us share a bit of our culture with you

The Chilkat women did not invent the art of Chilkat Weaving, it actually came from the Tsimshian people, but there were so many gifted weavers in Klukwan during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that the art form became known as Chilkat Weaving.  The art form was nearly lost when Jennie Thlunaut, the last of Klukwan’s master weavers from her generation died in the mid 1980’s.  Fortunately a number of local women are continuing the art practice and sharing their knowledge. See the Weavers Corner in the Heritage Center building to learn the history and see examples.