Chief Shakes Island

Southeast Alaska

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The Shakes are a long line of Tlingit leaders (the current leader is Chief Shakes X). They are represented on this tiny, grassy islet slap bang in the middle of the scruffy boat harbor, reached by a pedestrian bridge. The islet is dominated by the Shakes Community House, a re-creation of a traditional Tlingit tribal house fashioned by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940. The totems holding the building up are originals thought to date from the 1840s.

The house is open only to accommodate cruise ships – call the Wrangell Museum for times. The islet also sports six more totems, all duplicates of originals carved in the late 1930s.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Wrangell Museum

    Wrangell Museum

    0.32 MILES

    This impressive museum is what the colorful history and characters of Wrangell deserve. As you stroll through the many rooms, an audio narration…

  • Petroglyph Beach

    Petroglyph Beach

    1.26 MILES

    Thought Alaska's history started with the Klondike gold rush? Not so. Historians and anthropologists should home in on this state historic park on…

  • Shakes Community House

    Shakes Community House

    0.04 MILES

    The cedar wood house in the middle of Chief Shakes Island is a replica of a typical Tlingit chief's house recreated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in…

  • Chief Shakes Grave

    Chief Shakes Grave

    0.13 MILES

    Of minor interest is the grave of Chief Shakes V (1840–78), the fifth in a long line of Tlingit chiefs (the current chief is Shakes X). It is hidden on a…

  • Totem Park

    Totem Park

    0.27 MILES

    In true tribal fashion, Wrangell's totems are left to rot naturally, thus the killer-whale totems in this park are soddenly authentic.

View more attractions

Nearby Southeast Alaska attractions

1. Shakes Community House

0.04 MILES

The cedar wood house in the middle of Chief Shakes Island is a replica of a typical Tlingit chief's house recreated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in…

2. Chief Shakes Grave

0.13 MILES

Of minor interest is the grave of Chief Shakes V (1840–78), the fifth in a long line of Tlingit chiefs (the current chief is Shakes X). It is hidden on a…

3. Totem Park

0.27 MILES

In true tribal fashion, Wrangell's totems are left to rot naturally, thus the killer-whale totems in this park are soddenly authentic.

4. Wrangell Museum

0.32 MILES

This impressive museum is what the colorful history and characters of Wrangell deserve. As you stroll through the many rooms, an audio narration…

5. Petroglyph Beach

1.26 MILES

Thought Alaska's history started with the Klondike gold rush? Not so. Historians and anthropologists should home in on this state historic park on…

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  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
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  "url": "usa/alaska/wrangell/attractions/chief-shakes-island/a/poi-sig/1463745/1005971",
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  "continent": "North-America",
  "country": "USA",
  "region": "Southeast-Alaska",
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