Join Ketchikan Museums for another engaging season of Museum Midday, our free lunchtime talk series exploring the people, stories, and history that shape our community. This year’s programs range from traditional knowledge and local history to science, art, and storytelling.

All programs are free and open to the public.

April 2: Special Tour of Cedar the Tree of Life with Ryan McHale

Join us for a special Museum Midday with curator Ryan McHale, who will lead participants on a tour of our new Cedar: The Tree of Life exhibit.

This is a chance to dig your roots a little deeper, hear the stories behind the exhibit, get some behind-the-scenes insight into how it came together, and learn the context and details you might otherwise miss.

If you’ve already visited the exhibit (or are planning to), this is a great way to experience it in a new way and spend some time with the ideas, materials, and stories that make cedar such an essential part of life in Southeast Alaska. Join us, ask questions, and take a closer look.

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PAST PROGRAMS

Postponed to Fall of 2026: From the Classroom to the Museum: Children’s Cedar Baskets and the Bureau of Education, 1900-1920

Explore how children's cedar baskets created in early 20th-century schools connect to the history of education and museum collections with Jennifer Brown.

March 5: Tea & Tales: Sharing Stories of Ketchikan Women

We’re on the move! Join us for this “field trip” edition of Museum Midday at the Pioneers of Alaska, Pioneer Hall (314 Pioneer Alley) on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. as we celebrate Women’s History Month with stories honoring the women who have shaped Ketchikan—past and present.

Enjoy tea and treats while listening to shared memories and reflections, or add your own story about the women who have made an impact on you and our community, or share your own experience. Question prompts will be available to help spark ideas to share in-person, or nominate someone to be recognized by proxy as we celebrate the women who continue to make Ketchikan remarkable.

February 5: Stitched Together — Conversation & Showcase with Rainy Day Quilt Guild

January 8: Alaska Plant Teachings: A Tool For Connecting With Alaskan Plants, Cultural Traditions And Community with Kaasei Indigenous Foodway's Naomi Michalsen

Join Naomi Michalsen for a conversation about traditional plant knowledge and the deep connections between people and place.

December 4: Where Fisheries, Science & Ocean Meet

Dive into the connections between research and our local fisheries with Whitney Crittenden from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

November 6: Save Your Stuff! Recovering Family Heirlooms

A special Museum Midday with Samantha Forsko, exploring how to protect and recover family heirlooms and treasured objects when calamity strikes. This event is part of the City of Ketchikan's Disaster Preparedness Week!

All of our 2024-2025 season's Museum Midday programs are now available on KetchikanMuseums' YouTube channel!

Have an idea, suggestion, or want to join our program line up? Send proposals to our Program Coordinator: ErikaChristian@ketchikan.gov