Offbeat Haines

Experience Haines in a new way – off the beaten path. This small group adventure tour visits three of Haines’ most unusual and out-of-the-way attractions: the Hammer Museum, Extreme Dreams Art Studio and Dalton City.

Your tour begins at Hammer Museum, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet the curator and discover why Haines, Alaska is home to the only museum in the world dedicated to the under appreciated household tool. Learn about unique inventions such as the three-clawed hammer, the magnetic hammer and the Tlingit ceremonial hammer.

Next, take a ten-mile scenic drive along the Chilkat River to the small artists’ enclave of Mud Bay to visit the Extreme Dreams Art Studio. The studio is owned by John and Sharon Svenson. John is a mountain climber and Sharon is a weaver. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet their pet poodle. View the beautiful handcrafter timber frame art gallery.

Your tour then heads to downtown Haines for a tour of the town as well as Fort William H. Seward before your final stop at Dalton City. This “city” was created for the Walt Disney film “White Fang.” Your guide will tell you about the making of the film as you view the recreated gold rush “town” including the Haines Brewing Company, the Klondike Saloon, and the Haines Community Garden.

Photo by Steve Vick