Arctic Brotherhood Hall

Stop and take your picture in front of the most photographed building in Alaska. In times past, it was a fraternal hall; the local chapter of the Brotherhood first met here in August 1899. (Step across the street, and you'll notice the letters "A.B." and the "1899" above the door, and "Camp Skagway No. 1" on the overhang. The organization's symbol, a gold pan and nuggets, is up near the roof line. The facade, which dates from 1900, has been called a prime example of Victorian Rustic Architecture. Charley Walker and his fellow lodge members collected over 8,800 driftwood sticks on the shores of Skagway Bay and nailed them to the front wall. The Brotherhood, which remained active into the 1920s, once entertained President Warren G. Harding. The building is currently the home of the Visitor Information Center operated by the Skagway Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The outside facade of the Arctic Brotherhood Hall underwent a restoration during the winter of 2004-2005. All of the 8,883 pieces of driftwood on the front of the building were removed. Forty percent (3,533) had rotted and were replaced, while sixty percent (5,300) were still able to be preserved over one hundred years later.