In the center of the historic district is Fort William H. Seward, the first U.S. military outpost in Alaska, built between 1902 and 1904 to maintain an American military presence during a border dispute with Canada. Home to 1,500 troops during the construction of the Alaska Highway, the fort was decommissioned in 1947. The ornate Victorian buildings have been converted to art galleries, a hotel and a restaurant.
On the fort's parade grounds is a replica of the Raven's Fort Tribal House. A cannery building was moved to the fort in 1926 and then converted to a recreation center. It is now a community theater where the Chilkat Dancers enact traditional myths. At the Alaska Indian Arts building (formerly the fort hospital), you can watch Native American artisans carve totem poles and create silver and bead jewelry.
Another vintage town is located at the fairgrounds in Haines, though it's not exactly an authentic one: The Walt Disney Company donated the sets from the 1990 movie White Fang to the fairgrounds, and they've been used to create Dalton City, a replica of a frontier gold-rush town. The Southeast Alaska State Fair takes place at the fairgrounds in mid-August. Phone 907-766-2366. http://alaskaindianarts.com or http://www.fortwilliamhseward.com.
