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Visiting Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

This post is an overview of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, including how to take a tour and see a live show.

As a local tour guide and resident of London, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing quite a few shows over the years at this historic theatre.

Below I share with you information to help you have a great experience there.

Also, I’ve included the thoughts of some of the more than 165,000 members of our London Travel Tips Facebook group.

The group is made up of locals (like our tour guides), frequent travelers to the UK, as well as first-time visitors to London.

You don't need to join to read the posts, comments, and recommendations. So, check out our group once you've finished reading this post.

• Take a Tour
• Tips from Locals and Travellers
• William Shakespeare's London Walking Tour
• London Theatre Tour

Perhaps one of the most famous theatres in the entire United Kingdom, the Globe Theatre is best known as home to William Shakespeare’s playing company.

Although the original Globe Theatre was lost to fire, today a modern (and, in my opinion, incredibly beautiful) version sits on the south bank of the River Thames.

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Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is now a huge complex holding a reconstructed original outdoor theatre, a winter theatre, a museum, and an education centre.

In the following sections, I go over Globe Theatre tours and directions there.

I will also cover details about how to see a show there.

TIP: Tours of the Globe are included with both the London Pass and the Explorer Pass .

You can also save money on tickets with the London City Pass .

Where is Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 and stood very near the location of the modern-day version.

Read an in-depth history at the end of this post.

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The site of the original was not certainly known until 1989 when the foundations were discovered in a car park.

However, the foundations lie underneath a listed building, so no excavations can take place.

A plaque and information panel are in place near 67-70 Anchor Terrace on Park Street to commemorate this original location.

The modern-day theatre is located on the south bank of the River Thames.

Directions there:

The nearest London Underground Station is London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee lines), but you can also access it by walking over the Millennium Bridge from St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Personally, I think the walk from London Bridge is nice as it takes you through Borough Market (great for a pre or post visit meal) and past Southwark Cathedral.

Although Harry Potter fans may enjoy walking across the bridge that gets destroyed by the Death Eaters in the films!

I recommend using this link for directions to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre from anywhere in the London region.

TOURS OF SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE

Whether or not you plan to see a show, you can still get a good look inside Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre by taking a tour called "Shakespeare's Globe Story and Tour."

I went recently and this was my experience:

I booked my ticket online and got to the theatre about 10 minutes ahead of my booked time.

Luckily for me, it wasn't a busy day so there were just a few of us on the guided tour.

For the first 50-ish minutes of the tour, we were taken through the venue by an expert guide who hared with us the history of the theatre and what London was like when the Globe became famous.

But my favourite part was next...After the tour, guests get to experience the "Globe Story."

This is an exhibition space filled with all sorts of fascinating objects related to the theatre.

It's almost all completely hands-on so I got to touch (and maybe try on...) original stage costumes and handle real props used on stage.

I also got to interact with smell boxes, touch boxes and the props and items that production use to make sounds both on and off stage during performances.

This was by far my favourite part.

Sometimes, guests are allowed to witness the behind-the-scenes prep for current shows.

That was the case the day that I was there, which was fantastic as I got to see them literally dressing the set and changing the scenery.

Although this wasn't the case on the day I was there, some days guests on tours can actually watch the actors rehearsing!

The tour I took is offered all year long, but there are also specialty tours that take place occasionally throughout the year. Sometimes the tours might relate to the current production, or they may have a particular theme.

For those that like something spooky there is also a "Ghosts and Ghouls Tour," that is family friendly and will definitely be the next one that I take!

Keep in mind that it is an open-air theatre, so the weather might play a role in your enjoyment of the experience watching any of the behind-the-scenes activity.

• Tickets: £27 Adults | £20 Children under 16 years of age
• Availability: Daily (except for holidays)
• Schedule: 10 am - 5 pm (unless there is a matinee on), every 15 to 30 minutes. Fall/Winter months have shorter hours.
• Duration: 2 hours (est.)
• Purchase tickets in advance and learn more .

If you can’t manage to secure tickets until the day of your trip, you can walk up to the box office and ask about any available tour spots.

One of the girls on the tour with me had just wandered in and managed to snag a spot.

TIP : If you are considering buying one of the money-saving tourist attraction passes, such as the London City Pass , London Pass , or Explorer Pass , a Globe Theatre tour is included.

Alternatively, you can also use Discount London to get your tickets for less.

If you want to learn about the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare himself, join us for a William Shakespeare's London Walking Tour !

SEE A SHOW AT SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE

No matter how old this venue gets, it’s still one of the best places in London to enjoy a theatrical performance.

The Globe Theatre is an open-air playhouse, so most shows will take place between April and October.

But given our weather, there's no guarantee it'll be warm and dry!

The last time I went, it was possible to rend seat cushions, seat backs, blankets and rain macs to protect us from the poor weather.

I also know that you can hire fans should your visit coincide with the very rare hot days we get in London (I promise, it does happen)!

Every year, I log into the Globe website in February as it is usually in that month that the full show schedule is released.

Consider keeping an eye on the site if you are headed our way as some shows do book out fast - especially if they have well known actors treading the boards!

I have seen Mark Rylance, Alfred Enoch, Kathryn Hunter, and Stephen Fry over the years.

You can learn more about the next available show by visiting their What’s On page.

There are only 857 seats, so seated tickets can be difficult to obtain and expensive (from £25-£75).

Thankfully, there are 700 standing-room tickets available for each show and they only cost either £5 or £10 so this doesn’t have to be an expensive activity!

Many guests on my walking tours snap up the £5 tickets when they're travelling on a budget.

There's no protection from the elements, though, and nowhere to sit or lean so make sure you are prepared.

I have done it once and once was enough for me, but for some, the price of the ticket is worth any discomfort.

Again, I highly recommend purchasing tickets well ahead of time to avoid missing out.

TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELLERS

Here are some tips and opinions from members of our London Travel Tips and Hacks Facebook group on both the tour and the performances.

Reviews of the tour were overwhelmingly positive. All age groups got something out of it.

Here’s a group member who has taken the tour twice and seen shows. It was a hit activity with the whole family.

The member has been lucky enough to do the tour and see more than one show.

Here’s what group members thought of the performances.

If you do see a show, here is some advice on how to prepare…

…and how once the show begins, you won't notice anything else but!

HISTORY OF SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE THEATRE

The Globe was constructed in 1599 and the first production here was likely either Henry V or Julius Caesar although no firm record exists.

The theatre was owned by several Shareholders – and Shakespeare himself was just one of the people in this group.

It is estimated that Shakespeare’s ownership in the Globe eventually diminished to just 7% throughout his career.

Although today most of us heavily associate The Globe with Shakespeare, many other playwrights had work performed at this theatre.

The first recorded performance of a play at the Globe Theatre was not a Shakespeare play at all, but Every Man Out of His Humour by Johnson.

Although the exact dimensions of the original theatre are not known, the structure and design of the building have been researched heavily throughout the centuries.

Primary sources leave enough information that the construction of the Globe can be accurately estimated.

The Globe was a three-story open-air amphitheater with a diameter of around 100ft (30m) and could hold upwards of 3,000 spectators.

Although imagined as a circular shape (a “wooden O” as referenced in Shakespeare’s Play Henry V), the theatre was likely a polygon of around 20 sides.

The base of the stage held a yard where – for a single penny – spectators could buy a ticket to become a ‘groundling’ who would stand on the dirt floor throughout the performance.

This yard was surrounded by three levels of stadium-style seats, a more luxurious option for wealthier patrons.

Above the stage was a filing known as the “heavens” which was painted like the sky with clouds and stars.

The heavens contained a trap door with which actors could descend and ascend when required.

A trap door built into the stage also allowed for the movement of actors on and off the stage.

Destruction

During a performance of Henry VIII on the 29th of June 1613, a fire sparked by the firing of a theatrical cannon lit the wooden beams and thatching the theatre alight.

Although the theatre was destroyed, nobody was injured in the tragic event (aside from a single man whose breeches were on fire, but the flames were put out with a bottle of ale).

Modern Recreation

In 1970, American actor and director Sam Wanamaker founded the Shakespeare Globe Trust and the International Shakespeare Globe Centre.

The idea was a faithful recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe should be built near its original position on the banks of the river.

No easy task, Wanamaker fought detractors who believed a faithful reconstruction would not be possible.

Many insisted that the new building would be a fire hazard, and others said the recreation would not be a viable tourist attraction.

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Despite the criticism, Wanamaker persevered and (with minor exceptions such as external staircases and fire sprinklers) a faithful reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was eventually designed and built, using the same materials as the original.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was then opened to the public in 1997 – 4 years after Wanamaker died.

Performances here are staged to duplicate the original environment of the Globe.

This means there are no spotlights, and where possible plays are staged in the daylight.

There are also no microphones or speakers of any sort.

All music accompaniment is performed live and the proximity of the actors to the spectators makes performances appear more accessible and intimate.

This is why there are so many of those props I got to play with - to make live sound effects as the play takes place!

Although the outlay is the same, the seating capacity in the modern Globe is 857 with 700 more standing – giving it around half the capacity of the original Theatre.

Built of English Oak like the original, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was constructed with absolutely no structural steel.

The thatched roof of the New Globe was a subject of much debate as roof thatching had been outlawed after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Wanamaker fought long and hard to utilize the thatch and this is the first – and only – permitted thatched roof in London since 1666!

While not an exact reconstruction of an original building, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse loosely resembles the nearby Blackfriars Theatre which had been built in 1566.

Today, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre stands around 230m (750ft) from the original Globe site.

The design of the theatre is the same as the original with a stage surrounded by a circular yard (where ‘groundlings’ can still view performances!) and three tiers of raked seating.

Because the theatre is circular, there is no roof over the centre of the structure, so plays are only staged during the summer.

Originally, women were not allowed on stage, and during Shakespeare’s lifetime, it would have been only men who performed his work.

Occasionally the Globe harkens back to this era, putting on entire performances where all roles are played by men.

However, both genders are on stage regularly throughout the seasons.

In addition to the recreated Globe Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe’s Trust now also houses the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse – a 17th-century style indoor theatre.

Much like Shakespeare’s Globe, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse was built using period-accurate materials and building styles, and similarly, as well, the Playhouse uses beeswax candles to light the stage rather than modern-day lighting fixtures.

This has been met with some criticism and a few disasters.

At the first show I saw at the Playhouse, a woman on the bench in front of me got melted wax dripped onto her!

I have been told that these problems have been rectified, however.

The Playhouse houses around 340 seats and hosts productions throughout the winter and spring months.

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Shakespeare's Globe. Photo by Helen Murray.

Shakespeare’s Globe restarts award-winning Guided Tour

First Published 19 August 2020, Last Updated 20 August 2020

After closing in March this year, the Globe Theatre opens its oak doors once more for guided tours from 21 August.

As well as hearing about Shakespeare, the history of London and the renowned theatre itself, visitors will also have a once in a lifetime chance to stand on one of the most famous stages in the world. Alongside costumes worn by some of the most celebrated actors to have acted at the Globe, there will also be a photography exhibition in the space from theatre photographer Marc Brenner of previously unseen backstage images taken at the Globe during lockdown. An award-winning experience for the young and the young at heart, the tour normally welcomes over 350,000 visitors a year. The Globe’s online shop has now reopened.

Neil Constable, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe, said: “As an independent charity that currently receives no government subsidy, our hope is that any income raised from this festival will help support the Globe, artists and practitioners, as we all continue to look for new ways to share our work. After being closed for five months, reopening for our wonderful guided tours, giving access to the stage to our visitors for the first time, and the opening of our online shop and the Swan Bar & Restaurant are all ways in which we hope to welcome more and more people back through our doors to safely enjoy culture and experience in our iconic theatre before we are in a position to start performances again.”

Tours will be running 7 days a week with 6 tours a day until 20 September. Tickets must be pre-booked online  for time slots to allow for social distancing. The tours happen outside, and precautions due to Covid-19 include hand sanitising stations, deep cleaning of toilets, face shields for the Globe Guides, and further systems to ensure social distancing. The open-air theatre is following all recommended safety measures amending normal operation of the tours to fit with all Covid-19 restrictions.

The Globe’s online shop has now reopened with fantastic gifts, books, and DVDs. Anyone who joins the Globe as a Member will receive a 20% discount in the online shop as a thank you for their support. You can also pop along to The Swan Bar & Restaurant which are now open for business and taking part in the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

To find out more about the guided tour or to book your tickets, click the button below!

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Guided tours

Discover the stories and magic of the Royal Shakespeare Company

Explore the building and immerse yourself in the workings of theatre while hearing stories of individuals who have shaped the RSC’s unique history – from well-known performers, skilled professionals to our incredibly talented staff. 

Our guided tour is a 60-minute journey that runs daily, led by our experienced tour guides, and every tour will be truly unique.  

We begin the story of the RSC in our Front of House areas, taking a look at the hidden history of the most-seen areas of the building and introducing visitors to the people and stories that have shaped what the RSC is today.

No day at the RSC is the same so depending on what is happening on the day of your tour, you will get to see a part of the building that is not usually accessible to the public.* While you're with us, you could be led through the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to discover more about the auditorium and backstage, or our state-of-the-art Costume Workshop to delve deeper into the expert craftmanship that goes into costume making from past to present, or, from April 2023, you could be taken into the newly transformed Swan Theatre.

To continue your journey of the RSC’s history, our free exhibition  The Play’s The Thing  opens daily from midday. Lose yourself in this hidden gem as you uncover stories, props and costumes from the RSC collection.

Tickets cost £13.50. For families, up to four children go half price with every full price paying adult. Find out more below about what we can offer for your school group and to those who require a helping hand.

For group bookings of 10 or more people, please contact the Box Office on 01789 331111 (Monday - Friday, midday - 6pm excluding bank holidays). 

*We will make every effort to include access to the auditorium or Costume Workshop areas as part of the tour, however please note that as a working theatre company routes may change due to other activity taking place and so this cannot always be guaranteed.

You can now visit the viewing platform of our theatre tower for free. The tower is open daily, boasting panoramic views of Stratford-upon-Avon. It stands at 32m above street level - or the equivalent of approximately the height of seven double-decker buses stacked on top each other. 

Look out over the town's local historic buildings, the River Avon or even further where on a clear day you can see almost 20 miles of Warwickshire countryside and even into Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire.

You can visit from 12 midday to 4pm, except on matinee days or during inclement weather.

Advance booking is required for groups of 10 or more, along with payment of a small administrative fee. Further details can be found on our Groups page . Please contact the Box Office to book your Group Tower visit on 01789 331111.

Schools can book a Theatre Tour by emailing  [email protected]  or call the Learning Hotline on 01789 331259 (midday – 6pm, Monday – Friday, excluding Bank Holidays).

Advanced booking is required and is subject to availability. 

Blue Peter Badge

Children aged 6 to 15 who have been awarded a Blue Peter Badge can experience our Guided Tours for free.

To gain free entry, badge holders must book with the Box Office in person or by phone on 01789 331111 (Monday - Friday, midday - 6pm excluding bank holidays). On arrival tickets can be collected at the Box Office upon presentation of badge and valid badge card.

*Each badge holder must be accompanied by a full paying adult. If a disabled badge holder is accompanied by a registered carer, both can gain free entry. Carers must bring supporting documents. Before your visit please read the  Blue Peter Terms and Conditions .    

TOURS AND TOWER ACCESS 

This is a walking tour but routes are fully accessible and the Tower is fully accessible by lift. Please let one of our Front of House team know if you have any questions or specific requirements during your visit.

If you are coming to one of our BSL interpreted performances, you can book onto one of our signed theatre tours to find out more about the magic of the RSC, from our beginnings in the 1800s all the way to the present day. BSL interpreted tours are also available at other points throughout the year.

Before our audio-described shows , visitors can also join one of our Touch Tours, where you will be escorted to the stage to see, touch and feel the set and costumes, and possibly meet some of the actors from the play. The tour is free but must be booked at the same time as your ticket for the audio-described show. 

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Join us for a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour of The Old Globe to get an inside look at how the spectacular costumes are designed, how impenetrable stone castles are built on the stage, or how a new prop can be made to look 100 years old. Learn about our lighting and sound teams, which celebrities have passed through here, and which shows have gone on to grace the stages of Broadway.

Our knowledgeable docents will bring you through all three theatres and artisan craft shops* while sharing fun tidbits and stories of past and present shows, and maybe even share some inside information about upcoming ones!

• Tour time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Age requirements: ages 8 and up
• Reservation minimum: 1
• Cost: $10 for adults; $7 for youth, seniors, and military

Consider joining us for a tour on the third Tuesday of every month (except January and September) between 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. for Resident Free Tuesdays! More information about Resident Free Tuesdays and how to book is in the red box with tour dates.

Private tours are available upon request for an added fee and small non-refundable deposit. The deposit is transferrable in the event of a reschedule.

For groups of 20 or more, or for unlisted dates, please fill out the form below and we will get back to you within 48 hours of your request. Please email [email protected]  for all other questions or concerns.

*Access to theatre and shop spaces are subject to availability and change based on our year-round technical, rehearsal, and performance schedules, including the day of your tour.

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There is no Resident Free Tuesday tour in June or September.

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Resident Free Tuesdays* are on the third Tuesday of every month (except January and September) between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. for individuals and groups smaller than 10 people! Booking is required to join. Walk-ups are accepted on a first come, first served basis if space allows. To register, please click on the dates above that indicate a Resident Free Tuesday date. For groups of 10 or more, please fill out this form to schedule a separate tour. Learn more about other Resident Free Tuesday events in Balboa Park here .

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Jane’s Addiction cancels remainder of tour in wake of onstage scuffle in Boston

Dave Navarro, left, and Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction perform at the Louder Than Life Festival, in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 24, 2021. Amy Harris/The Associated Press

The alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction has scuttled its latest tour following an onstage scuffle between lead singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro.

“The band have made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group. As such, they will be cancelling the remainder of the tour,” the band said in a brief statement Monday.

The move comes a few days after videos captured Farrell lunging at Navarro at a Friday concert in Boston, bumping Navarro with his shoulder before taking a swing at the guitarist with his right arm. Navarro is seen holding his right arm out to keep Farrell away before Farrell is dragged away by others on stage. The show ended shortly after and the band apologized.

The band is known for edgy, punk-inspired hits Been Caught Stealing and Mountain Song in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the alternative rock and grunge music movements were growing.

“Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band,” Etty Lau Farrell, Farrell’s wife, wrote in an Instagram post Saturday morning.

She said her husband had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat and “by the end of the song, he wasn’t singing, he was screaming just to be heard.” She said her husband later broke down “and cried and cried.”

The band’s Imminent Redemption tour started in early August and was to end on Oct. 16 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.

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These Russian stone carvings date back to 12,000 BC. WHAT??!

With its gracious, broad and tree-lined boulevards, well maintained turn of the 19th to 20th century buildings and a lively riverfront, the city of Khabarovsk is often called the most European city in Asia. Nothing in the tranquil city hints of a history that goes beyond the middle of the 19th century, but a short road trip along the Amur River is enough to unfurl a treasure trove of petroglyphs (prehistoric rock carvings) that are believed to date back to 12,000 BC.   

Khabarovsk's city center

The Khabarovsk Krai, which has about 789,000 square kilometers of territory, is one of the most sparsely populated places on the planet. These vast swathes of emptiness are visible when one drives on the highway that connects Khabarovsk with the industrial city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

The Nanai village of Sikachi-Alyan on the Amur River

75 kilometers north of Khabarovsk and just off the highway and on the right bank of the Amur is the Nanai village of Sikachi-Alyan, where the petroglyphs are located. Residents call the village the ‘home of angry spirits’, thanks to the mystical occurrences that many have claimed to witness there.  

History on the rocks 

The area has about 200 petroglyphs, with a significant number being well preserved. The petroglyphs are easily accessible, as they are near the water’s edge on basalt boulders. 

Petroglyphs of Sikachi-Alyan

The best time to visit the area is actually early or late winter (despite the brutal cold), since the overflowing waters of the Amur hide them in the warmer months. Floods and ice floes have also caused considerable damage to many of the petroglyphs. Locals say some of the boulders have been turned upside down. 

The carvings that date from different periods depict hunting scenes, animals, such as elk, horses and mammoths, shamans and shamanic masks and even people sitting in boats.

Russia’s Far East is believed to have been one of the last habitats of mammoths before they became extinct. Among the best-preserved petroglyphs of Sikachi-Alyan, there is one engraving that clearly depicts a mammoth, while another shows a mammoth with an unknown creature. There’s also a large depiction of a beast with a tail.   

Svetlana Onenko, a local historian who is also the curator of the indigenous people’s ethnographic museum and cultural center in Sikachi-Alyan, says the very existence of the mammoth depictions proves that the petroglyphs date back to around 12,000 BC. She adds that the ancient dwellers of this area probably also hunted mammoths.  

A Nanai hunter (L); an ancient stone carving showing a mammoth

The older images, dating to the Paleolithic age, were carved out using stone tools. It should be noted that some archaeologists argue that the wild horses depicted in some of the petroglyphs did not exist in the Amur Region even in the Neolithic age.  

The newer carvings, including those of shamans and shamanic masks were used with more modern tools. These images are sacred to the Nanai and other indigenous groups who live in the village with a total population of just 300. Onenko says the members of the indigenous community are descended from the people who carved out the petroglyphs. Some European anthropologists, however, believe that the indigenous people were more recent settlers, who moved to the area around 2,000 years ago from Manchuria.  

An abode of Shamanism  

Neo-Shamanists visit the area from different parts of the world and take part in rituals, which some suspect as being influenced by a cult. Such is the belief in Shamanism in this area that the museum, which has a large number of indigenous artefacts, crafts and ancient Chinese coins, keeps its Shamanic objects in a designated space that is ritually blessed. “Shamanic objects are believed to possess a powerful (and potentially dangerous) energy,” Onenko says. 

A Sikachi-Alyan's shaman

Locals claim to spot mystic occurrences near the so-called Starukha (Eng.: “old lady”) rock formation. According to indigenous legends, human beings did not die at one point of time, but their population grew so large that there wasn’t enough food for everyone. So the earth’s spirits decided that people, like animals, would also have to die.

The Starukha rock formation

The Starukha was apparently the first human being to face death and ended up turning into that big (and apparently haunted) rock. 

First Russian visitor 

While the Nanai and other indigenous groups were aware of the existence of the petroglyphs for centuries, the outside world came to know of them only in 1859, a year after the foundation of the city of Khabarovsk.

This “discovery” was made by Richard Maack, a geographer, naturalist and explorer who set out on an expedition of the Amur and Ussuri valleys. Maack, who was born in the Russian Empire’s Baltic governorate of Livonia, studied natural sciences at the University of St. Petersburg and undertook several expeditions to Siberia and the Russian Far East in the 1850s. 

A portrait of Richard Maack (L); and his drawing of an indigenous people's house

Maack’s main area of interest was botany and six previously unknown plants that he collected by the Amur were named after him. His expedition north of the newly-founded Khabarovsk led him to Sikachi-Alyan, where he spotted the petroglyphs. There are less than a handful of surviving copies of Maack’s book titled, ‘Travel on the Amur river made by order of the Siberian department of the Emperor’s Russian Geographical Society in 1855’, which contains a wealth of information.  

Russian archaeologists, scientists and historians took a great interest in the petroglyphs in the 20th century. In the 1930s, archaeologist Nikolai Kharlamov photographed them in detail. Three decades later, ethnographer and historian Alexei Okladnikov went on several expeditions to the area and wrote about the petroglyphs in detail in two books. His findings suggest that the artwork of Sikachi-Alyan had some resemblance to its counterparts from South East Asia, Polynesia and Australia.  

Alexei Okladnikov (L) inspects the petroglyphs

The petroglyphs of Sikachi-Alyan are now among the most visited sites in Khabarovsk Krai. The Russian federal government was declared the legal owner of the petroglyphs in 2018 and efforts are underway to better preserve them, as well get the rock formations listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 

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