St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
Juneau
Of 1893 vintage and etched against the backdrop of Mt Juneau, this diminutive onion-domed church is the oldest Russian Orthodox church in Alaska. Through…
Must-see attractions in Southeast Alaska
Sitka
Sitka’s best children’s attraction is this hatchery and science center. Outside, the facade is being restored to its original appearance. Inside the…
Skagway
If the crowds are overwhelming you, cross the Skagway River to Jewell Gardens. Located where Henry Clark started the first commercial vegetable farm in…
Haines
Alaska’s first permanent military post is reached by heading uphill (east) at the Front St–Haines Hwy junction. Built in 1903 and decommissioned after…
Southeast Alaska
The longest cave in Alaska is a 94-mile drive from Hollis and 11 miles west of Whale Pass. There's a free, two-hour, ranger-led cave tour in summer at 9am…
Southeast Alaska
If it's historic in Petersburg, you'll find it in Sing Lee Alley, an ensemble of geriatric wooden buildings dating from the 1910s. Much of the street is…
Haines
Indigenous culture can be seen in Fort Seward in the former military-post hospital, home of the Alaska Indian Arts Center. During the week you can watch…
Bojet Wikan Fishermen's Memorial Park
Southeast Alaska
At the southern end of Sing Lee Alley is Bojet Wikan Fishermen’s Memorial Park. This deck-of-a-park is built on pilings over Hammer Slough and features an…
Juneau
The Sealaska Heritage Institute, founded in 1980 to promote Alaska Native culture, opened this hugely impressive facility in 2015 in the downtown Walter…
Skagway
The most outlandish building of the seven-block historical corridor along Broadway St, and possibly the most photographed building in Alaska, is this…
Haines
Twenty-eight miles north of Haines is Kroschel's Wildlife Center, run by an ex-Hollywood animal trainer. There are 15 species of Alaskan wildlife here,…
Haines
The Sheldon Museum is known for its collection of indigenous artifacts, including a particularly interesting display on rare Chilkat blankets. The rest of…
Ketchikan
Ketchikan’s newest boardwalk is the Waterfront Promenade, which begins near Berth 4, passes Harbor View Park (a city park that is composed entirely of…
Ketchikan
Potlatch Park is right next door to Totem Bight State Park. It's less manicured, but still home to a dozen totems, one of which is 42ft high. There are…
American Bald Eagle Foundation
Haines
This relatively new museum is a little pricey for what's inside, but the fee does go toward a good cause (the museum is currently working on an extension)…
Skagway
The only saloon in Alaska that doesn’t serve booze – but it did during the gold rush, and plenty of it. Built in 1898 the Mascot was one of Skagway's 80…
Sitka
If you can’t afford a wildlife cruise, try Whale Park, 4 miles south of downtown, which has a boardwalk and free spotting scopes overlooking the ocean…
Southeast Alaska
This is one of best places to see black bears on POW Island as salmon attempt to negotiate a couple of fish ladders during the summer spawning season …
Sitka
An exposed grassy plaza close to the O'Connell Bridge and ANB Harbor, anchored by the famous Baranov totem topped by a carved image of Alexander Baranov …
Southeast Alaska
The cedar wood house in the middle of Chief Shakes Island is a replica of a typical Tlingit chief's house recreated by the Civilian Conservation Corps in…
Ketchikan
A 40-acre wildlife reserve at Herring Cove, 8 miles south of Ketchikan, where you can go on a naturalist-led walk (with the chance of spotting bears),…
Skagway
At the Pantheon Saloon, built in 1903, kids are the customers. The historic bar is now home to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park’s Junior…
Skagway
Soapy Smith’s old den of iniquity has recently been renovated by the National Park Service to keep the rose-tinted legend of the erstwhile conman alive…
Juneau
This lake at the foot of Mendenhall Glacier is an excellent destination for a paddle. Alaska Boat & Kayak offers both self-guided and guided packages. The…
Juneau
This museum focuses on gold, with interesting mining displays including 3-D photo viewers, timelines, interactive exhibits and the video Juneau: City…
Ketchikan
Thomas Basin is home to Ketchikan’s fishing fleet and is the city’s most picturesque harbor. When the boats come in, you can photograph them unloading…
Ketchikan
Houses a collection of local historical and Alaska Native artifacts, many dealing with Ketchikan’s fishing industry. More interesting is the impressive…
Sitka
Within Sitka's recently rebuilt Harigan Centennial Hall, the town history museum was undergoing a full renovation at last visit. It was due to reopen in…
Sitka
A beautiful Tlingit clan house, more impressive outside than in, that hosts regular performances from the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Dancers in the summer.
Southeast Alaska
Petersburg's most notable building is this still active community hall built in 1912 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Haines
Entering Dalton City, Haines' state fairground, you might feel as if you're walking onto a film set: you are. The gold-rush-era houses were constructed to…
Southeast Alaska
Angoon (pop 450) is the only community on Admiralty Island and serves as the departure point for many kayak and canoe trips into the heart of the monument…
Sitka
If you haven’t seen a bear in the wild – or don’t want to – this rescue facility offers an opportunity to observe brown bears that were abandoned as cubs…
Sitka
At the top of Princess Way lies Princess Maksoutoff’s Grave, marking the spot where the wife of Alaska’s last Russian governor is buried. A strategically…
Skagway
This bank dates back to 1916 (although it looks newer) when a group of East Coast businessmen founded the National Bank of Alaska, and built this bank a…
Juneau
At the south end of Douglas is this park sometimes known as 'Sandy Beach' – possibly a more apt name. This is the Juneau area's best stretch of sand,…
Southeast Alaska
This museum holds an interesting collection of artifacts and relics, mostly related to local fishing history. Exhibits include the largest king salmon…
Ketchikan
Up in Newtown, just north of the road tunnel, is an old wooden boardwalk furnished with buildings constructed in the early 20th century on the profits of…
Juneau
One of the US' more prosaic state capitols, this boxy building went up between 1929 and 1931 and looks more like an overgrown high school than a historic…
Southeast Alaska
An excellent place to see humpback whales, orcas and harbor seals in Clarence Strait or examine intriguing tidal pools at low tides. It's around 6 miles…
