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Attractions
Visit Sitka Visitor Information Center is open year-round . Here , staff can answer your questions with the most up-to-date information .
Baranof Castle State Historic Site was an early stronghold of the Tlingit Kiks . ádi Clan . Later , the Russian Governor occupied the hill in “ Baranov ’ s Castle ” until 1894 . In 1867 , this was the site of the Alaska transfer from Russia to the United States . Access stairs from Lincoln St . or a paved walkway from Harbor Way . NHLS
St . Michael ’ s Cathedral was the first Orthodox church in the Americas . The current building is an exact replica of the original , which was built in the 19th century and destroyed in the fire of 1966 . The church has an active congregation and houses a collection of artifacts and icons believed to date back to the 17th century . NHLS , NRHP $
Sitka Lutheran Church is the site of the first Protestant church on the West Coast of North America . The church contains artifacts from the original 1843 Finnish Lutheran Church , including the 1844 Kessler organ .
Harrigan Centennial Hall is Sitka ’ s civic and convention center . In the summer , the hall is the drop-off location for cruise shuttles and is also home to tour operator vendor stations and the New Archangel Dancers .
Sitka History Museum features Sitka ’ s story from the U . S . purchase to the current day , with rotating exhibits highlighting different aspects of local history . $
Russian Bishop ’ s House , c . 1841 , is a log structure and one of the oldest surviving buildings of Russian America . Now an NPS museum , it was once the home and office of the first Bishop of the Orthodox Church . NHLS , NRHP $
St . Peter ’ s by the Sea Episcopal Church & See House is the oldest standing church in Sitka . Built in 1899 of stone and wood in the Gothic Revival style , the church features a rose stained glass window with a Star of David . The See House behind the church was built in 1905 as the church rectory . NRHP
Sitka Sound Science Center ( The Sage Building , c . 1929 ), housed a hydro plant that supplied energy to the neighborhood . Today , it is home to an aquarium , a wet lab , and an onsite fish hatchery . $
Sheldon Jackson State Museum is the oldest museum in Alaska and the state ’ s first concrete building . Occupied since 1897 , the octagon-shaped building currently houses a collection of over 6,000 Alaska Native artifacts from across the state . NRHP $
NHLS = National Historic Landmark Site NRHP = National Register of Historic Places = Wheelchair Access $ = Admission Charge
Welcome ! Downtown Sitka is rich in history and attractions that share the culture of our community . With a mix of old and new , there is something for everyone in the walkable core of our town .
Sitka Fine Arts Campus , formerly Sheldon Jackson College , was founded in 1878 and was comprised of over 18 buildings . Today , it is home to year-round arts education programs for youth and adults . NHLS , NRHP
Sitka National Historical Park , Alaska ’ s oldest federal cultural and historical park , was designed in 1890 . This park preserves and interprets the 1804 battle site between the Tlingit Kiks . ádi and Russians . Haida and Tlingit totem poles from the early 1900s , as well as modern carved poles , are located in the visitor center and along the gravel pathway . NRHP
Alaska Raptor Center is a rehabilitation center for bald eagles and other birds of prey . The center aims to heal injured birds and release them back into the wild . $
Fortress of the Bear is a bear rescue center where resident brown and black bears roam in a naturalized setting . The visitor center allows you to view from above in a covered area or from ground level . $
Sitka National Cemetery , established in the late 19th century , is one of two National Cemeteries in Alaska that memorialize U . S . military veterans . NRHP
Sitka Russian Cemetery is over 200 years old and contains more than 1,600 graves , many marked with headstones made from the ballast of Russian ships .
Princess Maksoutoff ’ s Grave honors Princess Maria Maksoutoff , the Russian-born wife of the last Russian governor , Prince Dimitri Maksoutoff . After her death in 1881 , at the age of 36 , Princess Maksoutoff was returned to Sitka for burial .
Russian Blockhouse is a replica of the building that was once part of a fort wall that separated the Russian and Tlingit sections of Sitka after the Tlingit moved back to the area 20 years following the Battle of 1804 .
Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall ( Sitka Camp No . 1 ), c . 1914 , was built as a meeting place for the fight for Alaska Native rights , and the camp continues to be an important force in preserving Native heritage . NHLS , NRHP
Sheet ’ ka Kwaán Naa Kahidi Tribal Community House , home of the Naa Kahidi Native Dancers , was built in the style of a traditional Tlingit clan house on a site that once housed the Indian Government School .
Totem Square is an Alaska State Park area at the end of Lincoln St . This small park contains a 40-foot totem pole that displays the double-headed eagle of Sitka ’ s Russian heritage .
Sitka Pioneer Home was built in the 1930s on the site of wooden Russian barracks . Today , the building is an assisted living facility for 75 elderly Alaskans . A 13-foot bronze statue titled “ The Prospector ” graces the front of the building . NRHP
Hames P . E . Center is an athletic and wellness center offering daily memberships and class passes . $
Crescent Harbor Tender Dock
St . Gregory Catholic Church ( and Ave Maria Chapel , c . 1922 ), has offered Catholic masses in Sitka since 1867 .
O ’ Connell Bridge Dock
Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal
Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal is located 5 miles from downtown Sitka and hosts the majority of Sitka ’ s cruise ship traffic .
Shuttle service
• Free
• Departs every 15 minutes while ship is at the terminal
• Shuttle ride is 10-15 minutes
• Drop off and pick up at Harrigan Centennial Hall # 4
• Last shuttle leaves downtown Sitka 30 minutes prior to all aboard
Tour Information
= Summer Seasonal
Independent tours can be purchased by vendors located at Harrigan Centennial Hall .
Shore excursions purchased through the cruise line depart from either the terminal building or at Harrigan Centennial Hall . Be sure to carefully check your ticket for meeting times and locations .
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