In the heart of downtown Sitka, perched on an oceanfront seawall, with a working harbor buzzing next door, Harrigan Centennial Hall hosts a local treasure. The Sitka History Museum, newly reimagined and rebuilt from the ground up, awaits visitors inside to tell the story of this place.
“It’s a great first stop for tourists,” says Hal Spackman, executive director of the Sitka Historical Society and Sitka History Museum. “It’s a way
to understand Sitka’s history, its past. You see
what shaped Sitka.”
With 20,000 artifacts and over 30,000 photographs to select from, the museum’s staff is challenged with deciding what to include on exhibit and what to keep archived. The museum’s first temporary exhibit on World War II in Sitka was so popular that it continued to be shown past its scheduled rotation. Future temporary exhibits could cover many topics from shipwrecks to stories from Native people.
The permanent exhibits give visitors a thorough look at Sitka’s past. “The museum leads visitors through
a very informative tour of Sitka’s history, going all the way back to the first people, then Russian times, then the American purchase, then even more modern times. It gives you a nice primer to Sitka’s history,” says Hal.
Visit for the historical stories, but prepare to be amazed by artifacts that include a Chilkat robe made entirely out of copper, fragments from Vitus Bering’s ship Saint Peter, artifacts from the Sheldon Jackson mission school, journals, letters, tools and historic, original art.
Stop by the museum’s small store or visit with artists in residence during your visit. Learn more about the collection and Sitka at: sitkahistory.com
Our stories tell of all the people of Sitka."
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A Look into Sitka's Past
ACTIVITIES
SITKA HISTORY MUSEUM
VISIT SITKA MAGAZINE
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