10 Things To Do and See in Sitka, Alaska

Sitka, Alaska was one of my favorite ports of calls during our Alaskan Cruise.  I loved the city!  If your large cruise ship calls on Sitka, you will either be tendered into town or docked at the Old Sitka Dock, located about 5 miles north of town.  We were docked at the Old Sitka Dock and caught one of the free shuttle buses into town.  The shuttle bus dropped us off and picked us up at the Harringan Centennial Hall/Visitor’s Center.  We did not book any excursions in Sitka and were excited to spend our whole day exploring the city.

When we got into town we walked to the Sitka National Historical Park (1) admiring the boats in the harbor along our way. The park is the oldest national park unit in Alaska.

Once at the park (free admission), we walked on well-maintained trails that wind through a temperate rainforest environment, along the beach of Sitka Sound and the banks of the Indian River.  All along the trails are 18 totem poles on display.  Each totem pole is different, unique and beautiful!  Also keep an eye out for wildlife, we experienced a bald eagle perched in a tree above one of the trails and the eagle allowed visitors to walk right underneath him.  For more information about the park, visit the NPS website here.  

 

After the park, we stopped at the Sitka Sound Science Center (2).  This science center has a couple small aquariums in the wall and a skeleton of an Orca, but the focal point is the large touch tanks!  S loves sea creatures so for her to get to touch starfish, sea cucumbers, urchins, anemone, and more was worth the price of admission ($5 each).  The staff at the touch tanks was very knowledgeable and talked with us about the different sea life.  

Then we did a self guided walking tour, stopping for lunch along the way at the Homeport Eatery.  Homeport Eatery is a food court concept with a deli, bakery co-op, crepe & juice stand, appetizer plates, and beer & wine.  We enjoyed all the food that we ate and even went back to sample the local beer.

(3) St. Peter’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church – On Lincoln Street

Alaska’s first Episcopal Bishop, Peter Trimble Rowe, built this beautiful little church with a crew of 12 in 1899.  I loved all the flowers that were in bloom around the church too!

 (4) Russian Bishop House (first floor free) – 105 Lincoln Street 

This is one of only four surviving buildings from the Russian colonial era, and the only one restored to its original appearance. On the first floor of the museum the “Possession Plaque” (a reproduction) is in a display cabinet.  This possession plaque was one of several buried by Russia on Alaska’s coast, this plaque formally marked Russia’s claim.  However, this is the only plaque that was ever found; the original is the single most valuable artifact of Russian-Alaska.

 (5) Building 29 – 206 Lincoln Street

Currently the Log Cache, also known as the Tilson Building, is one of the few structures surviving from the Russian era of Alaska History.  Built in 1835, it is listed with the National Historic Landmarks. Spruce logs, sawdust insulation system and heavy squared beams support the structure.

(6) St. Michael’s Cathedral – 240 Lincoln Street

The original St. Michael’s Cathedral burned in the 1960s however most of the relics were saved.  You can visit the church to see many of the original art pieces, icons, and religious objects that were saved or salvaged from the fire and are displayed inside the new structure.  A donation is requested.

 (7) Russian Blockhouse – This replica does stand on the site of an original blockhouse, which was incorporated into a stockade wall surrounding the landward side of Sitka.  What the Russians feared most was the very Tlingit whom they had dislocated in 1804. In about 1820, the Russians decided the Tlingit could rebuild their village in Sitka just outside the stockade wall below this blockhouse. The Tlingit built their long clan houses in a row along the beach, and used the upper part of the hill as a cemetery. The blockhouse still marks a clear social boundary in Sitka.

 

(8) Princess Maksoutoff’s Grave – Located next to the Russian Blockhouse in the Lutheran cemetery is Princess Maksoutoff”s Grave.  She was the first wife of Alaska’s last Russian American governor, Dimitrii Maksoutoff.  Her grave is marked with a white picket fence.  

(9)  Baranof Castle Hill State Historic Site – Towards the end of Lincoln Street, climb the steps to Castle Hill.  This historic site was once the site of Tlingit and Russian forts.  It is also the location where the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag was raised when Alaska was transferred in 1867.   When Alaska was admitted as the 49th state, the first 49 star US flag in Alaska was raised here.  There’s not much left of this important site but the view is the best in town.  

 After climbing up Castle Hill, we were hot and in need of a refreshment, we had read about Harry Race Pharmacy and Soda Fountain (10)  at 106 Lincoln Street and thought that an ice cream sounded awesome.  Especially since I had never been to a soda fountain before.  There was only one person working the Soda Fountain, so it did take a little bit,  however the customer service was great and the ice cream was delicious.   

We finished our time off in Sitka with a little bit of shopping and then headed back to catch the shuttle to our cruise ship.  It is sad to me that Disney Cruise Line is only visiting Sitka once during the 2014 summer cruise season and does not plan to stop in Sitka during the 2015 summer cruise season.  We had a wonderful time in Sitka!