As expected, Sitka has lots of shops with the standard tourist junk. So we were particularly happy…read moreto find this gem. Beautiful art, friendly welcome, and a wide variety of genres. Definitely worth a visit!

I bought an original art bookmark here created by Norman Campbell. Every time I look at it, it…read moremakes me smile. It's gorgeous. I also loved the woodblock prints I saw here and the tea towels. It is a beautiful collective. I wish I had had more room in my suitcase.

The museum was really interesting. From my understanding the Sheldon Jackson Museum has the largest…read morecollection of Native Alaskan artifacts. The two ladies running the front desk were very knowledgeable and passionate. I enjoyed my visit and really enjoyed learning about the fish skin sewing.

Great place to learn the history of Sitka.. they also have a great number of artifacts. It cost…read moreabout $7 to get in and if you spent your time reading and viewing each item you can easily spend a hour or more in there.

Great Christmas gift shop…read more I should not have taken my wife in. People are great and they have some good sales.

Absolutely gorgeous artwork can be found in this Russian centric Christmas shop. From stackable…read moredolls to ornate statues and hand painted bulbs and the list goes on and on. My only gripe about this business is the price which seems quite high and clearly is going after the visiting tourists. I am not an expert on price when it comes to this type of work but I clearly recognize beauty and craftsmanship when I see it and the merchandise they sell at this business oozes it! This is a must visit if you are a collector of fine Christmas ornamates and if you can afford it you will find yourself in Nirvana (:

This is a fabulous little store in the heart of downtown Sitka and I would have taken pics but…read morenumerous signs throughout warned that photography was not allowed. Still, they have an impressive selection of matryoshka dolls in all sizes and price ranges, plus assorted local trinkets and souvenirs - basically a good place to find whatever sort of Alaska memory you're looking for to remember your trip by. They also had a nice sale rack in the back where I found 1/2 price matryoshka dolls. It was hard to resist not buying one at such a good price!

This is a great shop! The owners are Russian and they have an awesome selection of Russian…read moresouvenirs for every budget. I wanted to buy my daughter a nesting doll (matryoshka), and they had soooo many to choose from. I found her one on a sale rack. I also got myself a beautiful cross from Russia to add to my collection of crosses. I am kicking myself, however, for not getting the fur hat. They had several and they cost about $75-85 bucks, but would have been such a cool souvenir to have during the winter time here. Even though it doesn't get THAT cold in Paso Robles, they looked really fun. I won't pass up the opportunity next time! Save your shopping dollars in Alaska for this place. Really cool stuff.

Visitors from cruise line's are bused in to a Visitors Center. Another unique gallery within…read morewalking distance from the Center. This gallery features 5 local artists and shows books, painted rocks, paintings, fabric baskets, jewelry and home decor items. A pleasant owner will answer questions and offer insight into the pieces of work.

St Michael's Cathedral church has a long history in Sitka. Unfortunately, they open at noon and I…read moredidn't get a chance to go in and check it out. This is a must visit. It is an iconic Russian Orthodox Church. There is a plague outside talking about the history of the church. It is located in the central downtown loop.

We had to hurry because for some reason the priest decided to close the church earlier than the…read moretimes listed. We only had a few minutes to quickly look at the inside before he closed the church. It was a shame because we would have liked more time to spend seeing this iconic Russian Orthodox Church. You can admire the church unique architecture for free from the outside, but there is a fee to see the inside. What is interesting is that before Alaska became the 49th of the United States, it was colonized by Russia. The original church, designed by Bishop Innocent himself, was built between 1844 and 1848 out of spruce timber and sailcloth for insulation. As it was the first on the continent, St. Michael's was the seat of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of North America. It was the largest building in Alaska at that time. Liturgies are predominantly in English, but hymns are sung in Tlingit; Aleut; Yupik; and Slavonic, the language of Russian Orthodox services, as well. Sadly, the original building caught fire in 1966 and burnt to the ground. The townspeople collected what artifacts they could of the demolished church, including precious icons. These were put on display in the new St. Michael's, an exact replica of the original with some modern updates. The walls of St. Michael's are still lined with sailcloth in memory of both the original church and those who have lost their lives at sea.

We were on the Norwegian Spirits and it docked at Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal. There is a shuttle…read morebus arranged to take tourists to downtown. The ride is about 10 mins long and no reservations are required. At the terminal, there are food trucks, restaurants and souvenirs shops.

This is a relatively new cruise terminal privately built but not very close to town in walking…read moredistance. There are complimentary shuttles for passengers to get into town with a 10 minute drive along the coastline. The bus drivers give a brief narration of the town which was just enough to get us excited for the day. The cruise terminal seems to only accommodate one ship at a time as it has only a small pier. At the exit, there are food trucks and a few shops with one large restaurant. There is security past the pier but before the shops and the shuttle busses. Very easy to navigate but to see the town in Sitka, you must take the shuttles.

The largest and cheapest thrift store in Sitka. You must have some time to look around for what…read moreyou want. The store it is generally separated in categories, but it is not perfectly organize. It is the perfect thrift store to spend some time looking for good and fun things. I like it a lot.