It's the museum inside Harrigan Centennial Hall. It's small, but mighty. The historical society has…read moredone a great job in preserving Sitka's history. I never really thought much about how the Russian Orthodox Church influenced Alaska until walking through many of the historical sights in town. This museum ties it all together with artifacts recovered from the area (including shipwrecks), as well as donated items from Alaskan native & pioneer families that were passed down from generations. The captain's journal from the USS Ossipee bears witness to the Alaska Purchase ceremony. The otter gut parka (or kamleika) was another interesting find. The Alaskan native people invented & designed these waterproof outer garments for hunting and fishing. The ship's bell that is believed to be from a Russian American vessel (called the "Neva") caught my attention as well. There is an admission fee of $5. I'd say it's worth it. The older woman at the entrance was so friendly and cheerful. She made me laugh a couple of times just hearing the stories she'd tell to other tourists. She apparently sees brown bears around her house daily. No need for a tour... Lol! What a cool lady! Ask her anything, and I assure you that it will brighten up your day.

I am so glad I stumbled on this place. I learned a lot from this place, and the staff, especially…read morethe older female employees, was so nice and helpful. Don't miss this place it's only $5 and very worth it!! If this review helped you at all, please mark as helpful and follow me for more around the world.

Honestly, it's better for families with young children. The main attraction is the touch tanks full…read moreof sea stars, sea anemones & urchins, sea cucumbers, sea snails, and more. They advise you to use a short & gentle 2 finger touch. I didn't touch any of them. Lol! I was just happy to see these colorful creatures walking all over their tank. As you enter, you'll see a large orca skeleton hanging over the tanks. I didn't get a picture of it, but you can see it in the reflection off the touch tanks in some of the videos. I enjoyed seeing the grouchy looking sculpin, as well as the sweet wolf eel named Wanda. She's actually quite adorable until she shows her teeth. What's interesting is that she's not really an eel. She's a fish. She came out of her home to greet me. How sweet! It was also cool to see the colorful rockfish. There's more, but I won't ruin it for you. We didn't get to see the salmon hatchery. We were too early for salmon spawning season. It's a better value to wait until the summer months to see it. The admission price was higher than what has previously been mentioned in reviews. It didn't come with a tour. They offer a behind the scenes tour for an additional charge. The proceeds help to maintain the facilities and programs. Would I visit the aquarium again? Probably not. It's a one-time experience for me. There's a gift shop next door that also houses Ludvig's Chowder Cart. The buildings are located on Sage Beach near the Sea Walk trail. It's a beautiful area!

Gift shop has an excellent clam chowder (Ludwig's Chowder) made with finely chopped chorizo sausage…read morefor a slight kick. Well worth a visit for a cup or bowl. The accompanying bread was also excellent.

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 library plus art museum in one. I often check out the local artist and their displays…read morewhen visiting Sitka. Bonus, even though I live in anchorage, my card works here. I can return the books in my home town and they shuffle them for free. Love that

"You can tell a lot about a society by how they maintain their libraries" -me (maybe?)…read more I don't know what it is about Southeast, but...boy howdy...do they have INCREDIBLE libraries! Speaking specifically about this one (and also the one in Juneau) they are: - Well-maintained - Have massive bay windows - Are situated with incredible views - Are walkable from downtown - Have awesome internet (often better than ANY business in town, and especially your dial-up-speed hotel Wi-Fi) that they ENCOURAGE you to use, even after hours in their... - Large vestibules! That's right, even when the library is closed, the usually have a big, heated vestibule where you can tap into some speedy WiFi (and if you don't have Verizon, you may need it) A special shoutout goes to the kids area which has gorgeous dinosaurs hanging from the ceiling, crafted out of broken glass! I could live in here, definitely worth a visit!

You can't ask for a more peaceful experience than this lush rainforest steeped in the Russian…read morehistory of Sitka. What to expect? Beautiful mossy headstones and a rainforest atmosphere all within two blocks of the Main Street in Sitka. I always find it so interesting to see how different cultures decorate and organize cemeteries and this spot is no exception. Fingers crossed you'll have the whole place to yourself because it's so peaceful and special.

Best walking tour. We really enjoyed the tour and the guide. He is very knowledgeable and…read moreinteresting. We got to see the area in a way that made us want to see more of the places along the route.

From the owner: Guided walking tours of Sitka, Alaska. Perfect Experience of Sitka.read more