Things to do in  Sitka

At Fortress of the Bear, it’s all in the name: Black and brown bears are the main attraction at this wildlife rescue site in Sitka. Here, animals that are unable to return to the wild have free access to playgrounds and open space to roam. It’s one of the best places in Alaska to safely see a black bear or grizzly from a short distance away.

Created in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka between the native Tlingit people and the Russian colonists, the Sitka National Historical Park is Alaska’s oldest cultural and historic park. Highlights include the traditional totem poles that line the trails throughout the grounds, and the Russian Bishop’s House, one of the few remaining examples of Russian colonial architecture.

What started out as an effort to save one injured bald eagle in a Sitka local’s backyard, the Alaska Raptor Center is now the state's largest bird center, rehabilitating between 100 to 200 eagles, falcons, owls, and other birds of prey each year. Visitors are drawn to the center to see raptors up close, hear their stories, and watch them relearn how to fly.

Built during the peak of Russian colonialism in the region in 1842, the Russian Bishop’s House was once the center of Russian North American religion, culture, and education. Now a museum and historic landmark, the Russian Bishop’s House provides an opportunity to learn about life in Sitka during the Russian-American era.

Located on land near the waters of Alaska’s Sitka Sound, with mountain slopes as a backdrop, the Sitka Sound Science Center is as incredible inside as it looks from the outside. Its aquarium is full of must-see exhibits, such as an 800-gallon tank with Alaskan sea life and an on-site salmon hatchery. The center is housed in a historic building.

Constructed in the 1840s while Alaska was under Russian rule, St. Michael’s Cathedral was once the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America. Sadly, the church caught fire in 1966, but the townspeople salvaged what they could of the church and rebuilt an exact replica. Today, the landmark houses an important collection of Russian Orthodox art and church artifacts.

Set on the campus of the former Sheldon Jackson College in downtown Sitka, the Sheldon Jackson Museum is dedicated to Alaska's cultural history and is one of the oldest museums in the state. An extensive collection of Native artifacts provides insight into the history of Aleut and Alutiiq, Athabascan, Inupiat and Yup'ik, and Northwest Coast cultures, and highlights include a full-size Tlingit dugout canoe and argillite carvings.

Located on the western coast of Baranof Island, Sitka is a popular stop on cruises of Alaska’s Inside Passage. The region boasts a rich Tlingit native culture combined with Russian settlement history. Sitka is also home to one of Alaska’s most impressive raptor rehabilitation centers and a refuge for orphaned bears.

Commonly known as Castle Hill, the Baranof Castle State Historical Site commemorates the location of the formal transfer of Russian Alaska to the United States in 1867. Once a Tlingit Native fortification site and a Russian military outpost, this small hill overlooking Sitka Harbor also marks the spot where the United States flag was first raised after Alaska became a state in 1959.

The Sitka History Museum (previously known as the Isabel Miller Museum) is Sitka’s most comprehensive museum. Exhibits cover all areas of Sitka history, from the original Tlingit culture and the first European explorers to the Russian occupation and the sale of Alaska to the United States in 1867. The museum also features exhibits on mining, logging, and fishing—important industries in Sitka today.