Sheldon Jackson Museum

The majority of the museum’s collections were gathered by the museum’s founder, Reverend Sheldon Jackson, a Presbyterian missionary, during his travels in rural Alaska and Siberia in the late 1800s. The compact, octagonal exhibition space holds a treasure trove of hunting and fishing tools, toys, masks, clothing, and totems. In the gift shop, you'll find works by Native Alaskan artists, including carvings, baskets, and jewelry, as well as books about Alaska’s Indigenous cultures.

• The museum is a must-see for visitors interested in Alaska Native history and culture.

• An entry fee is required to visit the museum, but admission is free for visitors under 18.

• The building is wheelchair accessible.

Sitka is located on Baranof Island, on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage near Juneau. The city can only be reached by air or sea; a daily air service is available via Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Seattle. The Sheldon Jackson Museum is just east of Sitka’s main city center, about a 15-minute walk from Totem Square and the Baranof Castle State Historic Site.

The museum is usually open daily during the summer months, but may be closed for select days of the week during the other months of the year. It features film screenings and special events, so check the museum’s calendar ahead of your visit.

Once the capital of Russian America, Sitka has a number of landmarks highlighting Alaska’s Russian heritage. Don’t miss St. Michael’s Cathedral, the first Russian church built in America, or Baranof Castle State Historic Site, where the transfer of power from the Alaska Purchase took place in 1876. Learn about the battle between the Russian traders and the Indigenous Tlingit people at the Sitka National Historical Park, and visit injured bald eagles and other birds of prey at the Alaska Raptor Center.