The One Small Town In Alaska With More Historic Buildings Than Any Other

Sitka National Historical Park is a beautiful park dedicated to the history of the native peoples of the area. This 107-acre park is filled with incredible works of art, including Haida and Tlingit totem poles that were moved there from the Louisiana Exposition in St. Louis in 1904. Don't forget to visit the museum, and the many walking trails around the area.

Castle Hill, also known as the Baranof Castle State Historic Site, was erected in 1837. It's a National Historic Landmark and a beautiful state park. The original building burned down in 1898. A new building was constructed, but in 1955 was also torn down. It now functions as a public green space with gorgeous views. After the Alaska Purchase was negotiated in 1867, Russian Alaska was formally transferred to the United States in a public ceremony held on the top of Castle Hill. While the landmark is just a rock outcrop 60 feet tall, it's in a prominent position on the edge of Sitka Harbor and worth visiting the next time you're in Sitka!

Constructed in 1852, this vernacular log building covered in siding was the seat of Sitka's first years as a seat of government in Alaska. The Russian American Company built this building, one of the few structures that bear witness to Russian colonial ventures in present-day U.S. territory. It is now a National Historic Landmark, and visitors can visit the building. Make sure to look at the exterior log wall, which displays the original hand-hewn logs, nails, and identification markings.

Built between 1844 and 1848, this outstanding example of Russian church architecture was the largest and most imposing religious edifice in Alaska until well into the 20th century. The original St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral was built with local logs and clapboard siding. The present structure you see when visiting was built in 1966, constructed after the original had burned to the ground.

This Russian Block House is a replica of a traditional Russian blockhouse. It was erected to symbolize Russia's role in Alaska's history. Erected in the 1960s, it replaced a previous one built in the 1920s. The Russians originally built a capital D-shaped five-sided blockhouse on this site facing outwards to Sitka Channel. This blockhouse overlooked the gate between the Russian outpost and the adjacent Tlingit village but was removed after the 1867 transfer of Alaska from Russia to America.

Located behind the Pioneer Home in Sitka, the grave of Princess Maksoutoff is surrounded by a white picket fence. She was the first wife of Alaska’s last Russian American governor, Dimitrii Maksoutoff, and died soon after arriving in Alaska.