Petersburg is known as “Alaska’s Little Norway,” and the town takes it’s heritage seriously. Like many waterfront towns, the economy is based on tourism and fishing. The town lies south of the capital of Juneau, but like most most southeast Alaska towns, can only be accessed by air or sea. Visit this tiny town in Alaska to learn about the Norwegian immigrant history of the area, eat the freshest catch, and enjoy the stunning southeast views across the sea.
This seaside town sits on the north end of Mitkof Island in southeast Alaska's Inside Passage, and as a result the weather is mild, cool and rainy year round.
Indigenous people have visited in this beautiful place since time immemorial. Tlingits from Kupreanof Island had a summer fish camp at the north end of the Island and petroglyphs were found carbon-dated to 1,000 years old.
The town was founded by the Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann in 1910 and is known for its strong Norwegian traditions. It was named after the founder.
Still a fishing town, they process over a million pounds of fish and shellfish a year and are the 15th-most lucrative fisheries port in the United States by volume.
Norwegian Constitution Day is a major celebration called "Mayfest," held in late May. It is a huge celebration with four days of festivities. It is a said to be a larger celebration than in any other Norwegian-American settlement or community.
