Russian & Tlingit History
The capital of Russian America and a Tlingit homeland: an onion-domed cathedral, the hill where Alaska changed flags in 1867, the 1804 battle site in a totem forest and a civil-rights hall on pilings.
Sitka was Sheet'ká to the Tlingit long before the Russian-American Company arrived, and as New Archangel it was the capital of Russian America from 1808. Almost everything worth seeing sits on or just off Lincoln Street. St. Michael's Cathedral stands in the middle of the road three minutes from the shuttle stop, the Russian Bishop's House is a few minutes east, and Castle Hill, where the flags changed on October 18, 1867, is up a short stair. The mile-long totem trail at Sitka National Historical Park begins about 20 minutes' walk east. The Sheldon Jackson Museum was closed in 2026 for renovation and was due to reopen around December 1.
Sitka history, and where to see it
The best reading online about Sitka's past, each beside the places and tours that bring it to life. Articles open on the original site.
Russian Bishop's House
Finnish laborers brought in by the Russian-American Company built this house in 1841-43 for Ivan Veniaminov, the first Bishop of Alaska, later canonized as St. Innocent. Its upper floor held a chapel and the bishop's rooms; the ground floor was later a print shop and an inn. The Park Service acquired it in 1973.
Read on en.wikipedia.org ↗See it in Sitka
Russian Bishop's House4 min walk from the docks
Sitka's private cruise dock
Chris McGraw built a deep-water dock north of town on the former Old Sitka Dock site in 2011. Once big ships could tie up instead of anchoring, passenger numbers climbed sharply from 2022.
Read on kcaw.org ↗See it in Sitka
Small-Group Scenic TourTour · 2 hoursSummaries are ours. Tour links go to our listings, where you can book with partners. Book links are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Sitka Times earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
Walking map: the shuttle stop and downtown Sitka
The free shuttle from the cruise terminal stops at Harrigan Centennial Hall on Harbor Drive, and tenders land at Crescent Harbor beside it. St. Michael's Cathedral and Castle Hill are a few minutes west along Lincoln Street, the Russian Bishop's House is a few minutes east, and the totem trail in Sitka National Historical Park is about 15 to 20 minutes on foot at the east end of the street.
Map: USGS elevation; streets and buildings © OpenStreetMap contributors.
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