Sitka Sound Science Center
Hands-on marine science center in a historic mill building, with touch tanks, an aquarium and a working salmon hatchery.
By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026
Hands-on marine science center in a historic mill building, with touch tanks, an aquarium and a working salmon hatchery.
Highlights
- More than 200 species and three touch tanks
- Hatchery built by students in 1972, the first permitted hatchery in Alaska
- Aquarium opened in 2005; the center itself was founded in 2007
- Gift shop in the historic Mill building
- Ludvig's chowder cart operates on site in summer
Facts checked October 19, 2026 with sitkascience.org, sitkascience.org, en.wikipedia.org. Hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Hours and admission →More in Wildlife & Sea Life
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Fortress of the Bear
Non-profit rescue for orphaned brown and black bears, housed in old pulp-mill tanks east of town.
Round out your day
Beak Restaurant
Walk-in restaurant at the foot of Lincoln Street that runs without gratuities; any tips left are passed on to charity.
Halibut Point Crab & Chowder
Seafood counter inside the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal with a live crab tank, handy for passengers who would rather not leave the dock.
Russian American Company
Lower Lincoln Street importer of Russian folk art and collectables, working directly with its artists.