The 10 Best Historic Sites in Alaska, United States

This church was founded in the 1840's resultant from the Russian-American Co. bringing Governor Etolen to Sitka with his Lutheran wife precipitatin the building simultaneously of the Russian Orthodox Catheral of St. Michael as well as Sitka Lutheran Church directly across the street. It was the first Lutheran church and pipe organ on the west coast of America.

Alaskan native culture is presented through storytelling, dancing, craft-making and simulated, life-sized villages representing each of the five main indigenous groups.

An 800-mile pipeline delivering oil from Prudoe Bay to Valdez.

A house museum that once belonged to a Swedish butcher.

The Totem Heritage Center was established in 1976 to house and preserve endangered 19th century totem poles retrieved from uninhabited Tlingit and Haida village sites near Ketchikan and to preserve and promote Native artistic and cultural traditions through traditional classes. The Center is home to 33 authentic poles, numerous historic images, and Native art works. Educational and interpretive tours are available.

Located within the Sitka National Historical Park, this is one of the last surviving examples of Russian colonial architecture in North America.

The main cabin, which contains the gift shop, and the assay building at Indian Valley Mine has some of the oldest structures built on the Turnagain Arm, and are listed as a National Historic Site. Indian Valley Mine offers visitors the opportunity to learn gold panning and browse through two historic cabins built in the early 1900's a small museum and gift shop, or simply sit back on one of our benches and take in the panoramic view of the Turnagain Arm.

Chicken Gold Camp & Outpost (CGC), an RV park and campground which includes a historic bucket line gold dredge listed as a National Historic Site, is located in the center of the small, wilderness community of Chicken Alaska. In addition to the 70 sites (20 or 30 amp) which have picnic tables and fire rings, there is a water fill-up station, dump station and clean showers. CGC also provides cabins and rooms with various combinations of single to king beds. There is a restaurant, serving home made entries, wood-fired pizza, beer and wine, and an espresso bar serving fine Alaska roasted coffee, smoothies/frosts and hand-dipped ice cream. CGC also offers an excellent gift store and gallery showcasing Alaska and Yukon native art & crafts as well as Chicken-themed items, a wide selection of jewelry, pottery, clothing, hand-made knives, ulus, prints and original paintings, collectables, etc. Daily tours of the Pedro dredge and the accompanying historical gold mining display are provided. CGC has also been one of the few places in Alaska to offer recreational gold mining (from gold panning to suction dredging), including equipment rentals and free instruction. Gold panning and free lessons are offered on location at stand up troughs. FREE WiFi is provided throughout the park, on the decks and in the restaurant. FREE firewood is included with camping. Kayak rentals are available for use on the nearby Fortymile Wild & Scenic River.