Top 10 Things to do in Juneau, United States

Mendenhall Glacier is easily accessible via roads from the local airport, cruise ship terminal and state ferry terminal. Our facility and lands are managed by the federal government through the United States Forest Service. Federal passes are accepted and sold s well as daily passes. There is a visitor center with a theater showing a 15-minute film on Mendenhall Glacier, a bookstore operated by nonprofit organization Discovery Southeast, and exhibits on wildlife, history, and glacial and geological changes. Rangers provide talks at various indoor and outdoor sites in summer. Open hours in summer are daily 8am to 7:30pm. Due to wildlife and bears, no food is allowed outdoors from April-November. There is no beverage or food service available to prevent bears from becoming food-conditioned. Nearby Steep Creek is the spawning stream for wild sockeye salmon from late July through early September. Later in the fall, a run of coho salmon spawn in the creek. Porcupines can be seen foraging on leaves in deciduous trees. Beavers are visible early in the morning and in the evening. Learn about Alaska and the natural world around the glacier and lake. Enjoy a one-hour hike to 400-foot-tall Nugget Falls. Other trails lead to different habitats. In winter, the visitor center is open Friday-Sunday from 10am to 4pm and closed on federal holidays.

The Alaska State Museum located in the new state-of-the-art Fr. Andrew P. Kashevaroff (APK) in Juneau, presents a unique view of Alaska’s history and diverse cultures. Exhibits feature an expansive collection of Alaska Native materials, fine art, and objects relating to topics such as mining, fishing, forestry, tourism, Russian-American period, and World War II. The Science on a Sphere TM theater cycles through a variety of animated geographical programs showing Alaska’s place in the world. There is a discovery room, with a climb-aboard replica of an early sailing ship and fun activities for all ages. There is always something new to see in the changing temporary exhibitions. The special summer 2017 shows are "Decolonizing Alaska" – featuring the work of 30 artists addressing resilience, adaptation & cultural survival resulting from dominant forces such as colonization and climate change, and the "Grand Visions of the Great Land: Historic and contemporary Art from the Alaska State Museum Collection". Upstairs, visitors can also explore the State Library and Archives with Alaskana collections, newspapers and magazines, WiFi, and more. A small cafe on the first floor serves breakfast and lunch as well as coffee. In the summer we are open 9am-5pm daily. Come visit!

This brewery offers free tours and beer tasting.

Hiking trail beginning in downtown Juneau that is great for novices.

View the world renowned Flower Towers AND indulge your senses in the naturally stunning temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest (tour provided in cooperation with the United States Forest Service). Juneau's most colorful bright spot offers fully guided tours and self-guided walking paths for all types of nature enthusiasts. Your fully guided tour offers you a unique and fascinating garden experience that combines natural landscapes and non-native manicured gardens to create a dramatic contrast of colors and nature. Travel on board a guided tour through Juneau's temperate rainforest in covered vehicles while learning about native plant species such as Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock trees, devil's club, and skunk cabbage. No tour gives you easier access to the gorgeous Tongass atmosphere. The vast gardens are the creation of Steve and Cindy Bowhay and their family over the past 18 years. Your guide explain the Glacier Gardens story and tell you the unforgettable tale of the Flower Towers, which were named as America's Most Interesting Landmark in a 2012 Reader's Digest issue. Grab your map or join one of our driver guides as you venture into the rugged and unforgiving Tongass habitat where we, or your map, will explain about the history of this property and highlight the interesting characteristics of this rare temperate forest environment. Bright floral arrangements and elegantly designed landscapes complement the natural beauty of the towering temperate rainforest and the cascading waterfalls bubbling nearby. At the 580 ft level of our property you will find an amazing cliff-side panoramic viewpoint where the thick forest gives way to a sweeping view of Juneau, including views of the Mendenhall Valley, Gastineau Channel, Douglas Island, and the Chilkat Mountains. You return to the lower gardens where you can spend more time meandering the grounds and indulging in the Visitor's Center atrium filled with even more floral structures, such as the heart shaped impatience and hanging flower gardens - some petunias stretch to up to 12 feet long! The Visitor's Center features a live video feed from a camera aimed at an active bald eagles nest that is found on the property. You can find the feed online at our website as well. The Garden Gift Shop sells garden specific gifts like the wildflower-seed packets that you can plant at home, and the Garden Cafe serves espresso drinks, beverages, and light snacks and a must have blueberry hot chocolate.

The Macaulay Salmon Hatchery Visitor's Center offers a unique variety of attractions & a truly Alaskan experience! Get a birds-eye-view of our outdoor hatchery operations while a local guide shares with you the fascinating life cycle of an Alaskan salmon and the inner workings of the hatchery. During the months of May and June, you will have the opportunity to see juvenile salmon prior to their release. Adult salmon start returning in Late June and continue through October. Bald Eagles and seals frequent the hatchery and provide a fantastic wildlife viewing opportunity. Once inside, explore our salt water aquariums displaying over 150 species of marine life, including touch-tank aquariums where you will have the chance to physically interact with local sea animals. Venture through our gift-shop where we make it easy to ship wild Alaskan salmon anywhere in the United States. Wow your taste buds when you take the opportunity to taste a variety of salmon samples such as: king salmon dip, salmon caviar, salmon jerky, & canned salmon. A fun, affordable, & educational experience for the whole family!