The majority of the museum’s collections were gathered by the museum’s founder, Reverend Sheldon Jackson, a Presbyterian missionary, during his travels in rural Alaska and Siberia in the late-1800s. This small yet comprehensive museum features a treasure trove of hunting and fishing tools, toys, masks, clothing, and totems. The museum gift shop features items by Native Alaskan artists including carvings, baskets, and jewelry, as well as books about Alaska’s native cultures.
Sitka is located on Baranof Island, on the outer coast of Alaska’s Inside Passage near Juneau. The city can only be reached by air or sea; a daily air service is available via Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Seattle. The Sheldon Jackson Museum is located just east of Sitka’s main city center, about a 15-minute walk from Totem Square and the Baranof Castle State Historic Site.
The museum is usually open daily during the summer months, but may be closed for select days of the week during the other months of the year. The museum features film screenings and special events, so check the museum’s events calendar prior to your visit.
Once the capital of Russian America, many of Sitka’s top attractions highlight Alaska’s Russian heritage. Don’t miss St. Michael’s Cathedral, the first Russian church built in America; and Baranof Castle State Historic Site, the site where the Alaska Purchase was signed in 1876. Learn about the battle between the Russian traders and the indigenous Tlingit people at the Sitka National Historical Park, and visit injured bald eagles and other birds of prey at the Alaska Raptor Center.
