Serving as the capital of Alaska since 1906, Juneau overlooks the Gastineau Channel in the state’s south-east. It was named after the French Canadian gold prospector, Joe Juneau, although it’s known by the indigenous Tlingit people as “Dzántik'i Héeni”. As a United States capital, Juneau is unique in that it is not connected by road to the rest of Alaska.
Things to do in Juneau
Exhibits exploring the region’s natural and cultural heritage can be found at the Alaska State Museum, which occupies a building named after its first curator, Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff. Get up close to artefacts from the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples, as well as objects dating from the Russian colonial era. Contemporary artworks, vintage whaling equipment and gold rush memorabilia are also on display.
Juneau is home to the oldest continuously-used church in the Inside Passage, the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, which was built by Tlingit people and Serbian miners in 1893. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s topped by a small onion dome and houses a gift shop selling handcrafted Russian goods.
A short drive from downtown Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier, which forms part of the Tongass National Forest. At the visitor’s centre, you’ll find exhibits about glaciology and an observatory, as well as platforms for observing salmon and black bears hunting along Steep Creek. Hiking trails wind along the edge of the glacier, where you can watch icebergs calving into Mendenhall Lake.
Getting around Juneau
Juneau International Airport is a 10-minute drive from the downtown area and has flights to destinations across North America. Regular ferries connect to Juneau and buses travel throughout the city. Downtown Juneau can easily be accessed on foot while renting a car is the most convenient way of getting around the area.