We visited Sealaska Heritage, a Native nonprofit, in downtown Juneau. (It is easily accessible from…read morethe cruise terminal). The museum focuses on the story of Southeast Alaska's Native people that began 10,000 years ago and continues today. The centerpiece of the museum is a replica of a clan house, as well as exhibits with one-of a-kind Native art. Admission to the "Nathan Jackson Gallery Exhibit" was $7.00 for me; $5.00 for my elder (65+) husband (June, 2025). There is also a large shop with authentic, unique, and high-quality Native arts, as well as other souvenirs. Visits to the museum and purchases directly support Alaska Native artists, workshops, indigenous language revitalization, and cross-cultural programming. The building itself, as well as the tall totem poles outside, are photo-worthy. We have mixed feelings about our visit. It was confusing upon entering the building. The gift shop was on the left; museum on the right -- but it wasn't clear where to buy tickets for the museum. After buying the tickets in the gift shop, we proceeded to the museum. No staff were on-site. While well-maintained, it was quite small with only a few rooms -- the clan room/auditorium and rooms with individual art and artifacts. However, there was no context for the significance of these items to the Native cultures. Others have commented on the usefulness of on-site docents; unfortunately, this was not our experience. We're atreating our visit as a donation towards the objectives of the Institute; otherwise, the price of admission is high given the experience. As for free activities, it's definitely worth a visit to see the totem poles and to drop-in to the excellent gift shop.

This building stands out, so you cannot miss it if you are wandering around downtown Juneau. There…read moreis a very fine shop filled with quality Alaska carvings, art and artifacts. Well worth your perusal as it is a quality shop. The Nathan Jackson Gallery Exhibit is a collection of stories and art from the SE Alaskan native Americans. A very dignified docent takes you on a tour of a tribal meeting and living building, displays of native arts and historical video and slide shows. Cost is $7 for people aged 7 years old and up. Seniors are $4. You cannot enter without a paid ticket. Nothing is in depth, so it will not take you long to take it all in. But Alaska IS different from lower 48 cultures and peoples. Certainly this is well worth your time when you are passing through Juneau.

Small city museum located next to the Alaska State Capitol. After our Capitol tour we wanted to…read morecheck out the Capitol gift shop, which is located inside the museum, but decided to explore the museum as well. Admission is $6 per adult. There is a short film you can watch about the city. The exhibits are mainly centered around mining and the local tribes. We didn't stay very long as the exhibits had a lot of information and was not set up in a while that was easily read when browsing.

Nice museum located in downtown Juneau! The content of the museum covers much history for the…read moreJuneau and Douglas Island area and of course greater Alaska. Lots of information covering nearby industry for their community, historical figures that shaped and influenced much and so much more. The museum is modest in size (compared to the Alaska State Museum) but you can stay here for a very considerable amount of time as there is a lot read, a short film and all the artifacts to examine that are on display. Excellent museum for the tourists but the locals will walk away with plenty of value for themselves from it as well. Very friendly and informative staff which is always a good thing!

Such a cute store. Right up my alley. Natalie is an amazing artist and super sweet. No bad vibes to…read morebe seen here. A lot of local artists as well as artists hand picked by natalie. So many cute knick knacks including pins, magnets, stickers, books, postcards, clothes, jewelry and so much more!! If you're an artistry kind of soul or just open to all things funky and different this is your place. As an artist myself, I had to support this shop because it holds so many beautiful pieces handcrafted by women. I spent a decent amount but I got a whole bunch of good thangs including a book, a pin, earrings and a magnet! It's a hidden gem tucked away amongst all the other tourist traps. Come see it for yourself!

This is my absolute favorite shop in Juneau. Full of trinkets, treats, and threads, Natalie has…read morecurated a collection for lovers of anything colorful and whimsical. While some of the items are a little on the more expensive side, they are without a doubt, quality products. The cashiers have always been perfectly lovely and helpful. Overall, this store is a delight to visit even if only to window-shop.

Juneau Jazz & Classics is an annual festival of live, professional music in the beautiful Capital…read moreCity of Juneau, Alaska. Entering its 24th year, Juneau Jazz & Classics has drawn artists representing the best in classical, blues and jazz genres for concerts, education programs, and free events. Juneau Jazz & Classics takes place throughout Juneau - in auditoriums, schools, hotels, the University of Alaska Southeast campus, on board boats and even in an office building atrium. Over 6,000 individuals from near and far join us for our 10-day music celebration each May, experiencing everything from string quartets to well-recognized headliners.

An excellent museum, particularly impressive collection of native Alaskan art and artifacts.read more

Is your cruise ship docked in Juneau and it's a gray, cold, rainy day (very possible!)? A trip to…read morethe Alaska State Museum is a great way to spend some time and get out of the elements! That's the exact weather we were faced with and we found the museum about a 15 minute walk from the port. This was the largest museum we encountered on our Alaska cruise and one of the best. Lovely displays of native art and key moments of Alaska history. Nice lockers for all your cold weather/rain gear as well! Definitely worth a visit.

It's a quarterly scheduled evening event on the second floor by various artists providing…read moreentertainment, with an option for drinks, food provided by Rockwell below. A self-coat check with clothes hangers by the upstairs entrance. Abilities varied by artists skills, some are better than others. Come at least a half hour early to get a seat at a table if you wish to dine.

If you are in Juneau looking for a local shop selling unique artist made wares from apparel to…read moreplaying cards, snowboards and basketballs, this funky little shop is for you. The artist proprietor is generally in the shop. Designs are distinctly Native Alaskan and attend to tradition with classy contemporary flare. Look when you are being a tourist, do yourself and the community a favor - seek out the local artists. This is definitely my favorite shop in Juneau. Discovered Trickster last year on a cruise ship stop and sought it out again this year. It's a great place to buy something interesting and fun for yourself or as a gift for somebody else.

Small store with home decor, local artist work on art, jewelry and home items and Christmas items…read more Cool home decor in the beach theme like some gorgeous oyster shell serveware. I would have bought the set except I didn't want to lug it around the town then deal with stuffing it in my luggage on our cruise, and I'm too cheap to pay for shipping.

I don't think I am high maintenance, but sometimes it just turns out that way. On my recent…read moreAlaskan cruise, Juneau was our first port of call. And I was not prepared for the shopping insanity both on the ship and off. Imagine four cruise ships docking at once each carrying 2,000 people, many of whom seem born to shop. I am not. I was born to wander, sniff the flowers, take photographs, talk to locals and I very rarely buy anything on my travels. I'm not a fan of most tourist crap and didn't want to spend thousands on a Tanzanite cocktail ring. What is with all the jewelry shops? So I was just being a looky loo when I wandered into this store. And wow, they actually carried some interesting items. While every other store in Juneau, and most of the other ports, seemed to carry pretty much the same thing, this was different. I immediately zeroed in on some glass art which is my favorite thing to collect. But unlike every other store that has tourist discounts, things here were actually full price. And I hate paying retail so I walked out the door. Surely there would be more of the same at the next port. I was wrong. I looked for something similar at every other port and got more and more frustrated that I didn't just buy it when I had the chance. Fast forward a few weeks, and I can't get the piece out of my head. Thank goodness for the internet. And while they don't have a fully functional website, I was able to email the business and started corresponding with the owner. The funny part is that the artist I loved is actually based in Washington, not Alaska. The owner of the store was my intermediary and suggested we have the artist ship the piece from Washington to save some shipping costs. But the artist's studio was in the process of moving so it took about 10 back and forth (Where is it? When will it arrive?) emails before I finally received my precious. So if you are traveling through Alaska, I'd say if you see something you like here, buy it right away. Otherwise you might turn into a Class A nag.