I love reading so I stopped in at the library while in town on a cruise. They have a great…read moreselection of books both new and older. Wi-Fi is free, one hour duration. There are several computers available for use if you don't have one. There's a nice children's section. They also have a table in the lobby/foyer with used books and other items you can purchase to support the library. Books are only $0.50. Librarian was nice, friendly, and helpful. The bus stops in front of the library. Very smart planning by the city. So if you don't have a car you can take it here.

If you time your visit correctly, there are free guided tours during the work week at 1:30 PM and…read more3PM from June 1 to September 24. They last about an hour, and you sign up the day of in the lobby. The docent we had was very interested in the art and paintings hanging in the hallways of the capitol building, and so the tour was mostly art focused, fine by me. If you can't make the guided tour times or can't spare the full 60 minutes, there are self guided audio tours as well as printed brochures to help point out areas of interest. If you're a free spirit, you can just wander the halls as you please. While there are people working in the building, the staff don't mind as long as you aren't disturbing anyone. There are metal detectors and X-ray tunnels for your personal belongings at the entrance, but they weren't being used the day I visited. Neat stop.

This is the smallest state capitol of US. The place is a short walking distance from the cruise…read moreterminal and the visitor center. They offer free tours of the building and is a great learning experience especially for tourists. There is a small gift shop for souvenirs. A great spot to take the picture is from the small park overlooking the statue of William Henry Seward.

Go visit Tahku! This beautiful whale statue is located in Overstreet Park. There are other…read moreamenities offered in the park, including a rent-able covered shelter, seating area & courtyard, interpretive displays, washrooms, and stairs down to the beach/intertidal zone. There were a bunch of gulls congregating on the beach, and so I'm sure there was a lot of food for them down there. I was too intimidated to go investigate further. There's a seawalk too, where you can bring binoculars to look for wildlife, including real whales when they migrate down Gastineau channel. The seawalk also features totem poles and signs explaining what the significance of each are. It's walkable from downtown and the cruise ship docks, so if you want to stretch your legs, this would be a worthy destination to visit.

During a recent Alaskan cruise, my wife & I walked here from our ship. It's about a mile from the…read moredock, along the water, so it's a very scenic saunter. When you get here, you will want to wait for the fountains to sprout. Then, when you take your picture in front of the fountain, it looks like the whale is breaching behind you. Fool your friends and family! Seriously, the fountains will go for a while, so all the tourists will have their chance to take the photo.

The downtown area is walkable, with plenty of shops, eateries, and a public library. Spend a…read morepleasant afternoon in the comfort of laid-back Juneau.

The Port of Juneau is a popular, large cruise ship port with a few piers where the cruise ships…read moredock or possibly tender. The tender option is a pain! The 3 main docks are AS, CT, and FKL docks and are located in the heart of downtown Juneau and these docks are a quick walk into the middle of town with all the shops, restaurants, and excursions. The AJ Dock is a bit further out, about a mile south of downtown. It's a 15-25 minute walk, but most folks hop on the free shuttle that runs regularly between the AJ Dock and the downtown cruise terminal. Once you get to the downtown area, most of the food and shopping is within walking distance. If you want to venture out a bit further, taxis and ride shares are available, although they can be limited during peak cruise season.

What can I say about Juneau that hasn't already been said? We know that it's Alaska's state…read morecapital. That's a given. What I thought was interesting is that you can't actually get to it by roadway. You can drive to Alaska, but at some point you will need to drive your car onto a ferry. Juneau is only accessible by air, or by water. With that said, it's a great city to visit by cruise ship. There's so much to do here for nature lovers and outdoorsy people. There are lots of shops, restaurants, bars, and museums that don't require a tour. The Goldbelt Tram tickets can be purchased in town if you want to explore Mount Roberts. Otherwise, there are tours that can be booked for glaciers, hatcheries, whale watching, dog sledding, fishing, and hiking. There are seaplane tours. We personally had a great time just watching them take off and land in the channel. We didn't get to stay too long. We had a whole morning to explore the city before heading to Dawes Glacier that afternoon. I was shocked that we didn't experience any rain that day. It was a beautiful and sunny day in Juneau. It's a very walkable town that I'd love to visit again.

3.5 stars I came in…read morevia the cruise port. Since my ship was the first of the season (too early by some peoples' opinions), the downtown area wasn't too crowded. I thought downtown is really cute and easy to walk around. There's plenty of gift shops & a ton of jewelry stores. There's a museum nearby that I didn't get to go in. It closes at 4pm. The views are stunning no matter where I looked. Definitely a city worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.

I always love stopping by Kindred Post while visiting Juneau! It's such a cute, locally owned shop…read morewith so many fun little finds. They have the sweetest selection of postcards, stationery, handmade gifts, Alaska-themed items, and all kinds of unique treasures that are fun to browse through. This is where you want to go for unique and fun gifts. The shop has such a warm, welcoming feel, and you can really tell it's a place built around supporting local artists and the community. It's the perfect spot to pick up a special souvenir or just wander around and enjoy all the charming little details.

Service has improved at this shop, I no longer feel rushed. Location is busy and parking is scarce…read morebut that's not the fault of this business.

I swear - it's just a coincidence that I'm writing this review on Election Day 2008…read more In early August, a few weeks before the vice presidential picks were announced we visited the Inside Passage of Alaska on a cruise. I wanted to see everything there was to see in Juneau (so I was done in 2 minutes! *rim shot* I'll be here all night) so I walked all around the downtown. There are three "big" tourist attractions - St. Nicholas Church (the oldest wooden church left - meaning it hasn't been burnt to a crisp - in Alaska), the Capitol building (easily the fugliest I've ever seen), and the Governor's Manse. (Note: We liked Juneau so much that we half-kidded about moving here because it was so beautiful, but a place of tourist landmarks it is not.) Anyway, I hiked up the hills of downtown Juneau to the Governor's Mansion. I was struck by the fact that I could walk right up to the house and there was no security at all. According to Wikipedia, Sarah Palin doesn't live here, which makes me wonder where she think she can do better in Juneau. As far as I can tell from looking online there are no tours and you can't go inside. The house itself is a pretty little mansion, with "only" six bedrooms) and isn't really outstanding in any way. Don't go out of your way to see it. However, if you want a pretty little walk up into the hills next to Downtown Juneau, go here.

I was here for a reception and it was very nice. There are a lot of historic pieces on display…read more There is an entry area with a coat check which is convenient. There is a hall way that leads to the dining area and off to the left is a living room, sitting room and smaller room where they were serving drinks. While they aren't typically open for food and drinks, it still is a nice historic spot and if the governor and first lady are there, they are very down to earth and welcoming. I don't believe they are open for tours but I have also been by it in the summer and enjoyed seeing the outside with the flowers and landscaping. It's not far from downtown-an easy walk. May not be somewhere to go out of your way to see but if you want to take a walk, nice to walk by.

It's a very touching tribute to a very special English bull terrier. She was even given the title…read moreof "Official Greeter of Juneau, Alaska" by the Mayor for her knack of knowing when a steamship was approaching. The interesting thing is that she was born deaf. Did she feel the vibrations? No one knows for sure. She even knew exactly where the ship would dock. What an amazing story! The community loved her so much that they chipped in to buy her a county license and collar. You'll see her collar displayed over her left paw. Read all about it online. She preferred being in the company of longshoremen towards the end of her life. She passed away in the Lonshoremen's Hall, and was given a funeral in the very same area where she greeted a lifetimes worth of steamships. It also happens to be her burial place which is pretty cool. She continues to greet cruise ships and their passengers from the Juneau Seawalk. Her spirit lives on.

Cool statue honoring Patsy Ann, who used to greet ships and passengers as they pulled into the Port…read moreof Juneau. The statue was put up in 1992 so that she could once again be the Official Greeter of Juneau