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This place was fantastic! From the moment you walk in the door, there was an engaging tour guide with a passion for history, who was telling entertaining stories about the exhibits. The exhibits themselves were interesting, but made much more so by the storytelling and docents. The gift shop was also particularly good at this place, with loads of Native American art in forms that you'd actually want to take home and use every day.
A small museum that my husband and I stumbled upon on our short cruise ship stop in Juneau. I'm so glad we went in here! For $5 per person we were able to see an exhibit featuring a famous Native American totem pole artist named Nathan Jackson. The exhibit was small but had lots of his masks, costume dresses, drawings, and artwork on display. We even saw his original sketches of statues that he had carved for Ketchikan, a previous town we had just visited. There is also a small media exhibit where you can learn different stories from different tribes. Outside of the exhibit you can go inside another room and see what a clan house was like. Supposedly it looks like there is second floor to the museum but it was roped off. I think we spent maybe half an hour there but you can come back unlimited times all day until the museum closes.
$5 exhibit fee. A really amazing cultural experience that could be done in 15-30 min, but if you like you can take your time. We enjoyed the story in the clan house, as well as the explanation given by the guide. I would have liked to spend more time here, and marvel at the cultural artifacts.
We visited Sealaska Heritage, a Native nonprofit, in downtown Juneau. (It is easily accessible from the 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. read more
So glad I stopped at Sealaska during my visit to Juneau. There is a $7 admission fee for adults. It won't take you long to get through the exhibits on display. This would be a good stop along the way to or from another planned activity or museum. I very much enjoyed the presentation by the female staff member about the mural on the wall in the lobby. This female is also Tinklit. She took the time to explain all of the symbolism within each areas of the mural. I love Native American art and culture. I especially love the Tinklit use of totem poles. If you're into Native American art & culture, don't hesitate on this one. There is also a nice gift shop next door to stuff your luggage even further with goodies and souvenirs for family and friends back home. I would visit here again during my next visit to Juneau! read more
This place was fantastic! From the moment you walk in the door, there was an engaging tour guide with a passion for history, who was telling entertaining stories about the exhibits. The exhibits themselves were interesting, but made much more so by the storytelling and docents. The gift shop was also particularly good at this place, with loads of Native American art in forms that you'd actually want to take home and use every day. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
A small museum that my husband and I stumbled upon on our short cruise ship stop in Juneau. I'm so glad we went in here! For $5 per person we were able to see an exhibit featuring a famous Native American totem pole artist named Nathan Jackson. The exhibit was small but had lots of his masks, costume dresses, drawings, and artwork on display. We even saw his original sketches of statues that he had carved for Ketchikan, a previous town we had just visited. There is also a small media exhibit where you can learn different stories from different tribes. Outside of the exhibit you can go inside another room and see what a clan house was like. Supposedly it looks like there is second floor to the museum but it was roped off. I think we spent maybe half an hour there but you can come back unlimited times all day until the museum closes. read more
9 years ago
$5 exhibit fee. A really amazing cultural experience that could be done in 15-30 min, but if you like you can take your time. We enjoyed the story in the clan house, as well as the explanation given by the guide. I would have liked to spend more time here, and marvel at the cultural artifacts. read more
11 years ago
Performance of singing based on culture of heritage of Alaskan natives of he region, promoting, encouraging the continuation of native language and culture. read more
8 years ago
9 years ago
