Alaska Transfer Exhibit

• Red floors. Walls painted light yellow on top and grey on bottom. Exhibits talking about the effect of Alaska going from Russia to The United States in the middle of the room and along two of the walls. Another wall has exhibits on the restoration of the building and Russia's legacy today. The last wall has a doorway to a hallway and a closed door to a staff only office.

Bicentennial Pole

In 1976, Sitka National Historical Park marked the nation’s bicentennial with a new direction. Although earlier poles had been carved and raised in the park by Civilian Conservation Corps carvers, the newly carved CCC poles were replicas of earlier poles from elsewhere in Southeast Alaska. In an era of growing Native pride, the Bicentennial Pole project set out to tell a modern story using a traditional format.

• The Bicentennial Pole is 27-foot tall totem pole set in the middle of a grass lawn in front of the Sitka National Historical Park's visitor center. There are concrete walkways around the grass lawn and a covered walkway with access to bathrooms and the visitor center behind the Bicentennial Pole.

Building a Colony Exhibit

• Smaller wooden room. Part of the walls/ceiling is painted white, and the other part is exposed. There's a large black stove to the right of the doorway. Part of the floor is gone showing off the subfloor of logs and sand. A railing surrounds the exposed floor with exhibits talking about the construction of town.

Cormorant Memorial- Mortuary Column

Memorial and mortuary columns were common pole types found in Southeast Alaska. Memorial poles, along with house posts, are among the oldest forms of totem poles.

• The Cormorant Memorial Pole is a smaller, more simple pole, with a single carved figure of a cormorant sitting on top of an un-carved wooden post. It is placed on the right side of Totem Trail. There are trees and a view out to the ocean behind it.

Eagle's Nest House Posts

• Evenly spaced along the wall opposite the visitor information desk are four carved house posts, they are aprroximately 8 feet tall and 2 feet wide, painted in traditional Northwest Coast formline design.

East Gallery Stairwell

• a large room with an arched stairway the connects with a landed with a stairway that leads up to the second floor. Under the stairwell there's a gate Infront of a stairwell that goes downstairs. On the wall next to the staircase there's an emergency exit sign. The wall opposite of the staircase has the historic beams exposed and has two doorways that lead to exhibits. The other two walls each of two closed doors that lead to closest.

Frog Crest

• Facing the corner of a large 40 foot by 30 foot room with warm brown smooth concrete floors and wood plank walls. Before you is a large carved frog, too your left are benches for seating and the entrance to the museum exhibit. to your right is the entrance facing the Southwest with large windows and glass doors, showing the porch and ocean beyond.

Frog-Raven Pole

Totem poles stand through time recalling past events. As you begin your journey at the entrance to the temperate rainforest, you are a witness in another time. You will experience some of the skills of these creative and talented artists, of their forest and ocean world, and of their respect for every living thing in it.

• The Frog-Raven Pole stands at the lower entrance to Totem Trail. It is just to the left of the trail, in front of a grove of trees. Its wood is weathered gray aside from the darker, newer beak that was replaced in 2013.

Gaanax.adi - Raven Crest Pole

Totem poles are contributions to the values, character and experiences of the clans who hosted the potlatches to raise the poles.

• The Raven Crest Pole is located on the fork between Totem Trail and the Battleground Loop. It is colorful, with figures painted with reds, blues and blacks. It is set against a backdrop of evergreen forest.

Gathéeni Panel

• A large 40 foot by 30 foot room with warm brown smooth concrete floors and wood plank walls. The wall and entrance facing the Southwest are large windows and glass doors, showing the porch and ocean beyond. Within the room Alaska Native carvings and historic photographs align the walls and above the doorways. there are benches along one wall, and a visitor information desk on the opposite side. Entrance to the museum exhibit is on the same side as the benches. Entrance to the theater is on the same side as the information desk. The panel being discussed is displayed above the theater entrance. It is five feet wide and four feet tall.

History Pole- Haa Léelk'u Ha's Kaasdahéeni Deiyí Kootéeyaa Pole

This pole is unusual in that it includes crest figures from both Raven and Eagle moieties. It is intended to be a public display of unity, putting old clan differences aside and working for the good of all Tlingit people. The pole’s Tlingit name translates roughly, “Our grandparents who were the very first people to use Indian River and the other people who were here, too.”

• The History Pole is a large carved totem pole painted in traditional red, black and bluegreen colors, The pole is placed along a paved serpentine path that leads from the visitor center to the upper entrance of totem trail.

K’alyáan Pole

In 1804, the Tlingit Kiks.adi clan fought a key battle against invading Russian forces at the mouth of Indian River. The K’alyáan Pole is a memorial to those Kiks.adi people who lost their lives in the conflict. It is named after K’alyáan, the legendary warrior who led the battle.

• The K’alyáan Pole is located inside the grassy 1804 fort site clearing. The clearing is surrounded on all sides by evergreen trees, broken only by a few openings back out to Totem Trail. The K’alyáan Pole is colorful, with its figures painted in red, blue-green and black.

Lakich'inei Pole

The figures on this Kaigani Haida pole represent three Tlingit legends, the most interesting of which is depicted by the figure at the bottom with a creature in its mouth. It is the history of how a clan acquired the woodworm as its crest.

• The Lakich'inei Pole stands to the left of Totem Trail, just before you reach the Mosquito Pole and then the 1804 Fort Site beyond that. It has dark patches from where traces of paint still remain. Behind the pole is evergreen forest.

Lingit’aani Hít, Aantḵeeni Hít (World House, Townspeople House)

• A large 40 foot by 30 foot room with warm brown smooth concrete floors and wood plank walls. There are heavy exposed beams above, with embedded track lighting. The wall and entrance facing the Southwest are large windows and glass doors, showing the porch and ocean beyond. Within the room Alaska Native carvings and historic photographs align the walls and above the doorways. There are benches along one wall, and a visitor information desk on the opposite side. Entrance to the museum exhibit is on the same side as the benches. Entrance to the theater is on the same side as the information desk.

Lobby Exhibit Conclusion

• A large 40 foot by 30 foot room with warm brown smooth concrete floors and wood plank walls. The wall and entrance facing the Southwest are large windows and glass doors, showing the porch and ocean beyond. Within the room Alaska Native carvings and historic photographs align the walls and above the doorways. there are benches along one wall, and a visitor information desk on the opposite side. Entrance to the museum exhibit is on the same side as the benches. Entrance to the theater is on the same side as the information desk.

Mosquito Legend Pole

Stories can travel far and wide and this pole is evidence of that in a unique way. This pole blends Haida carving style with three Tlingit stories. 

• The Mosquito Legend Pole is a totem pole that stands to the left of Totem Trail before you reach the 1804 Fort Site Clearing. It has darker sections where some of the residue of the paint remains. It is set against a backdrop of evergreen trees.

Original Wall

• This is a small hallway with large wooden beam walls. The walls are painted white and the floors red. There's a doorway directly across and one to the right. Theres a large blue sign saying continue this way pointing to the doorway to the right.

Panting Wolf House Pole

• On the wall opposite the of the seaside door this carving sits up on raised platform. Spotlights highlight the shiny abalone assents. Historic photos of the house post hang on either side.

Raven Memorial Pole

Raven is portrayed on this memorial column, distinguished by his rather large, slightly crooked beak. The person being honored by the erection of this pole was of the Raven moiety.

• The Raven Memorial Pole is a smaller, more simple pole, with a single carved figure of a raven sitting on top of an un-carved wooden post. It is placed at the back of a small clearing you can find right after you turn onto the Battleground Loop section of Totem Trail.

Raven-Shark Pole

It seems all cultures had a way of instructing timeless lessons on life through stories. The Tlingit Raven/Shark legend is edified through this pole.

• The Raven-Shark Pole is a totem pole standing on the left side of Totem Trail. It is painted with faded black, red, and teal paint over its carved red cedar body. It is just before the Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole- Second Twin. It is standing in front of a forest of evergreen trees.

Russian Bishop's House National Historic Landmark

Designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1962 the Russian Bishops House site was a cultural and educational center in Alaska from the 1840's to the mid-twentieth century.

Russian Bishop's House Visitor Contact Desk

• this entryway room is small with white walls and brown painted wood floors. To the right of the main doors is a table with the park stamp and relevant artifacts on display. To the left of the door is a bench. In the middle of the room there is a brown L shaped desk for a ranger. To the right of the desk are stairs with a gate the lead upstairs. To the left of the desk there is a doorway to another room. Behind the desk there's a sign that reads "Welcome to the Historic Russian Bishop's House" with the park service logo beneath it and then the same text written in Russian.

Russian Religion and Education Exhibit

• On the wall with windows there's and interactive chalkboard and exhibits on schooling and the construction of the building. On the opposite wall there's a doorway and on exhibit on major Russian orthodox parishes. The other two walls have doorways to other exhibits, benches, and the bottom half of the wall has Plexiglas covering exposed wood beams. The walls are painted a light yellow and the floors red. An exhibit on Orthodoxy in Alaska is in the middle of the room

Saanaheit Pole and House Posts

The original pole was from the Kaigani Haida village of Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island and was donated to the people of Alaska in 1901 by Chief Saanaheit as a memorial to his people. It was the first pole in the Park in 1901 and what a majestic one to welcome all the others that arrived two years later.

• The Saanaheit Pole is a large, over fifty foot tall carved, unpainted, totem pole flanked by two six foot tall house posts. It is located just to the left in of upper entrance to Totem Trail and surrounded by forest.

Seaside Porch

The self guided walking tour of Totem Trail begins on the seaside porch of the park's visitor center.

• This location is the seaside facing location of the visitor center. It is a covered cement porch that is approximately 8 feet deep and 24 feet wide, with a rise of 3 stairs. There are 2 sets of handrails in the center of the stairs. There are 6 ft. benches on both the left and right side of the porch. The entrance has glass and wood double doors. There are totem pole fragments on each side of the doors. Opposite the porch is a view of Sitka Sound. There are picnic tables between the porch and the ocean, along the trail that runs in front of the stairs from the parking lot leading to Totem Trail. The trail is hard packed gravel with little to no incline.

Sitka Blockhouse

Sleeping Man Pole

• The object being boserved is to the right of an entrance facing the Southwest are large windows and glass doors, showing the porch and ocean beyond. The Totem pole is in the corner, and to the right of it is the visitor information desk. The Totem pole is over ten feet tall and over two feet wide. Carved within are several characters of the legend, including faces and tentacles along both sides of the entire pole.

Supplying the Colony Exhibit

• Room with multiple exhibits. On exhibit focuses on where food came from and has artifacts of items found in a kitchen. There's plexiglass over a corner of the wall that has exposed wood and brick with an outline of an old oven. there's an exhibit on tea with a historic samovar and teapot. One wall just has two windows. There's an exhibit in the middle of the room and next to a doorway that talk about life in Russian America. The walls are white with grey trip on the bottom and the floors are painted red

Temporary Exhibits

• This hallway is painted white with red floors. the hall connects an exhibit room to the east gallery stairwell. There's a doorway that leads to a second exhibit room. There's a temporary exhibit with objects found form an archeology dig.

The Places of Russian America Exhibit

• smaller room with two doorways across from each other. Two large windows on one wall. Squared beam walls painted a light green blue on top with grey on bottom. Wide plank floors painted red. an exhibit with a map of Russian settlements in North America on one wall with an animated video of what Sitka looked like in the early 1900's on the opposite wall.

The Russian Empire Exhibit Room

• This is a large room with informational panels along the walls and throughout the middle of the room. The walls are painted yellow on top with a grey speckled design on the bottom. The wide plank wooden floors are painted red.

Trader Legend Pole

The events in our lives are often shaped by conflicts that need to be resolved. The ridicule pole served to resolve conflicts through peer pressure and was non-violent.

• The Trader Legend Pole stands on the right side of Totem Trail, just before you reach the Battleground Loop. Its paint is mostly worn away, leaving only the dark wood to show. It is set against a treed area between two sections of path.

West Gallery

• walking through the door past the front room leads you to this small room that mainly has new build but on historic wall with a doorway that leads to the rest of the house. There's a regular exit door and an emergency exit door on the other walls. There's an interactive chalkboard, a map of the building, and a panel the talks about the Tlingit

Wolf Pole

Totem pole carving was traditionally the responsibility of a select group of craftsmen who have been formally trained in an apprenticeship system. A totem is carved by an artist of a clan opposite the clan of the person who commissions it. It was not uncommon for a Haida carver to be commissioned by a Tlingit, or vice versa.

• The Wolf Pole stands on the right side of Totem Trail in-between the Cormorant Memorial Pole and the Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole- First Twin. Behind the pole are trees and a view out toward the ocean. The pole is dark brown, with no visible paint remaining.

Wooch Jin Dul Shat Kooteeya "Holding Hands"

Wooch Jin Dul Shat Kooteeya was raised by the com-munity on May 15, 2011, marking the final event of the Sitka National Historical Park’s Centennial.

• The Centennial Pole is a large, intricately carved and colorful pole that is standing near the Seaside Porch, just next to the lower entrance to Totem Trail. The area around it is clear of trees, with gravel and grass underfoot. On the right side of the Centennial Pole is the shoreline and on the left is the visitor center and a trail that leads to the Totem Loop Trail..

Wudzixeedi Gooch House Screen

• Above the seaside doors this flat wooden triangular carving covers most of the wall. black, red, and blue-green paint highlights the formline carving of wolves, faces, and other traditional shapes

Wudzixeedi Gooch “Multiplying Wolf” house screen

• Above the seaside doors this flat wooden triangular carving covers most of the wall. black, red, and blue-green paint highlights the formline carving of wolves, faces, and other traditional shapes

Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole Fragments

These are original pieces of one of the two Yaadaas clan crest corner poles brought to the park in 1906. This pole originally stood at 23 feet and along with its twin, stood at the exterior corners of the Yaadaas clan house.

• Two fragments of the Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole have been placed in opposite corners of the Seaside Porch, which is just outside the main lobby of the visitor center. These fragments have noticeable cracks and the once red and black sections of paint have faded. On the left side of the porch is the bottom figure from the Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole and on the right are the top two figures. The seaside porch is concrete with wooden benches along both sides of the railing.

Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole- First Twin

Two seemingly identical poles stood at the exterior front corners of the Yaadaas clan house in Old Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island. This was uncommon. It is the only set known to exist.

• The Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole is set on the right side of Totem Trail against a backdrop of trees with a view out toward the ocean. It is just before the Wolf Pole. It is painted with teal, red and black with some sections of the red cedar is was carved from left bare.

Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole- Second Twin

A figure of the Village Watchman at the top is unique to Haida crest poles and has no significance or relationship to the crests. It was intended to let the people know that they were being watched over and will be protected. 

• The Yaadaas Crest Corner Pole- Second Twin, is located on the left side of Totem Trail. It is colored with black, light blue-green and light red paint on its red cedar surface. Behind it is a backdrop of evergreen trees. It is just down the path from the Raven-Shark Pole.

Yaadaas Crest Pole

A replica of the original Yaadaas Crest Pole, which was donated by John Baranovich of Old Kasaan over 100 years ago. The original Yaadaas Crest pole remains in the park's collection, and may be viewed in the Totem Preservation Exhibit. 

• The Yaadaas Crest Pole is a tall pole with bold red and black painted on its carved red cedar body. It is set on an open grassy area with a few trees nearby. An ocean bay is in the distance. It is located next to the entrance and lower parking lot to Sitka National Historical Park.

Yadaa.aayi x’éen

• A large 40 foot by 30 foot room with warm brown smooth concrete floors and wood plank walls. The wall and entrance facing the Southwest are large windows and glass doors, showing the porch and ocean beyond. Within the room Alaska Native carvings and historic photographs align the walls and above the doorways. There are benches along one wall, and a visitor information desk on the opposite side. Entrance to the museum exhibit is on the same side as the benches. The panel being discussed here is above the museum exhibit entrance.

Russian Bishop's House

• Russian Bishop's House
• One of only four Russian period buildings left in North America. Explore exhibits about Russian America and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church. Free tours are offered May to September. Hours of operation vary depending on staff availability.

Visitor Center

• Visitor Center
• Explore exhibits about traditional Tlingít life and see drums, robes, and other ceremonial objects. A 12-minute film, "The Voices of Sitka," weaves together the stories of Sitkans, past and present. The nearby Totem Trail displays Northwest Coast totem poles and leads to the site of the Battle of 1804.

• Become a Junior Ranger at Sitka National Historical Park
• Become a Junior Ranger! Learn about Tlingit culture, the rainforest, Russian American history, and the coastal environment. You'll earn an official badge so that you will not forget how important you are to the National Park Service.

• Explore at Low Tide
• The intertidal zone is full of variety, and when the tide is out there are tidepools and wide flats to explore.

• Watch for Salmon
• Salmon are easily observed from the bridge over Indian River when they spawn each summer and fall. Strong ties bind them to the people, plants, and animals of Sitka.

• Search for Pollinators
• Search for the usual suspects, such as bumblebees and hummingbirds, among the park's flowers, but don't forget to hunt for less obvious pollinators like hoverflies and slugs. You can find a lot to observe in different habitats. Don't forget to look for representations of pollinators on totem poles and in museum objects in the visitor center.

• Get Close to the Forest Floor
• When you bend down low and examine the forest floor you find a lot of variety, and even some drama! Low-growing plants, fungi, moss, lichens, insects, banana slugs, cones, and more go about their business beneath the trees. Take time to observe the little things that support large trees.

• Find Sitka's Bedrock
• Find evidence of Sitka's distant past in outcrops of bedrock. These large pieces of graywacke are sedimentary rocks formed beneath the ocean, lifted up by tectonic forces, and weathered by ice and water.

• Go Berrying
• As berries ripen, they dot Sitka's greenery with bright reds, luminous oranges, and muted blues and grays. Enjoy their colors and shapes as you walk through the park. If you choose to taste some, be respectful of the park's history, know what's allowed, and be certain you know what you're about to touch or eat.

• Meet a Demonstrating Artist
• Artists demonstrate traditional Tlingit and Haida forms of carving, weaving, beading, and metalworking. Many of the things they create have ceremonial uses.

• Fishing in Sitka
• Fishing is a popular tradition in Sitka. Fish responsibly, follow regulations, and have a license when necessary. Be aware that bears share fishing grounds in the park and know what to do to keep yourself and the bears safe.

• Visit National Historic Landmarks in Sitka
• The historic landmarks in Sitka are portals in time to significant events in Alaska history. Locations of battles and fort sites, churches, schools, military installations and more provide us with a glimpse into the rich and diverse past of Sitka, and its substantial role in Alaskan (and American) history. Use the information guide with a map and start your trip back in time.

• Go Birding
• The estuary, shores and forests of Sitka NHP are excellent places to watch birds that are migrating through in the spring and fall. We also boast a fabulous array of birds that are hardy enough to stay all year around.

• Watch Voices of Sitka
• Watch a 15-minute film for an overview of Tlingit, Russian, and American history in and around the park.

• Watch An Icon Reborn
• Watch an 18-minute film for an overview of the Russian Bishop's House and the history of Saint Innocent's efforts to reconcile Tlingit and Russians.

• Tour the Russian Bishop's House
• The Russian Bishop's House is one of only four surviving examples of Russian colonial architecture in North America. Built in 1843, it served as the residence of Orthodox bishops and clergy for over 120 years. Today, it houses a museum on Russian-American history, and the restored residence of the first bishop to live in the house, Bishop Innocent.

• Join a Ranger-led Program
• Ranger-led programs are a great way to learn more about the park and history of Southeast Alaska.

• Take the Totem Trail
• A historic trail lined with Haida and Tlingit totem poles passes through classic Southeast Alaska temperate rainforest to the site of the Battle of 1804.

• Explore Exhibits on Tlingit Life
• Learn about Tlingit culture and way of life through historical and contemporary ceremonial objects. Observe demonstrating artists in the wood, regalia, or metalworking studios or outdoors at the carving shed.

Russian American Walking Tour in Sitka, Alaska

Russian America was the term for Russian colonial possessions in North America (namely Alaska) from the mid-1700s to 1867. Its capital, Novo-Arkhangelsk is now present day Sitka. Following the Aleutian chain of islands in pursuit of sea otter pelts, Russian ships landed on the shores of Sitka in 1799. The stops on this tour bring to light what we may not have learned in school about that brief but important time in Alaskan history.

Russian Bishop's House First Floor Self-Guided Tour

A self-guided tour of the grounds and first floor of the Russian Bishop's House. Explore this building that was the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska. Built in 1843 and acquired by the National Park Service in 1973, this house went through a 15-year restoration to

Totem Trail

A self-guided tour of all the totem poles located outside along Totem Trail and the visitor center in Sitka National Historical Park. Start at the Seaside Porch to learn about the Northwest coast artistry, Tlingit and Haida cultures that created these poles and history of the poles as they came to the park. Enjoy your exploration of the poles in the beautiful temperate rainforest of the Northwest Coast of Alaska.

Visitor Center Lobby Exhibits at Sitka National Historical Park

Each beautifully carved and painted cultural item displayed in the visitor center lobby contains a secret. Meanings of symbolic and historic importance aren’t easily understood at first glance when they are imbedded in the Northwest Coast tradition of formline art. The artwork tells of overcoming cultural suppression, of representation, of clan rivalry, of community, of legends, and of substantial events that happened long before people started recording their histories on paper.