Cruising to Juneau, Alaska's Capital

Back in 1880, Joe Juneau and Dick Harris were led by a Tlingit chief named Kowee to the rich gold reserves at Snow Slide Gulch, and a stampede of miners soon led to the formation of a mining camp. By 1906, this camp had grown to become the district government capital of Alaska. It was first named Harrisburg after Dick Harris, but Joe Juneau – as a result of some very effective political arm-twisting at a miners' meeting in 1881 - won forever the name of Alaska's capital city. Today, tourism accounts for as much of the economy as gold once did, and Juneau has become an obligatory stop for all cruise ships exploring the inside passage.

Cruise ships dock along South Franklin Street, and from here you can walk among some of the oldest buildings in Juneau. Stop in for a drink at the Alaska Hotel, which dates from 1913. It has been restored to its original beauty, and the barroom features a large mirrored oak bar and Tiffany lamps. The St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church was actually built in Siberia in 1894 and reassembled here in Juneau, and houses icons dating from the 1700s. The Alaska State Capitol, constructed in 1930, lies at the corner of Seward and 4th Streets, just down the block from the State Office Building, where you can enjoy concerts in the four-story atrium featuring an old theater pipe organ, or connect with home on the computers with public internet access. You can take the Mount Roberts Tram from the terminal downtown to an observation deck 1,800 feet above Juneau for a bird’s-eye view of your cruise ship, the capital city and the surrounding area.

Alaska's most popular glacier - the Mendenhall Glacier - is located just 12 miles from downtown Juneau. Be sure to take a taxi or tour bus to this extraordinary sight, as well as to the very informative Visitor's Center found here. A visit to the Mendenhall Glacier is included in most tours of Juneau. Whatever you do, you are sure to enjoy your visit to Alaska's state capital, the only capital inaccessible by road.  Stephanie Larkin is the editor of http://www.CruiseLinesandPorts.com, as well as http://www.Cruise-To-Alaska.net. She and her family love to cruise - her 3 children especially love the towel animals and chocolates left on the beds at night!