History & Culture
The state museum and Capitol, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian art downtown, and the gold mines that built the capital, from ruins on Douglas Island to a mill up Basin Road.
Juneau history, and where to see it
The best reading online about Juneau's past, each beside the places and tours that bring it to life. Articles open on the original site.
1917 Treadwell Mine cave-in remembered a century later
Written for the centennial, this piece explains how seawater found a fault and weakened rock pillars under Douglas Island until an extreme tide on April 21, 1917 brought the workings down. About 350 men got out in time, but the collapse ended work for nearly a thousand miners.
Read on ktoo.org ↗See it in Juneau
Treadwell Mine Historic TrailFreeHow the Treadwell Mine collapsed 100 years ago
The chair of the Treadwell preservation society describes the four Treadwell mines, once the biggest gold operation in the world, and the night in 1917 when Gastineau Channel poured into three of them. A new concrete bulkhead saved the Ready Bullion mine and about 150 jobs.
Read on juneauempire.com ↗See it in Juneau
Treadwell Mine Historic TrailFree
City and Borough of Juneau apologizes for 1962 burning of Douglas Indian Village
In October 2024 the city formally apologized to the Douglas Indian Association for burning the village that stood where Savikko Park and Douglas Harbor are now. Tribal leaders welcomed the apology but called it a first step toward fuller recognition.
Read on alaskapublic.org ↗See it in Juneau
Treadwell Mine Historic TrailFree
Juneau's deadliest landslide tore through downtown like a 'mighty grinder.' Now it's a fading memory.
After days of heavy rain, part of Mount Roberts slid onto South Franklin Street on November 22, 1936. It buried boarding houses and killed 15 people. The story revisits Juneau's worst natural disaster, steps from where cruise passengers now walk.
Read on alaskapublic.org ↗See it in Juneau
Juneau-Douglas City Museum11 min walk from the docksAK: Did Wyatt Earp really lose his pistol in Juneau?
A reporter checks the Red Dog Saloon's famous claim that marshals took Wyatt Earp's revolver as he passed through Juneau in 1900. Archives, museum records and newspaper dates don't support it, though the owner happily keeps the legend.
Read on alaskapublic.org ↗See it in Juneau
Red Dog Saloon3 min walk from the docksSummaries are ours. Tour links go to our listings, where you can book with partners. Book links are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Juneau Times earns from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.
Walking map: the docks and downtown Juneau
The cruise berths line the waterfront along South Franklin Street. Downtown rises steeply behind them: the shops, saloons and the Walter Soboleff Building are on the flat blocks near the water, and the Capitol and St. Nicholas Church are uphill.
Map: USGS elevation; streets and buildings © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Plan your Juneau day around your ship
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