Experience “Local Flavor” Through a City Museum Walking Tour

Do you want to learn more about Juneau’s most interesting stories? The Juneau-Douglas City Museum offers a variety of walking tours and it’s a wonderful way to explore Alaska’s capital. Led by local amateur historians, walking tours can amaze, entertain, and inform. Each guide brings their wealth of knowledge and their own unique experience of living in Juneau to their tours. It’s a great way to experience a little local flavor while bringing Juneau to life one block at a time. With each step, they offer a glimpse into the events and characters that shaped Juneau, from the Alaska Natives that have stewarded the land for 10,000 years to the gold rush and beyond.

Downtown Geology Walking Tour
Unearth the story of Juneau from the ground up. This 1.5-mile walk explores how local geology influenced Juneau’s downtown and history. Keep your eyes peeled. You may even spot some wild goats on the mountainside! Led by local tour guides Dr. Cathy Connor, retired Professor of Geology University of Alaska Southeast, and Juneau Naturalist Richard Carstensen.

Historic Downtown Juneau Walking Tour
Wander through about 10 city blocks in the downtown core and nearby neighborhoods as your guide paints a vivid picture of Juneau’s early days. Learn about Juneau’s first inhabitants, view kootéeyaa (totem) poles, and hear tales of prominent personalities from the early days and see how the thirst for gold changed the landscape of downtown Juneau.

Evergreen Cemetery Walking Tour
Get to know Juneau’s past residents in one of its most peaceful places. Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1891, is the final resting place of over 8,000 Juneauites, including many figures central to the city’s history. This tour starts at the City Museum and follows the original “Cemetery Road” (now Calhoun Avenue) to the site. Guides will share stories of some of the notable people that helped shape Juneau’s story.

True Crime Walking Tours
If you’re a fan of cold cases and courtroom drama, the City Museum’s True Crime tours might be your thing. The City Museum offers two different true crime walking tours led by former Juneau criminal reporters, Ed Schoenfeld and Betsy Longenbaugh.
• Capital Killers Walking Tour: This 1.5-mile walk revisits downtown murders from the early 20th century.
• Death in Douglas Walking Tour: A 2-mile journey across the Gastineau Channel into Douglas, where seven chilling murder cases—including incidents tied to the Treadwell Mines—are recounted with vivid detail.

Visit the City Museum’s website at juneau.org/library/museum/walking-tours for the 2025 tour schedule and more information. Whether you're a history buff, true crime fan, or curious visitor, there's a walk that takes you through Juneau's past.