Castle Hill (Baranof Castle State Historic Site)
Castle Hill
The site where the United States took over Alaska from Russia in 1867. From the summit you can look over Sitka Sound and its islands.
Castle Hill was the site of a fortress of the Tlingit people. In the Russian period, it housed the governor's residence, Baranof's Castle. On October 18, 1867, the American and Russian transfer ceremony for Alaska took place here, with the Russian flag lowered and the American flag raised. Today the summit has only stone walls, old cannons and information boards, and it is a state historic site. It can be reached in a few minutes by steps or a slope from Lincoln Street. From the top you can see Sitka Sound, O'Connell Bridge and distant Mount Edgecumbe. Admission is free.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Totem Square & Sitka Pioneers' Home
- Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi
- Russian Blockhouse & Russian Cemetery
- John O'Connell Bridge
- St. Michael's Cathedral
- Sitka History Museum
- Russian Bishop's House
- Gavan Hill Trail