The Juneau-Douglas City Museum sits at the corner of Fourth and Main, directly opposite the State Capitol, and covers the twin strands of Juneau's history: the Tlingit culture that shaped the region long before European contact, and the gold rush that created the modern city. A replica gold stamp mill demonstrates how the AJ Mine extracted gold from the surrounding mountains, and exhibits trace the rapid growth of a town that went from a small mining camp in the 1880s to the capital of Alaska within a generation.
The museum also holds an extensive photographic archive and rotating exhibitions on local history. It makes a useful complement to the Alaska State Museum — where the State Museum focuses on the whole of Alaska, this one focuses specifically on Juneau and the surrounding Douglas Island community. Hours and admission are modest; check before visiting as winter hours are reduced.