2 Best Sights in Aleutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula, and Pribilof Islands, The Bush

This remarkable museum highlights the cultural, military, and natural history of the Aleutian and Pribilof islands. You'll find an exhaustive array of objects representing the region's history, from gut parkas and repatriated religious artifacts to original drawings from Captain Cook's third voyage. The exhibits also give glimpses into the Unangax̂ way of life, as well as illustrating the impact of Russian contact and occupation, the gold rush, World War II, the fishing industry, and more. In the summer, the museum sponsors archaeological digs as well as periodic lectures by visiting scientists, historians, and researchers. It also offers a range of guided tours, indoors and out. You can take gallery or special collections tours in the museum, or venture out on a city walk, a Bunker Hill hike, a driving tour of Amaknek Island, or a morning history and photography tour.

Through old newspapers, memorabilia, video footage, and exhibits about the Aleutian Campaign, this quaint visitor center outside the Unalaska Airport preserves bits of history from Alaska's little-known role in the war. The Aleutian Islands saw heavy fighting through much of World War II; at the peak of the war, more than 60,000 servicemen were stationed here in the farthest and most brutal reaches of the United States. On June 3 and 4, 1942, the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor and landed in the far reaches of the Aleutians a few days later. The Japanese military forces took entire villages and outposts captive in Kiska and Attu, with many of those captured transported to Japan as prisoners of war. The center is within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal and open June through September.

The historic area also includes Ft. Schwatka, a U.S. Army base poised on a mountain that contained over 100 structures when fully built out. You can do a group or self-guided walking tour of the fort by getting an access permit from the Ounalashka Corporation at 400 Salmon Way or at the visitor center.