Come inside the Anchor Inn in downtown Whittier where a small but fascinating museum gives a glimpse of Whittier's interesting history.
Local citizens formed the Whittier Museum Association in 2003. Over the last 12 years, the museum has developed 25 exhibits in a 1200 square foot space donated by the Shen family at the Anchor Inn. These exhibits tell the story of Whittier's history as a military port and rail terminal as well as illustrate Alaskan military heritage during World War II and the Cold War. Exhibits include the story of the exploration of Prince William Sound by the Spanish Navy in the late 1700s, the saga of the U.S. Revenue Cutter "Bear" at the turn of the 20th century, polar flights in the 1920's, the sinking of the S.S. Yukon in the Gulf of Alaska in 1946, and more.
The Prince William Sound Museum is a nonprofit museum supported with admissions, grants, and contributions from the community. One visitor reported after a visit, "I was amazed. This is truly a labor of love put together by the archivist and really deserves a much bigger venue. Really enjoyed the different viewpoints given on certain events. The Japanese occupation of two Aleutian Islands is given from the American and Japanese point [of view]. Rare diary out takes of the Battle for Attu from the Japanese doctors’ point [of view] are priceless. This is not your normal, look-at-what-we-did history, this is a history of Arctic exploration and explorers, whether they be American, Russian, Spanish etc. This is definitely worth the time to explore if you're looking to spend a bit of time in Whittier."
