By far the largest port on our Alaska cruises, Vancouver offers every imaginable big-city attraction. Explore the Museum of Anthropology and the Vancouver Art Museum for culture. History flourishes in the Gastown district, which borders vibrant Chinatown. Or enjoy a break from the bustle in Stanley Park, one of North America’s largest urban parks.

Totem poles are one of Ketchikan’s chief attractions, and the best places to view them are Saxman Village and Totem Bight State Park. Drop by the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center to learn about the local cultures and ecosystems.

Called “Shee Atika” by the Tlingit Indians, then “New Archangel” by the Russians who ousted them, Sitka boasts a multicultural heritage. Two dozen of its attractions are on the National Register of Historic Places, including Castle Hill and Building 29, a structure built by the Russians in 1835. The Sheldon Jackson Museum exhibits one of Alaska’s oldest native culture collections.

Skagway’s spectacular natural setting encourages a walking tour of this well-preserved gold rush town. See the Moore House, built in 1897, a year before the gold rush, and the Gold Rush Cemetery, where famed Old West desperado Soapy Smith is buried. Visit the Trail of ’98 Museum for a more in-depth look at Skagway’s freewheeling history. Or take a ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad and see the trail the gold rushers etched into the high mountain pass.

For a state capital, Juneau maintains a surprising small-town charm, in part because it can only be reached by sea or air due to the surrounding wilderness. Collections from the indigenous people are displayed in the Alaska State Museum. Visit Mendenhall Glacier for outdoor adventure.

Once a Tlingit Indian stronghold, then a Russian outpost, and finally an American settlement in 1867, Wrangell has endured dramatic change and honors it. See a preserved tribal house on Chief Shakes Island. Learn about the three gold rushes that transformed the area in the Wrangell Museum. Behold the ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks on the nearby beaches.

Western Canada’s oldest city, Victoria proudly displays its British heritage. Explore lavish Craigdarroch Castle, built in the late 1800s for a Scottish coal baron. Trace the area’s early British seafarers in the Marine Museum of British Columbia. There’s even a Royal London Wax Museum with likenesses of King Henry VIII and Winston Churchill.

Head to the top of the famed Space Needle, enjoy the performers in Pioneer Square, watch fish-tossing in legendary Pike Place Market or spend the afternoon in the impressive Seattle Art Museum. Take in the groovy Experience Music Project or the fascinating Pacific Science Center. Dive into the sea at the Seattle Aquarium or take to the skies at the Museum of Flight.