The Russian Bishop's House is one of only four remaining buildings from the Russian-American era in North America/NPS

Visitors to Sitka National Historical Park in southeast Alaska can now see everything the park has to offer without paying a fee.

The National Park Service recently approved the historical park’s request to be a fully fee-free park, effective immediately. For many years, the park has charged $4 per person for ranger-led tours of the second floor of the Russian Bishop’s House, the private residence of Orthodox bishops since the first occupant, Bishop (now Saint) Innocent, in the early 1840s. Sitka National Historical Park eliminated fees for the visitor center and totem loop trail in 2011.

“What we found is that the administration of the fee program was creating inefficiencies that hardly justified the fee collection, which also created an additional burden for our many visitors,” said Superintendent David Elkowitz. “We strive to keep this national park well maintained and available so that a resource that belongs to the people can be fully accessed by the people.”

The park will begin renovating the first floor museum exhibits at the Russian Bishop’s House this year. The project is expected to be completed in 2020.

“This will be the first major renewal of the space and displays since the renovated RBH was opened to the public in 1986,” said Angie Richman, the park’s chief of interpretation and project manager. “The project will include significant public scoping and consultation with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. The project will start with a roundtable hosted by the park and is planned to include clan elders and Russian America subject matter experts, scheduled for this fall.”

The first floor of the Russian Bishop’s House, one of just four buildings left standing from the Russian-American era in North America, has a storied history as a residence for Orthodox clergy, a school for Native Alaskans and an orphanage, as well as the current museum.