Eklutna Historical Park (St. Nicholas Church & Spirit Houses)

The feel

More than 100 spirit houses, small painted wooden structures built over individual graves, stand in rows across the cemetery. Family members choose the colors and patterns, and no two are alike. Spirit houses originally held guns, cups and other items the departed might need in the afterlife.

The park sits on the oldest continuously inhabited village site in Southcentral Alaska, 26 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage.

What to expect

What it is

An active cemetery of painted spirit houses around the old St. Nicholas church. Guides give an orientation talk before leading visitors through the site and both churches.

Crowds and best time

Guided tours run May to September.

Fees and passes

Tour admission is about $10 for adults.

Hazards

Wear mosquito repellent to visit the cemetery.

Season and access

The cemetery is always open. Tours run May to September, Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. There is no active congregation at St. Nicholas today.

Mingo says

Visit in the tour season, May to September, so a guide can walk you through the church and the cemetery. Thunderbird Falls is nearby.

Before you go

• Call 907-688-6026 to confirm tour times before you drive out.
• Bring mosquito repellent.
• Treat the cemetery with reverence, because it is an active burial ground.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.