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Kodiak History Museum is Alaska's oldest documented haunted site

A new index ranks places by published accounts, not legend

September 30, 2026

With Halloween approaching, Kodiak History Museum is the oldest documented haunted site in HauntBound's 2026 index of Alaska's most haunted places. The index ranks 26 Alaska sites by separate published accounts and how far back they go, not by fame or search popularity.

The Russian-American Company built the warehouse between about 1805 and 1808 to store sea-otter pelts, making it the oldest standing building in Alaska. It later became home to the Erskine family before opening as a museum, long known as the Baranov Museum for Alexander Baranov, the first chief manager of Russian America.

In 1886, Benjamin McIntyre, an Alaska Commercial Company worker, was shot through a dining-room window while finishing dinner there; the killer was never identified. A former Erskine housekeeper reportedly would not stay in the building after dark because of talk of McIntyre's ghost. The museum does not present itself as a paranormal attraction, and its collections manager attributes the building's atmosphere to the settling of the old log structure and wind rather than anything supernatural.

Statewide, the Alaskan Hotel & Bar in Juneau ranks #1 and is Alaska's most famous haunted site.

"We rank by evidence, not legend: independent published accounts, documented history, and how far back the reports go. We don't claim ghosts are real, or that they aren't. We document where the reports concentrate, and we show our work," said Ben Fineman, editor of HauntBound. The ranking shows each site's documented record.

Visiting:Kodiak History Museum, 101 Marine Way East, Kodiak, is a museum open to visitors, with free admission for children.

For media:The full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/alaska/The fact sheet, with cleared images: https://hauntbound.com/press/fact-sheets/alaska/Venue contact: kodiakhistorymuseum.orgA short version follows.

HauntBound (hauntbound.com) is a family-friendly field guide to more than 6,000 documented haunted and historic places across the United States, ranked by published evidence rather than legend. No venue pays to be listed or ranked.

Media contact: Ben Fineman, Editor, HauntBound, editor@hauntbound.com

Short version

SHORT VERSION

Kodiak History Museum named Alaska's oldest documented haunted site

Kodiak History Museum is Alaska's oldest documented haunted site in HauntBound's 2026 index, which ranks sites by separate published accounts rather than fame. The Russian-American Company built the warehouse between about 1805 and 1808 to store sea-otter pelts, and it later became the Erskine family home. In 1886, Benjamin McIntyre was shot through a dining-room window there in an unsolved killing, and a former housekeeper is said to have avoided the building after dark because of talk of his ghost. Statewide, the Alaskan Hotel & Bar in Juneau ranks #1.

Full ranking: https://hauntbound.com/most-haunted/alaska/