Cruise ship tourism has expanded rapidly, bringing a daily influx of roughly 6,000 visitors to the town of 32,000 from May to September, for a total count of roughly 1 million tourists a year.

The title of the Empty Chair Memorial refers to a student named John Tanaka, a Juneau High School valedictorian who was relocated a month before his graduation in May 1942. His classmates left an empty chair to recognize him, and, by extension, other local Japanese families, at their graduation ceremonies.

The historic Alaskan Hotel was built in 1913 by four men in six-months time during Alaska's Gold Rush. The well-preserved Victorian building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located in the heart of Juneau's Downtown Historic District.

Douglas Island is part of the city, just west of downtown Juneau and east of Admiralty Island. It was named for John Douglas, Bishop of Salisbury, by Captain George Vancouver of HMS Discovery, which became the first vessel to sight the island in 1794.

Juneau's only daily newspaper, the Juneau Empire, is published Sunday through Friday, with no Saturday edition. There is also a regional weekly newspaper, the Capital City Weekly.