The ferry Malaspina waits for passengers at Juneau’s Auke Bay terminal last fall. The ship will make a celebratory voyage honoring the Alaska Marine Highway’s 50th anniversary in May. Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska.

The ferry Malaspina will stop in Wrangell during a celebratory trip through Southeast Alaska in early May.

Spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says it’s one of the Alaska Marine Highway’s 50th anniversary events.

“This is to celebrate in part its inaugural run in 1963. And that will include community events in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines and Skagway,” he says.

Woodrow says the Malaspina will make extended stops in each community and be open for tours. Local celebrations are also being planned during port calls. One will also take place this fall in Sitka.

He says the ferry will make special excursions in the gateway and capital cities.

“One will be sailing through Misty Fjords National Monument. They’ll start in Ketchikan and do a day trip through Misty Fjords and back to Ketchikan. And the other, when it’s in Juneau, will sail from downtown, not Auke Bay, to Tracy Arm fjord and back,” he says.

What’s called The Golden Voyage will run May 1st to May 5th.

More details on the sailings and community celebrations are on the website: www.FerryAlaska.com.