5 Best Museums In Alaska to visit
Most travelers to Alaska seek out the natural wonders of the largest state in the United States. Glaciers and salmon rivers abound, as do rugged mountains that soar for the Arctic sky. However, for those who prefer less adventurous learning experiences, Alaska also has a number of noteworthy museums. And whether you’re a museum person or not, they’re well worth a visit. You’re probably not planning your trip to Alaska for indoor activities. Nonetheless, visiting these museums to contextualize the state’s rich history and diverse ecosystems may enhance your enjoyment of the great outdoors. These seven top museums in Alaska are unique in their remarkable setting and well worth the time you’ll spend there.
Alaska Native Heritage Center – Anchorage
Many of Alaska’s top museums provide extensive overviews of the state, therefore most contain Native Alaskan art and artifacts. Anchorage, on the other hand, is the place to go if you want to learn more about Alaska’s indigenous peoples. This museum seeks to conserve the living heritage of the state’s Native cultures.
It was founded in 1987 as a cultural hub for Native Alaskans, with a dual mission of teaching the public and gathering knowledge so that ancient rituals might thrive in the modern period. Non-museum activities of the Alaska Native Heritage Center include traditional arts training programs, language-learning tools, and community events. Because of the emphasis on living cultures, visitors will see Native Alaskan culture as it is currently practiced, rather than as a static remnant of the past.
Life size reconstructions of traditional communities, as well as demonstrations of Native Alaskan sports and dances, enhance the multimedia artifact displays. It’s the most immersive and diverse introduction to Native Alaskan traditions anyone could wish for, and it’s a must see if you’re in Anchorage.
After you’ve finished your museum tour in Anchorage, you’ll have lots to do. Local hiking trails, such as Flattop Mountain, provide abundant opportunities for visitors to get outside, and if you haven’t had enough museums, the Anchorage Museum is one of Alaska’s best.
Iditarod Headquarters – Wasilla
Many Alaska visitors’ bucket lists include dogsledding, also known as mushing. It’s a particularly Alaskan mode of transportation that has accumulated an alluring mystique over the years: name a narrative of adventure and risk in the Arctic that does not include a faithful sled dog team. No feature of mushing culture is more legendary than the Iditarod, a world-famous yearly sled dog race that runs 1,200 miles from Anchorage to Nome.
But what exactly do we know about the Iditarod? You may discover that the answer is, “not much.” The race is buried in myth (it has nothing to do with the legendary 1925 Serum Run, which saved Nome from a diphtheria outbreak!). Its cultural value is frequently underestimated since it is such a difficult athletic feat. That is why the Iditarod Headquarters Museum is a fantastic addition to any Anchorage itinerary.
This museum, located around 45 minutes outside of the city in Wasilla, chronicles the history and culture of the world’s most legendary sled dog race. All of the antiques and exhibitions provide an exciting firsthand experience: in the summer, paying tourists can go (snow-free) mushing with a trained musher and racing team.
Though a little out of the way, this eccentric museum is a terrific spot to learn about and enjoy Alaska’s official sport. Wasilla is a small town that may easily be visited as a day trip from Anchorage. It will, however, place you close to Matanuska Glacier, an ice-filled valley where you may check off your bucket list items of ice climbing and glacier hiking.
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum – Fairbanks
When asked where the top automotive museums in the country are, most people would probably never think of Alaska. To be fair, Fairbanks is an unlikely location for a world-class vintage vehicle collection. However, there is a reason why the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is the state’s top-rated museum, according to guest reviews.
The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum stands out for its local focus, in addition to its amazing collection of over 115 historic vehicles. In a state as large as Alaska, vehicle transportation has played a critical part in growth and industry, and this museum provides an educational look at how important that role has been. Even if you aren’t a car enthusiast, you’ll discover something interesting in Alaska’s often colorful connection with the modest automobile.
All but three of the vehicles in this outstanding collection can drive, which adds character and heart. And, because you have to drive an automobile to keep it running, museum workers frequently take many of those cars out for a spin when the road conditions are good. (That is never guaranteed in America’s coldest big metropolis.) Though you can’t take a ride yourself, it’s far more enjoyable to browse the collection knowing that practically every one of these 100-year-old cars might drive out on a modern-day Alaskan adventure if the need arose.
If you’re looking for something else to do in Fairbanks, there are plenty of options. Not only is it one of the best spots in the United States to see the Northern Lights in the winter, but it also hosts one of the other entries on this list. Later, you can warm up at the adjacent Chena Hot Springs.
Totem Heritage Museum – Ketchikan
Ketchikan is another popular cruise port in Alaska. If you’re traveling throughout the state and can’t make it to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, this beloved Ketchikan museum is a good introduction to (one of) Alaska’s interesting Native traditions. Totem poles are the most well-known emblems of Native Alaskan traditions among visitors. They are a type of commemorative artwork created by indigenous groups throughout the Pacific Northwest that has captivated the imaginations of countless Alaska visitors. Ketchikan boasts the world’s biggest collection of intact totem poles, many going back to the nineteenth century.
Thirty-three totem poles may not sound like a lot, but in the humid climate of southeastern Alaska, locating thirty-three wooden poles in excellent shape is no easy task. The museum houses a rotating collection of these poles, which were made by the Tlingit and Haida people and discovered in desolate village sites, as well as handicrafts from diverse southern Alaskan Native cultures.
If you’re interested in Alaskan art, Native Alaskan customs, or totem poles, the Totem Heritage Museum is a fantastic way to spend your day in Ketchikan. Consider combining your stay with a trip to the legendary Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, which celebrates the town’s logging industry in rowdy style. Outdoor enthusiasts can go fishing at “the salmon capital of the world” or observe local wildlife, such as orcas and migrating humpback whales.
Red Onion Saloon Brothel Museum – Skagway
If you’re interested in Alaska’s Klondike Gold Rush, you must visit the Red Onion Saloon Brothel Museum. Skagway was a gold rush boom town before becoming a cruise port, and there is no better place to preserve its history. The Red Onion Saloon, once one of Skagway’s most popular saloons and/or bordellos during the Gold Rush, is now a loving monument to a colorful past.
The Red Onion Saloon is not quite a museum in the way you might anticipate. There’s nothing behind glass here, and after renovations, it now serves as a modern bar and restaurant in its original historic site. But it’s not all business: for those who don’t want to take a lunch break, “Madams” dressed in period attire provide instructive and enthusiastic tours of the location where Skagway’s early transplants used to have fun.
You might have figured by now that Red Onion Saloon is a little more lively than your average museum visitor would expect, but that’s part of its charm. Skagway in the 1890s was not the cleanest of places, and its stories some scandalous, some sad, but never uninteresting are what this unique museum is all about.
Skagway has several of Gold Rush-related attractions, including the Klondike Gold Rush National History Park and the White Pass Yukon Railroad. (Ever wished to take a train across national borders? (This one crosses into Canada.)