Alaska attractions

For a swift introduction to Alaska’s culture, wildlife, and landscapes, a visit to the University of Alaska’s Museum of the North is a must. One of Fairbanks’ most popular attractions, the museum offers exhibits on everything from Indigenous cultures and the gold rush to dinosaurs, polar bears, and woolly mammoths. There are daily films as well, featuring adventures into the Arctic and the mysteries of the northern lights.

The city of Juneau shines a spotlight on its rich cultural heritage and history at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum. Exhibits are entertaining and hands-on, with displays including a full-scale replica fish trap, interactive mining gallery, totem poles, Tlingit artifacts, historic photographs, and a detailed relief map of Juneau.

Sheer drops and bright green forests characterize the view from the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. From your seat in a historic train car, the whole experience is a marvel of not only nature, but engineering. Gain 2,888 feet (880 meters) of elevation on the Steam Summit Loop (one of the steepest grades in North America) as a working steam engine pulls you through the remote beauty of the Alaskan wilderness.

For a quick introduction to Skagway’s rich and colorful past, a visit to the Skagway Museum is a must. Artifacts, photographs, and historical records bring the area's past alive, from the original Tlingit culture to the Klondike Gold Rush and present-day Alaskan life. Housed in Alaska’s first stone building, the museum’s granite facade is a sight in itself.

The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center is the go-to place in Fairbanks for tourist information, maps, and a brief introduction to Alaska Native history and culture. The center features films and exhibits showcasing the culture, wildlife, and landscapes of the Alaskan Interior, and is home to the Alaska Public Lands Information Center and the Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs.

Located on land near the waters of Alaska’s Sitka Sound, with mountain slopes as a backdrop, the Sitka Sound Science Center is as incredible inside as it looks from the outside. Its aquarium is full of must-see exhibits, such as an 800-gallon tank with Alaskan sea life and an on-site salmon hatchery. The center is housed in a historic building.

Constructed in the 1840s while Alaska was under Russian rule, St. Michael’s Cathedral was once the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America. Sadly, the church caught fire in 1966, but the townspeople salvaged what they could of the church and rebuilt an exact replica. Today, the landmark houses an important collection of Russian Orthodox art and church artifacts.

Alaska’s Iditarod National Historic Trail is a network of over 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) of trails that once connected Alaskan Native villages. This historic trail system stretches from Seward to Nome, and was an important supply route during the Alaska Gold Rush. Today, the route is a popular outdoor recreation trail and the site of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Located along the shores of Seward’s Resurrection Bay, the Alaska SeaLife Center is the state’s only public aquarium and marine wildlife rehabilitation center. Learn all about Alaska’s diverse marine life while getting up close and personal with harbor seals, sea lions, puffins, and much more.

Delve into wildlife, scenery, and history at the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary—a one-stop-shop for Alaska’s natural wonders. Set in the temperate rainforest, the sanctuary is home to lush forests, a salmon spawning stream, historic sawmill, and a totem pole park. Raised boardwalks offer the chance to view black bears, eagles, and more.

Opened in 1967 as part of the Alaska 67 Centennial Exposition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Alaska purchase, Pioneer Park is a historical theme park featuring museums, gold rush era relics, amusement rides, restaurants, and more. The 44-acre (109-hectare) park is one of the city’s most popular destinations, drawing visitors and locals interested in reliving Alaska’s early years.

The Juneau Cruise Port sits right alongside the historic downtown area, within walking distance of seafood restaurants and frontier-themed shops. There’s plenty to see and do right off the boat in the state capital, but the port also serves as a jumping-off point for excursions to Mendenhall Glacier and the Alaskan wilderness.

At the height of its gold rush, Ketchikan’s red-light district on Creek Street held around 30 bordellos. Dolly Arthur was one of Ketchikan’s better-known madams before prostitution was outlawed; today her parlor and boudoir are preserved as a museum that's filled with memorabilia commemorating the roaring days of the early 20th century.

Comprised of the rolling hills, forests, and alpine tundra surrounding the Chena River outside of Fairbanks, the Chena River State Recreation Area offers a host of outdoor adventures in any season. Home to abundant wildlife, it draws visitors hoping to spy bears, moose, and wolves, while the river attracts paddlers and anglers hoping to hook a grayling in one of the stocked ponds.

More than 100 miles long, Alaska’s Tolovana River winds through and creates a remote, spruce-lined wilderness known for its solitude, hot springs, and, to anglers, its superb grayling, northern pike, and salmon fishing. Roughly 50 air miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Fairbanks and not accessible via road, adventures on this waterway are for those who thrive on deep backcountry adventures.

Herbert Glacier’s white-blue ice fields and dramatic walls offer an accessible yet secluded glacier viewing opportunity in the expansive Juneau Icefield. Reachable on helicopter tours and via a scenic hiking trail, the Herbert Glacier is set against the backdrop of majestic peaks, giving visitors a quintessential Alaska glacier experience.

Situated on the western edge of Alaska’s Cook Inlet, Lake Clark National Park is one of America’s most remote and least-visited national parks. With towering peaks, tumbling glaciers, active volcanoes, and glacier-fed rivers that are rich in sockeye salmon; Lake Clark is Alaska wilderness at its finest. Adventurous visitors are drawn to the park’s remoteness and the chance to view one of the park’s many resident brown bears.

Mount Alyeska takes its name from the Aleut word meaning "great land"—from which the state’s name was derived. Located in the western Chugach range, Mount Alyeska is part of the largest ski area in the state—the Alyeska Resort. The panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and surrounding mountains and glaciers from the top of Mount Alyeska are a must-see.

During the Klondike Gold Rush days, Skagway was a rough-drinking town, boasting more than 80 saloons. The Mascot Saloon was one of the longest-operating saloons of the era, and is now overseen by the National Park Service as a museum and monument to Skagway’s colorful past.

Surrounded by toppling mountains on the northern edge of Resurrection Bay, you can feel Alaska’s hard-working spirit come to life at the Seward Boat Harbor. With sea birds scouting out the salmon from the sky, fishing boats recounting their catch, tour boats heading off for an adventure, and all walks of life visiting nearby shops and restaurants, there’s never a dull moment at the harbor.

A wealthy suburban town in Berkshire, Ascot is both a popular base for affluent commuters and a year-round destination for horse racing fans. Though well-liked for its proximity to LEGOLAND®, London, and Windsor Castle, Ascot is best known for the Ascot Racecourse, site of the annual Royal Ascot and other annual horse racing events which draw crowds of rich and famous spectators.

A branch of the Cook Inlet just south of Anchorage, the Turnagain Arm is known for its high tides, incredible marine life spotting opportunities, and unparalleled access to outdoor recreation. A 50-mile (80-kilometer stretch of the Seward Highway hugs the Turnagain Arm from Anchorage to Portage Glacier and is one of the top scenic drives in Alaska.

Artifacts and documents detailing Alaska's history—its original inhabitants, natural history, occupation by Russia, and eventual purchase and statehood—have a home in the striking and lofty Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff building in downtown Juneau. The expansive Alaska Native collection features items from the region's major cultural groups.

The thunderous splash of calving glaciers is a common sound in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. A UNESCO World Heritage Site on the border between Alaska and Canada, the massive park gets its name from the huge number of glaciers that creep from snowcapped mountains into the bay, creating spectacular displays of ice and iceberg formation.

Set on the campus of the former Sheldon Jackson College in downtown Sitka, the Sheldon Jackson Museum is dedicated to Alaska's cultural history and is one of the oldest museums in the state. An extensive collection of Native artifacts provides insight into the history of Aleut and Alutiiq, Athabascan, Inupiat and Yup'ik, and Northwest Coast cultures, and highlights include a full-size Tlingit dugout canoe and argillite carvings.

Alaska’s red-brick state capitol in Juneau is atypically austere, lacking a dome or sprawling grounds. Yet the building does feature porticos of marble from Prince Wales Island, and inside, two murals depict the harvest from both land and sea, while carvings highlight the industries Alaska relies on for its livelihood.

Located off the coast of Seward in Resurrection Bay, Fox Island is a popular sea kayaking and hiking destination. The island is largely mountainous and the coastline’s rocky coves are home to puffins, sea lions, seals, and more. The secluded island is also home to two state parks, Sandspit Point State Marine Park and Sunny Cove State Marine Park, and a high-end all-inclusive resort.

Located on Lake Hood—the world’s busiest seaplane base—Alaska Aviation Museum celebrates Alaska’s aviation history. Flight is an important part of state history as it opened the remote state to the world. Through aircraft displays and exhibits, Alaska Aviation Museum tells the stories of Alaska’s aviation pioneers.

The history, art, and culture of Ketchikan and Southeast Alaska are preserved and promoted by the Tongass Historical Museum, whose permanent collection includes artifacts and tools that originated in Alaska Native communities, historical items from Ketchikan’s fishing industry, and an excellent selection of photographic material.

With more than 1,100 species of perennials and 150 of native flora, the Alaska Botanical Garden is a great spot to learn about subarctic native plants and horticulture. Despite Alaska’s harsh climate, wildflowers and hardy perennials such as poppies, peonies, iris, lilies, and roses flourish in Alaska’s nearly constant summer daylight.