Things to Do in Alaska

• What is the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway?
  • The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway is a Canadian and American narrow gauge railroad that links Skagway in Alaska and Whitehorse in Yukon.
• When was the railway built?
  • It was built in 1900 during the Klondike Gold Rush as the fastest way for miners to reach the goldfields.
• What happened to the railway after the gold rush?
  • It operated until 1982 and was resurrected in 1988 as a heritage railway.
• What can passengers experience on the White Pass & Yukon Route?
  • Passengers can travel back in time, riding the rails on a real gold rush train, passing by waterfalls, glacial rivers, steep gorges, and dense forests that remain largely unchanged since the gold miners' era.
• How high does the train climb?
  • The train climbs up 3,000 feet with passengers aboard parlor cars, both vintage and replicas, featuring huge windows and observation decks.
• What are some notable sights along the route?
  • The breathtaking scenery includes places like Dead Horse Gulch and Inspiration Point, leading up to the headwaters of the legendary Yukon River.

231 2nd, Skagway, Alaska 99840, Phone: 907-983-2217, Map

• What is the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center?
  • Located about 28 miles from Haines, Alaska, the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center is an amazing place where filmmaker and naturalist Steve Kroschel cares for abandoned or orphaned wild animals from Alaska and Canada.
• Is the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center a zoo?
  • No, it is not a zoo. The animals live free and unmolested in their natural environment, providing visitors with incredible photo opportunities.
• What can visitors experience at the wildlife center?
  • Visitors can walk along a well-groomed trail for about 600 yards through the magnificent Alaskan wilderness while observing the animals.
• What animals can be seen at the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center?
  • You will encounter 15 species of animals, including grizzly bears, foxes, wolves, lynx, moose, reindeer, owls, and more.
• What is Steve Kroschel's mission?
  • Steve combines his filmmaking and animal care with a message about the interconnectedness of all life on Earth and natural healing.

Mile 18 Mosquito Lake Road, Haines, AK 99827, Phone: 907-767-5464, Map

• What is the Sealaska Heritage Institute?
  • Sealaska Heritage Institute is a nonprofit organization in downtown Juneau, originally founded in 1980 to preserve and protect the region's Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida indigenous cultures.
• Where is the Sealaska Heritage Institute located?
  • The institute moved into its permanent home at the Walter Soboleff Building in 2015.
• What is the mission of the Sealaska Heritage Institute?
  • The institute strives to create a place where Native and non-Native Alaskans alike can learn about their heritage through permanent exhibits and special event programming.
• What exhibits can visitors see at the museum?
  • The museum's permanent cultural exhibit showcases a variety of works by prominent Native artists, including luminaries such as Wayne Price, Robert Davidson, Preston Singletary, and David Boxley.
• What special features does the museum have?
  • A traditional clan house dubbed as Shuká Hít is showcased, along with space for rotating art and cultural exhibits.
• What major public art exhibits are displayed?
  • Three major public art exhibits are showcased on the museum's grounds, including a 40-foot panel exhibit by Robert Davidson paying tribute to a Haida supernatural figure known as "Greatest Echo."

105 S Seward St, Juneau, AK 99801, Phone: (907) 463-4844, Map

Juneau events:
- Alaska Folk Festival - April 7-13, 2025
- Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival - Feb 5-8, 2025
- Juneau Maritime Festival - May 4-5, 2025
- Capital Brewfest - September 28, 2024
- Juneau 4th of July Parade - Every 4th of July
- Golden North Salmon Derby - Every August

• What is the Kodiak Laboratory Aquarium & Touch Tank?
  • The Kodiak Laboratory Aquarium & Touch Tank is a 3,500-gallon freestanding aquarium and touch tank located at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
• What species can be found in the aquarium and touch tank?
  • The aquarium contains species from the Kodiak Island waterways, including crabs, shrimp, snails, starfish, and various types of fish.
• Can visitors interact with the sea life?
  • Yes, children and adults alike will enjoy handling the residents of the touch tank, making for an interactive and educational experience.
• Are there guides available for visitors?
  • Tour guides are on hand to provide information about the sea life and answer visitor questions.
• What other attractions are at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center?
  • The science center's conference rooms offer fantastic views of the water, and visitors can marvel at the massive 25,000-square-foot complex that houses the aquarium.

301 Research Court, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone: 907-481-1700, Map

• What is the Alaska Native Heritage Center?
  • The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage is a cultural center, museum, and gathering place where visitors can learn about the heritage of eleven of Alaska's major cultures.
• What activities can visitors experience at the center?
  • Visitors can view exhibitions, watch artists’ demonstrations, enjoy songs and dances, and listen to storytelling.
• What events take place in the Gathering Place?
  • The Gathering Place hosts Alaskan Native dancing, Native games demonstrations, and mesmerizing storytelling.
• What can visitors see in the Hall of Cultures?
  • The Hall of Cultures features exhibitions by Alaskan Native artists, and artists sell their art and crafts around the hall.
• What films are shown at the Alaska Native Heritage Center?
  • The theatre showcases the Heritage Center-produced film, “Stories Given, Stories Shared”, along with other movies about Alaska's cultures and peoples.
• What outdoor exhibits are available at the center?
  • Outside the center, visitors can explore six life-sized Alaskan Native dwellings scattered in the woods around Lake Tiulana, where they can see demonstrations of traditional Alaskan life.

8800 Heritage Center Dr, Anchorage, AK99504-6100, Phone: 907-330-8000 , Map

• What is the Aurora Ice Museum?
  • Located in Chena Hot Springs Resort, the Aurora Ice Museum is open year-round and was created with over 1,000 tons of ice and snow.
• What is the temperature inside the museum?
  • The museum is kept at 25° Fahrenheit (-7° Celsius), so visitors are loaned parkas to tour the museum in comfort.
• What can visitors see inside the museum?
  • The museum contains a gallery displaying sculptures by world champion ice carvers Steve and Heather Brice, an observation tower, and themed bedrooms such as the polar bear, Christmas tree, and children’s fort rooms.
• Does the museum feature any unique attractions?
  • Visitors can explore a Northern Lights room, an ice outhouse, and chandeliers that change color to evoke the aurora borealis.
• Can the museum be used for special events?
  • An ice altar can be rented for onsite special events or weddings.

17600 Chena Hot Springs Road, Fairbanks, AK 99712, Phone: 907-451-8104, Map

• What is the Running Reindeer Ranch?
  • Less than half an hour from downtown Fairbanks, the Running Reindeer Ranch offers visitors the opportunity to learn all about these curious animals of the north.
• Who runs the Running Reindeer Ranch?
  • The ranch is owned and managed by Jane, who has lived most of her life in Alaska and shares her knowledge about reindeer and their environment.
• What can visitors experience at the ranch?
  • Visitors can take a walk through the dense birch forest with the reindeer, engage in reindeer games, and learn about the forest ecosystem and the reindeer’s adaptations to life in the Arctic.
• Do the reindeer roam freely?
  • Yes, the reindeer run free and happy in their natural forest world, untrained and often unpredictable, making each visit a unique adventure.
• What happens after the walk?
  • After the walk, Jane invites visitors into a warm room by a fire, where they can enjoy cookies and a hot drink while she shares stories about life in the north and the reindeer.
• What can visitors see during the summer?
  • In the summer, Jane proudly shows visitors her vegetable garden, which thrives under Alaska’s unique growing conditions.

Running Reindeer Ranch, Goldstream Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99709, Phone: 907-455-4998

• What is the Husky Homestead?
  • If you've ever wondered what it feels like to stand on a dog sled speeding across 1,000 miles of frozen Alaskan tundra, the Husky Homestead offers the next best experience.
• Who runs the Husky Homestead?
  • The homestead is run by legendary Jeff King, a four-time Iditarod champion and winner of hundreds of other sled dog races across North America.
• What can visitors learn at the Husky Homestead?
  • Visitors get an inside look at the Alaskan lifestyle, including its hardships, challenges, and of course, the incredible huskies.
• What activities are available at the Husky Homestead?
  • Guests can hear great stories from Jeff and his staff, many of whom are also famous mushers. They can also play with husky puppies and watch fully-grown sled dogs train and work.
• Where is the Husky Homestead located?
  • The Husky Homestead is located within Denali National Park, offering visitors a stunning natural setting.
• How do visitors get to the Husky Homestead?
  • All visitors are transported to the homestead by Husky Homestead buses from Denali hotels.

Husky Homestead, PO Box 48,, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755, Phone: 907-683-2904

Watch this incredible video about dog sledding in Alaska.

• What is the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center?
  • Located on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center serves as a regional visitor center for Interior Alaska and Fairbanks.
• Who operates the center?
  • The center is a collaboration between the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Tanana Chiefs Conference, and the Alaska Public Lands Information Center.
• What exhibits are available at the center?
  • The center features a 9,000-square-foot exhibit hall with dioramas and displays showcasing the seasons and landscapes of rural Alaska.
• What services does the visitor center provide?
  • The information center offers brochures, walking and driving tour schedules, a vacancy listing, and answers to visitor questions and inquiries.
• Does the center have a theatre?
  • Yes, the center includes a theatre that offers free films on Alaska’s natural and cultural history.

Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, 101 Dunkel St, Fairbanks, AK 99701-4806, Phone: 907-459-3700

• What is the Alaska Raptor Center?
  • The Alaska Raptor Center was founded in 1980 by two Sitka residents who wanted to help injured raptor birds in Alaska.
• How did the Alaska Raptor Center begin?
  • It started in a backyard with one injured bald eagle and later moved to a shed on the Sheldon Jackson College campus before settling in 1991 at its current 17-acre space on the Indian River.
• What is the mission of the Alaska Raptor Center?
  • The center provides medical care and treatment to about 200 injured birds each year, primarily bald eagles, with the goal of rehabilitating and releasing them back into the wild.
• What happens to birds that cannot be released?
  • Birds that are too severely injured to survive in the wild remain at the center’s Raptors-in-Residence facility, where they are part of an educational program for tourists and schoolchildren.
• What educational programs does the center offer?
  • The center educates visitors about raptor birds and environmental conservation, helping to raise awareness about protecting Alaska's wildlife.

1000 Raptor Way, Sitka, AK 99835-9302, Phone: 800-643-9425, Map