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How big is Alaska, and what makes it unique?
- Made up of five distinct regions and twice the size of Texas, the last frontier of Alaska boasts spectacular natural beauty.
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What natural features can visitors explore in Alaska?
- Alaska’s landscape features magnificent glaciers, verdant alpine forests, and deep, tranquil lakes, making it a paradise for outdoor lovers and recreational enthusiasts.
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What activities can visitors enjoy in Alaska?
- Whether you’re heading into the great wide yonder alone or with kids, you’ll find a wealth of fun adventures, attractions, and activities to enjoy.
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What unique experiences does Alaska offer?
- Visitors can try panning for gold at one of several gold mine museums and centers.
- Strolling around St. Paul Harbor offers a chance to watch fishermen work their trade.
- Celebrate winter at the Willow Winter Carnival, a fun seasonal event.
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1. Indian Valley Mine
Indian Valley Mine is a historic quartz mine and popular tourist attraction in the community of Indian on the north shore of Turnagain Arm. Discovered in 1910 by Peter Strong, who came to Alaska during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush in search of gold, Indian Valley Mine is now a major tourist attraction just outside Anchorage that offers fun for the whole family, seven days a week during the summer season. The mine features three collapsed mine shafts, a hand-dug gully that carries water to the site, a rustic cabin selling souvenirs and recreational gold panning where visitors can try their hand at finding gold.
27301 Seward Hwy, Indian, AK 99540, Phone: 907-444-6898
2. Crow Creek Historic Gold Mine
Established in 1896, Crow Creek Historic Gold Mine is a gold-mining camp and tourist attraction that offers recreational gold panning and a family-friendly summer concert series. Set in a picturesque valley high in the Chugach Mountains less than an hour from Anchorage, the operational mine run by a mining family was once one of Alaska’s largest mines and boasts beautiful historic grounds with original buildings and an outdoor museum. Visitors to the attraction can try their hand at panning gold, running a creek-side sluice box, exploring turn-of-the-century mining equipment in the museum, enjoying guided tours of the site led by third-generation miners, and exploring the mine’s 400 acres and its hiking trails, one of which is the Historic Iditarod Trail.
601 Crow Creek Rd, Girdwood, AK 99587, Phone: 907-229-3105
3. Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure
Nestled within the lush Tongass National Forest, Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure is a unique Alaskan botanical garden that offers a one-of-a-kind experience. The vast gardens are home to 50 acres of temperate rainforest - the largest national forest in the US, spectacular hanging gardens falling from 15-foot-tall upside-down trees called Flower Towers, and the 600-foot Thunder Mountain with amazing cliff-side panoramic views of Juneau. Visitors can explore the gardens on guided tours that follow two miles of winding trails through the beautifully designed and manicured gardens, soaking up breathtaking views of Douglas Island, the Gastineau Channel, the Mendenhall Valley, and the Chilkat Mountains.
7600 Glacier Hwy, Juneau, AK 99801, Phone: 907-790-3377
4. Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts
The Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts showcases local and regional arts and crafts. Designed and built in 1967 to resemble a southeast Alaska tribal hall complete with exterior masks that represent animal spirits. The Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts features several rotating art exhibitions, including solo shows, traveling exhibits, group exhibits, and three annually juried exhibits, all of which are housed in the Bear Gallery. The center is also home to a 368-seat full production theater, a two-story Exhibit Hall with an open mezzanine level which houses a gallery filled with old photographs of early Fairbanks. The center also has a kitchen, a conference room and several offices of the Fairbanks Arts Association.
2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701, Phone: 907-459-1087
5. Willow Winter Carnival
The Willow Winter Carnival is an annual celebration of winter in Alaska that is held at the end of January and beginning of February each year. Established over 50 years ago, the carnival features a variety of events that take place on Willow Lake and in the nearby Willow Community Center, where the celebration kicks off with a dinner on the first night. Other exciting happenings at the carnival include sled dog races, foot races and fat-tire bike races, talent contests, $1,000 bingo cash pots, and the state’s biggest winter fireworks display. The second weekend features the “Talent or Not” competition in which jugglers, dancers, singers, and fire twirlers take to the stage to showcase their skills or lack thereof.
69 Parks Hwy, Willow, AK 99688, Phone: 907-495-6633
6. Alutiiq Museum
The Alutiiq Museum , also known as the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, is a museum and cultural center that celebrates the cultural traditions of the Alutiiq tribe of the Alaska Native people who were the original inhabitants of the Kodiak archipelago. The museum was established to preserve the precious native heritage of the Koniag Alutiiq branch of the Sugpiaq ~ Alutiiq people whose population was decimated during the 19th century. The museum features fascinating exhibits that showcase 1000-year-old petroglyphs found in the archipelago, harpoons and tools, masked dancing exhibits, and details about the Alutiiq language, which is now being taught in local schools again.
215 Mission Rd # 101, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone: 844-425-8844
7. Gold Rush Museum and Skagway Park Service Visitor Center
The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a national historical park that commemorates the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. The park is divided into four sections – including three in Skagway Alaska and one in Seattle’s Pioneer Square National Historic District. The areas in Skagway feature beautifully preserved historic buildings and a modern visitor’s center located at the former White Pass, and Yukon Railroad Depot that was built in 1898 and was once was a significant part of Skagway life until 1969. The center features a variety of informative exhibits showcasing the history of the area and visitors can explore the park on ranger-led guided and self-guided tours.
Gold Rush Museum and Skagway Park Service Visitor Center , 291 Broadway, Skagway, AK 99840, Phone: 907-983-9200
8. Kodiak Maritime Museum (KMM)
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Kodiak Maritime Museum (KMM) is a small museum that preserves the history and heritage of Kodiak’s rich maritime culture. Established in 1996 by a group of commercial fishermen, the museum is one without walls and celebrates the island’s maritime history with a variety displays that include three rotating satellite exhibits at the bank and college and 14 interpretive signs at St. Paul Harbor. Exhibitions include large, full-color panels that showcase the work of local fishermen, such as a photographic retrospective of king-crab fishing’s boom years and the Coast Guard. The museum also offers walking tours, live performances and other interpretive activities.
500 Alimaq Dr., Trident Way, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone: 907-486-0384
9. Museum of the Aleutians
The Museum of the Aleutians is a cultural center that documents the history and heritage of the community of Unalaska and the Aleutian Islands. Opened in 1999, the museum features stimulating permanent and rotating exhibits that include collections of art, artifacts from Russian fur traders, and items and objects from World War II. Other notable things to see include interactive displays, videos and dioramas showcasing the lives of the hardy and inventive Unangan people dating back 9,000 years, and collections of ancient tools, baskets, skin clothing that were used in their daily lives. The Museum Store sells a range of souvenirs such as apparel, stationery, local artwork, and unique book titles relating to the Aleutian land, its people and their history.
314 Salmon Way, Unalaska, AK 99685, Phone: 907-581-5150
Annual Alaska Events:
- Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival - Feb 5-8, 2025
- Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival - Every July
- Alaska State Fair - Palmer, Every August
- Blueberry Arts Festival - Ketchikan, Every August
- Sitka WhaleFest - Sitka, November 1st-3rd
- Seward 4th of July Celebration - Seward, Every 4th of July
- Nenana Ice Classic - Nenana, April/May
Plan Your Trip
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