Anchorage Attractions

The Alaska Zoo is a 30 acre facility with a variety of native wildlife species including bears wolves, musk oxen, and reindeer to name a few of the favorites. The Alaska Zoo also has a small collection of exotic animals, including Siberian tigers, camels, and an elephant.

The Anchorage Museum of History and Art contains a broad range of art and historical items related to Alaska and the arctic. The permanent collection includes 17,500 objects and also maintains a large collection of historical photographs. The Anchorage Museum is visited annually by 20 traveling exhibits from around the world.

Rust's Flying Service has been in business since 1963 offering flightseeing sea plane tours to Mount McKinley, Denali National Park, and Knik and Columbia glaciers. The planes can also take visitors to remote Alaska fishing lodges or wildlife viewing.

The Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum in Anchorage restores and displays vintage aircraft, photographs and other related memorabilia honoring pioneers of Alaska aviation. There is also a video presentation on the history of aviation in Alaska.

The Alaska Experience Theater features the Safequake Theatre as well as the shows Journey to Alaska and Northern Lights Adventure.

There is also an earthquake exhibit on the 1964 earthquake which measured 9.2 on the Richter Scale.

Located in the National Bank of Alaska Building in Anchorage, the Alaska Heritage Library and Museum explores Alaska Native culture and displays over 900 Native art pieces and artifacts. The library houses more than 2,500 books on Alaska subjects.

A highlight of the exhibits is a scaled down stagecoach and presentation on Wells Fargo's role in the Alaskan Gold Rush.

The Alaska Museum of Natural History offers exhibits on Alaskan rock, minerals, and fossils, including information on dinosaurs, native artifacts, and dioramas of Alaskan wilderness and wildlife.

The humanities collection features sculpture, illustrations, original paintings and drawings, photos, maps and texts. There are 4 Alaskan wildlife dioramas, featuring numerous mounts of Alaskan birds and mammals, as well as skeletal remains of moose, man, skulls and birds.

The Alaska Public Lands Information Center in downtown Anchorage provides information and exhibits on Alaska's native culture and wildlife. Visitors can also obtain State Park permits, get assistance with trip planning as well as purchase books and maps.

The Alaska Trooper Museum highlights the history of law enforcement in Alaska through information and displays. The dedicated officers brought law and order to an unusual and distant jurisdiction.

Chugach State Park near Anchorage covers 700 square miles, making it the third largest state park in the United States. The terrain of mountains, rivers, lakes and glaciers is home to wolves, moose, bears, beavers, lynx, and other wildlife. It is a popular area for hiking, skiing, and camping.

Potter Point Section House, at mile 115 on the Seward Highway is the park office.

Wolf Song of Alaska has a museum and education center to educate the public about the wolf. There are dioramas to show wolves in their natural habitat along with other species that call Alaska home. Exhibits focus on interactions between wolves and their prey as well as wolves' behavior and the social structure of their packs.

Era Aviation offers helicopter tours which last from 50 minutes to 2 hours and include a flight over Anchorage and the Chugach Mountains. Also offered are flights in DC-3's over Mt. McKinley, Prince William Sound, and other nearby areas.

H2Oasis Indoor Waterpark in Anchorage is an indoor waterpark featuring a wave pool, a 575-foot long lazy river, a Pirate Ship-themed interactive children's play area, hot tubs, and a Master Blaster uphill water coaster. Swimming and kayak lessons are also available.

The Imaginarium in Anchorage offers hands-on science and technology displays. As Alaska's only hands-on Science Center, the Imaginarium allows visitors to learn and have fun with science. There is also a reptile and marine life exhibit, bubble lab, and planetarium.

The National Archives in Anchorage maintains records retired from Federal agencies and courts in Alaska. Services available to the public include genealogy and historical research with documents, photographs, maps, and architectural drawings, dating from about 1867 to the present.

Built in 1915, this woodframed house has been restored and furnished in period with items from the Anderson family on display. Oscar Anderson proclaimed himself the 18th person to set foot in Anchorage. A guided tour provides information on the early history of Anchorage, the railroad boom, the pioneers and of course, Oscar Anderson.

The Musk Ox Farm is a non-profit organization located in Palmer. Visitors can view the animals and photograph one of the Arctic's oldest living species. Tours are available offering details on the history of the musk ox as well as how they have been domesticated.

The Musk Ox Project promotes the use of qiviut (the fine under-wool of the musk ox) in the Arctic native textile industry. Villages throughout Alaska create scarves, nachaqs (Eskimo smoke rings) and luxurious caps using traditional designs.

There are a number of towns and attractions in the Anchorage surrounding area which can be accessed by road or air.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport opened in 1953 and services a number of national and international destinations. The south terminal handles domestic flights and the north terminal services international flights.

The airport was named in honor of Ted Stevens, Alaska's Senior U.S. Senator, in 2000. In 2007, the Anchorage Rental Car Center opened featuring all airport car rental concessionaires in one building.

Named for the first elected governor of Alaska, the 45,000 square foot William A. Egan Civic and Convention Center offers a prime location for exhibits and meetings. The interior is decorated with native Alaskan art.

Check the convention center website for details on upcoming events.

Due to plans to evaluate upgrading the facilities, museum, education center and museum gift shop Wolf Song will be closed until further notice.

The Wolf Museum is designed to inform the public about the wolf and dispel myths which portray the animal in a negative image. Information on the natural behavior of the wolf, photographs, and dioramas are presented.