Alaska Tourist Attractions  

"Must See Tourist Attractions in Alaska."

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Often considered America's last frontier, Alaska is an exciting destination for the adventure traveler. As well as the glaciers of the Inside Passage that are so familiar to cruise ship passengers, Juneau and the Southeast Panhandle is also the location of the very interesting Sitka National Historic Park and the town of Skagway, staging point for the Klondike Gold Rush. Visit the fascinating and isolated Aleutian Islands, and the communities of King Salmon and Katmai National Park and Preserve. The central part of the state has the world famous Denali National Park, and it is linked by one of the worlds great scenic railroads to the cities of Anchorage—the state's main commercial centre and home to half of its residents, and Fairbanks—at the geographical center of Alaska and a major supply point for the lucrative oil industry.

ATTRACTIONS

Interior   Southwest   South Central   Inside Passage   National Parks

Interior

University of Alaska Museum - The University of Alaska Museum, the state's primary repository of natural and cultural history, is internationally recognized for its comprehensive northern collections. Nowhere else is there such a combination of comprehensive collections, professional curation and research on Alaska's social and biotic diversity.

El Dorado Goldmine - In Interior Alaska, the El Dorado is an historic mine in the district where the rush started back in 1902. Today the rush continues with visitors who want an authentic experience learning to extract gold from the earth.

Riverboat Discovery - Enjoy an unforgettable three and a half hour cruise into the history of Interior Alaska, aboard the authentic sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery III.

Fairbanks Ice Museum - Billed as 'The Coolest Show in Town,' the Ice Museum, in the historic Lacey Street Theater on Second Ave. and Lacey Street, is home to the Ice Showcase and Freeze Frame. Freeze Frame is a dynamic large screen multi-image presentation that tracks, from start to finish, the process of Ice Art, the International Ice Sculpting Competition held each March in Fairbanks.

The Carlson Center - The Carlson Center is Fairbanks' premier entertainment, sports, meeting and convention facility.

Southwest

Kodiak Baranov Museum - The Baranov Museum is housed in one of only four Russian-built structures remaining in the United States today. Originally built by Aleksandr Baranov in the early 1800’s as a fur warehouse, it is the only log building remaining in Kodiak on its original site.

Dig Afognak Archeological Expedition - Dig Afognak Archeological Expedition offers you an opportunity to learn about Alutiiq history and culture, while discovering the natural history, geology and botany of Afognak Island.

Museum of the Aleutians - The Museum of the Aleutians is a 9,400 square foot building and is the only archaeological research and Museum storage facility for the Aleutian Region.

South Central

Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum - The mission of the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum is the collection, preservation, and public presentation of Alaska's aviation history, 1897 to present.

Alaska Museum of Natural History - The mission of the Alaska Museum of Natural History is to collect, conserve, research, interpret, and exhibit natural history materials and data on geology, biology, ecology, archaeology, and human adaptations as found in Alaska; and to promote, develop, and present educational programs that benefit the people and enrich the curricula of the schools and universities in Alaska.

The Imaginarium - Located in downtown Anchorage, The Imaginarium resembles a living laboratory, where you can stand inside a bubble, ponder the magnitude of the universe in a planetarium, discover ocean life in a marine touch tank, observe and touch exotic reptiles, or learn the principles of physics while playing with specialized toys.

The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry - The mission of the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry is the collection, conservation, preservation, display, and interpretation of artifacts related to Alaska's transportation and industrial history.

Alaska State Trooper Museum - The Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers (F.O.A.S.T.) operates a museum in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. The museum tells the colorful story of a dedicated team of police officers who have brought law and order to one of the most unusual, rugged and farflung jurisdictions under the American flag. As well as the museum, F.O.A.S.T. operates a well-stocked gift shop.

Valdez Museum & Historical Archive - The permanent exhibits on display reflect the history of Valdez and the Prince William Sound Region from its earliest days when Native Americans first occupied the area to the present day.

Eklutna Historical Park - Established to preserve the heritage and traditions of the Athabascan people, and to portray the rapidly disappearing lifestyles of the Dena'ina Athabascan Indians in Southcentral Alaska. The park features the Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, a cemetery with colorful spirit houses and displays that explore the fascinating history of the Russian influence on Athabaskan culture.

Big Game Alaska Wildlife Center - On the shores of Turnagain Arm, surrounded by mountains and hanging glaciers, Big Game Alaska Wildlife Center is the perfect place to learn about Alaska wildlife.  (907) 783-2025.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies - The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies' mission is to foster responsible interaction with our natural surroundings, and to generate knowledge of the marine and coastal ecosystems of Kachemak Bay through education and research programs.

Prince William Sound Science Center - The Prince William Sound Science Center is an independent, nonprofit research organization located in Cordova in southeastern Prince William Sound, Alaska. The Science Center was established in 1989 to conduct and facilitate scientific studies on the ecology of the region. The Center's programs take an ecosystem approach to research, monitoring and management of natural resources.

Wolf Country USA - Wolf Country USA features a wolf tour, gold panning, RV camper park, gift shop and more. Stop by and take a tour of their tame, friendly wolves. The experience will be a lifetime memory to cherish forever. Try your luck at Gold Panning and shop in their one-of-a-kind gift shop. All surrounded by the beautiful Alaskan mountain ranges with their snow capped tops.

Alaska Native Heritage Center - The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a gathering place that celebrates, perpetuates and shares Alaska Native cultures. Since opening in 1999, the Center has become Alaska's premier interactive cultural destination.

Alaska Sealife Center - Witness 1000 pound Steller sea lions gliding past underwater viewing windows, puffins diving in a carefully crafted naturalistic habitat, and harbor seals hauled out on rocky beaches. Alaskan king crab, sea stars, and Pacific octopus also await you, as well as a whole variety of intertidal creatures and deep sea fishes.

Alaska Zoo - The mission of the Alaska Zoo is to exhibit the wildlife of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic in a natural setting for the recreational enjoyment and educational enrichment of Alaskan residents and visitors to the state.

The Pratt Museum - Indoor exhibits include changing art and natural history exhibits, native cultures, homesteading, natural history dioramas, fishing, marine mammals, aquaria, Exxon Valdez oil spill, and Museum store. Outdoor exhibits include historic Harrington Cabin, garden, and nature trail.

Inside Passage

Alaska Raptor Center - The Center is the leading medical treatment center for eagles and other birds of prey in Alaska. Patients and residents of the Alaska Raptor Center include bald eagles, golden eagles, hawks, ravens, falcons, owls and other wild birds. Each year, the Center teaches more than 40,000 visitors and 14,000 schoolchildren around the nation through its Adopt-A-Raptor and classroom visits program.

Alaska State Museum - As the official repository of the state's history, the Alaska State Museum is charged with collecting and interpreting a wealth of ethnographic and historical material. From an Aleut thimble basket to the life-sized eagle tree, the Alaska State Museum offers visitors a chance to ""see"" all the state within four walls.

Sheldon Jackson Museum - The museum was founded in 1888 to house an exceptional collection of Alaska Native ethnographic material, most of which had been gathered by Presbyterian missionary and General Agent of Education for Alaska, the Rev. Dr. Sheldon Jackson. In 1985, the state purchased the Sheldon Jackson Museum and now administers its collection of 6,000 objects.

Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure - Visitors can see beautiful display gardens nestled in the heart of Alaska’s rainforest. Ponds and waterfalls display Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Japanese Maples creating a dazzling contrast to the lush green background of the rainforest.

White Pass & Yukon Route Scenic Railroad - Against all odds, this iron trail was born of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush and built through some of the North's most ruggedly beautiful terrain. Today, it's a comfortable ride in refurbished train cars following the original route of the hopeful stampeders of 1898.

Klondike Gold Dredge Tours - Klondike Gold Dredge features 'A Historical Gold Mining Experience' through the relocation, restoration and preservation of an authentic gold dredge, featuring an interpretive presentation including a video, guided dredge tour & gold panning, which brings to life a part of Gold Mining Days Past.

Skagway Street Car Company - Skagway Street Car Company offers Alaska's best city tour! Ride beautiful 1920's vehicles with costumed conductors to all points of interest.

National Parks

Aleutian World War II National Historic Area - The Aleutian World War II National Historic Area encompasses the historic footprint of the U.S. Army base Fort Schwatka. Located on Amaknak Island in the Aleutian Island Chain of Alaska, the fort was one of four coastal defense posts built to protect Dutch Harbor (the back door to the United States) during World War II, the fort is also highest coastal battery ever constructed in the United States.

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve - The Aniakchak Caldera, is the result of a series of eruptions, the latest in 1911. Nearly six miles in diamerter and covering some ten square miles, it is one of the finest examples of dry caldera in the world. Located in the volcanically active Aleutian Mountains, the crater contains many outstanding examples of volcanic features, including lava flows, cinder cones, and explosion pits. Surprise Lake, located within the caldera, is the source of the Aniakchak River, which cascades through a 1,500-foot gash in the caldera wall. The site also contains the Aniakchak Wild River.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve - The Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is one of the most remote national park areas, located on the Seward Peninsula in northwest Alaska. The Preserve is a remnant of the land bridge that connected Asia with North America more than 13,000 years ago. The majority of this land bridge, once thousands of miles wide, now lies beneath the waters of the Chukchi and Bering Seas.

Cape Krusentern National Monument - Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a treeless coastal plain dotted with sizable lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills. Cape Krusenstern's bluffs and its series of 114 beach ridges record the changing shorelines of the Chukchi Sea over thousands of years.

Denali National Park and Preserve - It's more than a mountain. Denali National Park & Preserve features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers. Denali's more than 6 million acres also encompass a complete sub-arctic eco-system with large mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, and moose.

Gates of the Artic National Park and Preserve - By establishing Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve (GAAR) in Alaska's Brooks Range, Congress has reserved a vast and essentially untouched area of superlative natural beauty and exceptional scientific value - a maze of glaciated valleys and gaunt, rugged mountains covered with boreal forest and arctic tundra vegetation, cut by wild rivers, and inhabited by far-ranging populations of caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and bears (barren-ground grizzlies and black bears).

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve - The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve provides opportunities for adventure, a living laboratory for observing the ebb and flow of glaciers, and a chance to study life as it returns in the wake of retreating ice. Amidst majestic scenery, Glacier Bay offers us now, and for all time, a connection to a powerful and wild landscape.

Inupiat Heritage Center National Historic Park - The Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska was designated an affiliated area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts to ensure that the contributions of Alaska Natives to the history of whaling is recognized. More than 2000 whaling voyages from New Bedford sailed into arctic waters during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many Alaska Natives, particularly Inupiat Eskimo people, participated in commercial whaling. In addition to crewing on the ships they hunted for food for the whalers, provided warm fur clothing, and sheltered many crews that were shipwrecked on the Alaska coast.

Katmai National Park and Preserve - Katmai is famous for volcanoes, brown bears, fish, and rugged wilderness and is also the site of the Brooks River National Historic Landmark with North America's highest concentration of prehistoric human dwellings (about 900).

Klondike Gold Rush  National Historic Park - This park celebrates the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98 through 15 restored buildings within the Skagway Historic District. The park also administers the Chilkoot Trail and a small portion of the White Pass Trail. Included in the park is a portion of the Dyea Townsite at the foot of the Chilkoot Trail.

Kubuk Valley National Park - Kobuk Valley National Park is encircled by the Baird and Waring mountain ranges. The park povides protection for several important geographic features, including the central portion of the Kobuk River, the 25-sqaure-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, and the Little Kobuk and Hunt River dunes.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve - Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a composite of ecosystems representative of many regions of Alaska. The spectacular scenery stretches from the shores of Cook Inlet, across the Chigmit Mountains, to the tundra covered hills of the western interior. The Chigmits, where the Alaska and Aleutian Ranges meet, are an awesome, jagged array of mountains and glaciers which include two active volcanoes, Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamna. Lake Clark, 40 miles long, and many other lakes and rivers within the park are critical salmon habitat to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, one of the largest sockeye salmon fishing grounds in the world. Numerous lake and river systems in the park and preserve offer excellent fishing and wildlife viewing.

Noatak National Reserve - As one of North America's largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem, the Noatak River environs features some of the Artic's finest arrays of plants and animals. The river is classified as a national wild and scenic river, and offers surperlative wilderness float-trip opportunities - from deep in the Brooks Range to the tidewater of the Chukchi Sea.

Northwest Alaska Areas - Northwest Alaska Areas is a management unit which includes Noatak National Perserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Kobuk Valley National Park.

Sitak National Historic Site - Alaska's oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka. All that remains of this last major conflit between Europeans and Alaska Natives is the site of the Tlingit Fort and battlefield, located within this scenic 107 acre park in a temperate rain forest.

Wrangell  - St Elias National Park and Preserve - The Chugach, Wrangell, and St. Elias mountain ranges converge here in what is often referred to as the "mountain kingdom of North America." The largest unit of the National Park System and a day's drive east of Anchorage, the park-preserve includes the continent's largest assemblage of glaciers and the greatest collection of peaks above 16,000 feet. Mount St. Elias, at 18,008 feet, is the second highest peak in the United States. Adjacent to Canada's Kluane National Park, the site is characterized by remote mountains, valleys, wild rivers, and a variety of wildlife.

Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve - Located along the Canadian border in central Alaska, the preserve protects 115 miles of the 1,800-mile Yukon River and the entire Charley River basin. Numerous rustic cabins and historic sites are reminders of the importance of the Yukon River during the 1898 gold rush. Paleontological and archeological sites here add much to our knowledge of the environment thousands of years ago. Peregrine falcons nest in the high bluffs overlooking the river, while the rolling hills that make up the preserve are home to an abundant array of wildlife. The Charley, a 100-mile long wild river, is considered by many to be the most spectacular river in Alaska.

This week's Alaska articles

Best Alaska Day Cruise Destinations
by: Ryan Tollefsen

In Alaska there is a lot of great sightseeing to be had. Unfortunately much of it must be done by water or air. In this article I will help outline the top destinations for day cruising in Alaska as well as what you can expect on your journey.

When you are going to be on a day cruise it is important to remember to make plans for accommodations after your cruise is over. Each of these destinations does offer many wonderful accommodations options from Hotels to the stylish bed and breakfast. It is however important to make reservations ahead of time because during the peak season accommodations can be difficult to find.

The peak cruising season for each of these destinations is May through August. In May and June you can expect a good chance for the sun to be out. In July it will be on and off again type weather and in August there is a good chance you will find the rain. None the less, whether it is sunny or overcast a day cruise in Alaska is still a lot of fun.

Popular Alaska day cruise destinations:

Whittier – Whittier is a small town close to Anchorage that is now accessible by car or train. Through Whittier you will have access to all the beauty that can be found throughout the Prince William Sound. It is a well protected port with many amazing Glaciers nearby. There are several day cruise options out of this port and even a ferry that will take you all the way to Valdez if you like.

Valdez – From Anchorage you can reach Valdez by air, car or the ferry out of Whittier. Valdez also offers access to the amazing Prince William Sound with its crystal clear waters. Out of Valdez you are likely to see Glaciers, whales, puffin otters and more. Being one of the furthest ports from Anchorage can be a drawback of this day cruise destination but the beauties of the scenery will more than make up for it.

Seward – Seward is probably the most popular cruising port in Alaska. The large cruise ships will dock here because of the easy access. From Anchorage you can access Seward by car, tour bus or train. There are many Alaska day cruise options here including stop on private islands such as Fox Island. You will have the chance to see otters, sea lions, puffins, orcas and humpback whales. At this popular Alaska port there is never a dull moment.

Homer – Homer is known mainly as a fishing port however, there are still some day cruise options here. Homer can be accessed from Anchorage by car or air. There is a water taxi that will take you from Homer to the secluded town of Seldovia. There are private boats for hire that will allow you access into Tutka Bay and other secluded area nearby. Out of Homer you can expect to see many sea otters, puffin, humpback whales, beluga whales and even the occasional pilot whale.

One thing you will find that all of these great day cruise destinations have in common is the amazing experience to be had by all who participate. You will see sea life, most likely a glacier or two, possibly some orca or humpback whales but for sure everyone will witness the amazing landscapes and scenery Alaska has to offer. A day cruise in Alaska will definitely be an experience to remember.

The Northern Lights in Alaska
by: Ryan Tollefsen

Many people who have never been to Alaska have never experienced a display as powerful as the northern lights. Aurora borealis is the scientific name for this phenomenon. You may not even exactly understand what they look like, what causes them to happen or when the best time of year to view them in Alaska is. The point of this article is to help shed some light on these questions and help better educate visitors to Alaska so that they may enjoy the amazing spectacle that is commonly know as the northern lights.

What causes the northern lights?

Without getting too scientific there are several factors that come into play when discussing what causes the northern lights. When the sun experiences large explosions or flares there are large quantities or solar particles thrown into space. These particles form plasma clouds that usually take between two to three days to reach our earth.

When the plasma clouds near the earth they are captured by the earth’s magnetic field and guided towards the earths two magnetic poles, the North Pole and the South Pole. As they travel closer to earth towards the two poles the plasma clouds are stopped by the earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere helps protects us from these deadly particles. When the solar particles are stopped by the atmosphere this collision creates an energy between the atmospheric gas particles and the solar particles. The energy is released in the form of a photon or a light particle.

Millions of these light particles being released into our atmosphere at one time cause the northern lights. This helps explain why they appear to dance across the sky as they intensify or subside.

What do the northern lights look like in Alaska?

In Alaska the closer you get to the North Pole the better of display you can see. Above the Arctic Circle there are amazing displays. However, living in Anchorage I have still seen many impressive displays of green and red lights in the night sky.

The northern lights seem to shimmer and dance across the sky as they are displayed. The usual color is green but more intense displays will have red or purple in them. They almost appear as a ghostly cloud of light that rapidly moves, intensifies and subside during the display. Northern lights displays in Alaska can continue for several hours.

What is the best time of year to view the northern lights in Alaska?

The winter months, October through March, are the best time frame to view the northern lights in Alaska simply due to the fact you will have some darkness. In the summer months it can stay light for nearly 24 hours. You must have darkness to witness this phenomenon happening. However, you should expect cold weather during this time period and be sure to bring clothes accordingly if you plan to stand outside and watch the northern lights.

Viewing the northern lights is an experience everyone should have at least once in their life. This truly amazing sight is almost mystical and hard to believe the first time you see it. In my opinion there is no better place than Alaska to witness the northern lights.

www.3Dflags.com