Things to Do in Fairbanks

This top-rated visitor attraction at the University of Alaska Fairbanks boasts being the only research and teaching museum in Alaska. With a goal of acquiring, interpreting and showcasing collections relating to Alaska’s natural, cultural and artistic heritage, the University of Alaska Museum of the North currently houses 1.4 million artifacts and specimens. Visitors can peruse the collections and exhibits to gain a true understanding of the development and culture of Native Alaskans. These are separated into 10 different categories: Archaeology, birds, documentary film, earth sciences, ethnology/history, fine arts, fishes/marine invertebrates, insects, mammals, and plants.

Visitors can also see ancient artwork spanning from 2,000 years ago to present, like ancient ivory carvings; contemporary sculptures; Alaska’s most comprehensive public display of gold and Blue Babe; a light installation that changes with the position of the moon and sun; Native tools and toys; and much more. Other things to do include seeing a 36,000-year-old preserved steppe bison; learning about Alaska’s mining history, seeing a film on the Aurora Borealis; viewing the world’s largest collection of polar dinosaurs; taking in beadwork handicrafts from the mid-1800s and other experiences you just can't have anywhere else. Don’t leave without perusing the Museum Store, which sells authentic Native Alaskan artwork.

For those interested in learning about Interior and Arctic Alaska as well as Native culture, the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center is a must-have experience when visiting Fairbanks. The mission of the attraction is to celebrate the people and culture of Interior Alaska while also promoting the local economy and acting as a community gathering place to exchange cultural ideas, and they do this in a number of ways.

First, the center showcases a number of free exhibits on Interior Alaska and its people, providing insight to the heritage of the area. For example, their main exhibit, “How We Live: The People and the Land”, features life-sized dioramas depicting the seasons of Interior Alaska. You can also shop for Native Alaskan artwork in their Alaska Geographic store; dress up in traditional Athabaskan attire for a photo; see a traditional performance of music, art and storytelling; create your own traditional Athabascan moose skin bags or sun catcher; view a film of Alaska’s history; and more. On the first Friday of each month the center hosts First Fridays from 5pm to 8pm, a free reception showcasing the work of a local Interior Alaska artist.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a 48-inch oil pipeline that traverses 800 miles (1,300 kilometers). It was built by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company in 1977 to transport crude oil from Prudhoe Bay’s oil fields to a port in Valdez to be loaded onto tankers and shipped to U.S. refiners. The cost to construct the pipeline was $8 billion, making it one of the largest privately-funded construction projects in Alaska. Moreover, it’s one of the largest pipeline systems in the world, and because much of the ground that it is laid on is frozen sections of the pipeline are either built above ground or buried and insulated.

It’s astonishing that the pipe has withstood the harsh Alaska weather for so long. Today, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is a popular tourist attraction, especially for those who want to get a photograph of themselves touching it.

The Alyeska Pipeline Visitor Center on the Steese Highway at milepost 8.4 between Fox and Fairbanks is also worth a visit. This free-to-enter attraction provides a great introduction to the pipeline as it gives historical and background information as well as fun facts. For example, did you know the pipeline’s highest elevation is 4,739 feet (1,444 meters) at Atigun Pass? After leaving you’ll really understand what makes the Trans-Alaska Pipeline such an engineering marvel.

Encompassing 254,080 acres (102,823 hectares), the Chena River Recreation Area is located about 30 minutes east of Fairbanks, with the Chena River being the central focus of the park. As the name implies, the park is full of opportunities for outdoor recreation and is popular with hikers, backpackers, climbers, anglers, kayakers, skiers, snowmobilers, canoers, wildlife photographers and adventure enthusiasts.

The area is abundant with wildlife, home to black bears, brown bears, beavers, red fox, caribou, wolves, hoary marmots, pika, rock ptarmigan and, most predominantly, moose, which you’ll see many of around the lakes. In the Chena River, catch-and-release fishing for Arctic grayling is possible, but grayling and rainbow trout caught in the park’s stocked ponds -- located at mileposts 30, 42.8, 45.5 and 47.9 on the Chena Hot Springs Road -- may be kept.

While during warmer months visitors enjoy activities like hiking, climbing, ATVing, picnicking, canoeing and kayaking, winter activities may include dog sledding, skiing and snowmobiling. And no trip to the Chena River Recreation Area would be complete without a soak in the Chena Hot Springs, which is especially relaxing in the cold winter months. Nearby you can tour the Aurora Ice Museum, filled with ice sculptures, an ice bar and ornate chandeliers made of ice that change colors every six seconds to resemble the Northern Lights.

This 44-acre (109-hectare) city park is located along the Chena River and is Alaska’s only historic theme park. It was opened in 1967 as Alaska 67 Centennial Exposition in order to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase. Today, the park is home to a number of restaurants, museums, attractions, shops and art spaces, with over 30 places of interest in total.

While the Alaska Native Museum teaches visitors about Eskimos and Native Alaska cultures, the Pioneer Air Museum displays aviation memorabilia and aircrafts. Hungry? Enjoy fresh local fish from Salmon Bake or stroll around while savoring a refreshing treat from the Gold Rush Ice Cream Parlour. If you’re interested in the arts the Palace Theatre puts on a lighthearted performance about Fairbanks from history to present day, while Bear Gallery allows you to view works created by local artists. A few of the many other attractions within the park include Lucky Fox Gold Mine, Square Dance Hall, Betsy's Photography, the Pioneer Museum, Tanana Valley Railroad Museum, Bulgolgi House Restaurant and much more.

Pioneer Park is free to explore, but some of the attractions within the park may charge an entry fee. Also, stay tuned for a big addition to Pioneer Park, as they’re currently working with World Eskimo Indian Olympics to create a space where athletes can train and put on demonstrations year-round.