Photo: University of Alaska Fairbanks

 

Fairbanks is the place to be

Exploring the diverse museums and visitor centers in Fairbanks is a must do during your visit. Together, these venues weave together the story of Fairbanks, showcasing history, art, and the people who make Alaska an incredible place.   

To plan your visit and learn more about ways of life in Interior Alaska, be sure to check out our museums page.

Antler Arch Midnight Sun

 

University of Alaska Museum of the North

Perched on the west ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, the iconic University of Alaska Museum of the North is an inspiring resource for visitors and the Fairbanks community. 

At the museum, visitors connect with Alaska Native cultures, learn about Alaska’s diverse wildlife, and marvel at the museum’s vast collection of artwork and artifacts. There are also daily film screenings, a museum store, and a charming café with coffee, gluten-free, and vegan options. 

The Museum of the North’s striking building, designed by Joan Soranno and the GDM/HGA architectural team, evokes a sense of place by referencing quintessential Alaskan features: glacial shapes, alpine ridges, the Yukon River, and the aurora. A beautiful building inside and out, the Museum of the North’s expansive windows welcome in natural light and stunning views of the Alaska Range. 

Explore, learn, and get inspired at the UA Museum of the North! 

 

Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center

The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center (MTCVC) is a great first stop for visitors in Fairbanks. With free admission, MTCVC serves as a place for gathering, discovery, education, and celebration, offering a treasure trove of information for all who visit.

At the Morris Thompson Center, you can find:  

  • Alaska Native Gift Shop: Features an extensive selection of Alaska Native handcrafts made by Denakkanaaga Elders and Tanana Chiefs Conference region artists. 
  • Alaska Geographic Store: Offers an incredible selection of books, maps, and locally made gifts. A one-stop-shop for resources and souvenirs. 
  • Explore Fairbanks: Provides excellent visitor information 7 days a week. Visitor Engagement Specialists are available to share expert trip planning advice.   
  • Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs: Develops programming to enhance and revitalize traditional cultural practices of Interior tribes. 
  • Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center: National Park Service staff are available to provide public land information, maps, trip-planning assistance, and resource education. Make sure to get your NPS passport stamped! 
  • Exhibits: How We Live: The People and the Land, tells the story of Interior Alaska’s history and people. This immersive multimedia display features the sounds and sights of Alaska. Visitors are greeted with a raven’s call, Athabascan fiddle music, the deep roar of a float plane taking off, and the bold honking of migrating geese. The exhibits also feature a replica fish camp, hunting camp, public use cabin, and film screenings.   

Morris Thompson Center with full summer garden

 

Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum at Wedgewood Resort

If you are interested in the motoring history of Alaska, look no further than our local  Antique Auto Museum. The collection features over 80 vehicles, including horseless carriages, steamers, electric cars, speedsters, cycle cars, mini racers and 30s classics.  

Remarkably, all but a few of the automobiles are still drivable, making this a true "living museum." Just as incredible is the vintage fashion collection paired with the vehicles. With over 100 outfits on display, take a colorful glimpse into the museum's extensive collection of vintage fashion and historical clothing.   

Be sure to bring your camera - there's even an automobile you can climb into for photos! 

A red antique car at the Antique Auto Museum

Photo: Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks

 

The Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs Resort is home to the world’s largest year-round ice environment, the Aurora Ice Museum! Made with over 1,000 tons of ice and snow, the Aurora Ice Museum features amazing ice sculptures created by multi-time world champions Heather and Steve Brice. 

Step into the ice museum and enjoy captivating views of glowing, color-shifting ice, inspired by Fairbanks’ iconic aurora displays. Cozy, complimentary parkas are available for you to use in the museum’s crisp 25-degree ice environment. Don’t forget to treat yourself to an Apple-tini, served in a hand-carved ice martini glass, at the museum’s Aurora Ice Bar.

Someone taking a picture of a colorful ice sculpture

Photo: Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks

 

The Fairbanks Ice Museum

The Fairbanks Ice Museum is billed as "The Coolest Show in Town." The Ice Museum, in the historic Lacey Street Theater on the corner of Second Avenue 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 creating world-class ice art. Very cool. The Ice Showcase is a walk-in display case that maintains a constant temperature of 20 degrees. Inside are the results of hours of work on over 40,000 pounds of world-famous Fairbanks ice. The sculptures can be viewed in a warm comfortable auditorium, through the glass-fronted case.

Ice Museum Downtown Fairbanks, Alaska

 

Museums in Pioneer Park

You could easily spend all day at Pioneer Park. And on a nice summer day, it’s a great place to have a picnic and learn about Fairbanks history. This 44-acre historic park has a Gold Rush Village filled with authentic buildings from downtown Fairbanks, an art gallery, seven museums and loads of historical displays and presentations. There’s also a carousel, playground and choo-choo train to keep kids (and the young at heart!) occupied.  

At Pioneer Park, you can find:

  • Pioneer Air Museum: Dedicated to the preservation of our unique aviation history, from 1913 to the present. 
  • Riverboat Nenana: In the center of the park sits the Nenana, a steamship built in 1933 and worked on the Yukon River for 21 years. 
  • Tanana Valley Railroad Museum: Home of the oldest operating steam locomotive in Alaska and Yukon Territory and the oldest gold rush artifact in Fairbanks. Rides on the railroad encircling the park are available daily. 
  • Pioneer Museum: Featuring objects, photos, documents and books of early Fairbanks and the Interior, including showings of The Big Stampede Show. 
  • Wickersham House Museum: This national landmark, built in 1904, provides a look at early house construction and furnishings of the period. 
  • Kitty Hensley House: This cabin dates to the early 1900’s and is furnished to reflect living in the early days of Fairbanks. 
  • Harding Railroad Car: This passenger car was one of three used in a motorcade to transport Warren G. Harding to a ceremony marking the completion of the railroad between Seward and Fairbanks (1923). 

Pioneer Park - Fairbanks, Alaska

 

Fairbanks Children's Museum

If you are traveling with kids, be sure to stop by the Fairbanks Children’s Museum. Designed to spark curiosity and creativity, the museum offers an interactive environment that invites children to discover, explore, and meaningfully interact with the world around them. 

Play-based learning, experiences, programs, and classes are available to kids of all ages. 

Children playing at the Children's

Photo: Fairbanks Children's Museum

 

Creamer’s Field Farmhouse Visitor Center

The Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is the perfect place to find all-season adventure — from walking trails and wildlife viewing platforms to skiing, skijoring and dog mushing, Creamer’s Field is the perfect place to get out and explore the area. The historic Farmhouse Visitor Center provides guided nature walks and organized educational events throughout the year. 

The refuge is comprised of 2,200 acres of fields, woods, and wetlands. This diverse ecosystem offers homes and places to be for local wildlife including 30 species of mammals and 150 species of birds. All throughout the spring and summer, 60 species of birds pass through the refuge. Most famously, thousands of sandhill cranes arrive at the refuge in late August. Friends of Creamer’s Field also puts on various events throughout the year, including the amazing Sandhill Crane Festival. 

To learn more about local wildlife, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Friends of Creamer's Field. 

Creamer's Field Fairbanks, Alaska

Photo: Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks

 

Fairbanks Community Museum

The Fairbanks Community Museum features exhibits on the Klondike Gold Rush, Early Fairbanks, The Great Flood of 1967, Winter in Fairbanks and The Driving Spirit Dog Mushing Museum which features a detailed history of the use of sled dogs in the Far North. Admission is free; however, donations are greatly appreciated. 

Fairbanks Community Museum Fairbanks, Alaska

 

Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Museum

The Alaska Mining Hall of Fame pays tribute to the outstanding individuals that have played important roles in the development of Alaska’s mineral industry. Exhibits highlight key events throughout Alaska’s rich mining history along with chronological information about hall of fame inductees. 

Be sure to stop by the Mining Hall of Fame to explore stories about pre-Gold Rush activities, early pioneers of the Juneau Gold Belt, key figures from the Alaska-Yukon gold rush, contributors to copper and coal mining industry, strategic mineral development, and modern placer mining.  

A collage of images that depict historic mining activities.

There are countless ways to immerse yourself in the culture, wildlife, and community of Fairbanks, Alaska.  

Be sure to request a Visitors Guide to get even more great information about our town to help with trip planning. We hope you take the time to visit these wonderful places on your next visit to Fairbanks and learn all you need about life in Arctic Alaska!