Alaska Museums

There are many Alaska museums spread from Ketchikan to Kotzebue and from Unalaska to Anchorage. Some feature art; others celebrate Native culture; still others honor airplanes and trains. Many museums are on cruise-line routes along the Inside Passage. Starting from Anchorage, the museum fan can reach two dozen institutions within a half-day’s drive. Almost all the museums and cultural centers are free or charge a small entrance fee.

Anchorage Museums

Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum:

4721 Aircraft Drive
Anchorage, AK 99502
907-248-5325
Hours
Wed – Sat • 9AM – 5PM
Sun • 12PM – 5PM
Mon & Tue • Closed
Admission:
$15 Adult
$12 Senior, Veteran
$8 Children (5-17)
$40 Family (up to 2 adults/3 children)
Description:
20 aircraft of various types including a 1928 Stearman C2B, a 1934 WACO YKC, a 1929 Travelair 6000B, a 1937 F-24-G, a 1937 Stinson SR9 “Gullwing,” a 1943 Grumman Goose and a 1943 PBY 5A Catalina Canso. Exhibits include The Aleutian Campaign during WWII; Wiley Post and Will Rogers; the search for Carl Ben Eielson; historic polar flights and much more. A selection of historic aviation videos, pioneer pilots and their achievements is shown in the theater. Museum shop sells models, pins, clothing, stuffed animals, postcards, jewelry and other items relating to aviation.
www.alaskaairmuseum.com

Alaska Museum of Natural History:

201 North Bragaw Street, Anchorage, AK 99508
(907) 274-2400
Summer Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday: 12 to 5 pm
Closed Mondays
ADMISSION: $5 Adults / $3 Kids 3-12 / $4 Military & Seniors
Description: Largest exhibits of rocks, minerals and exciting rare fossils in the state. Learn about North America’s oldest duckbill dinosaur found in the local Talkeetna Mountains, as well as our major dinosaur discoveries of the 90s. Dioramas rich in ecology, large mammals and birds.
alaskamuseum.org

Alaska Native Heritage Center:

8800 Heritage Center Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504
(907) 330-8000
Toll-Free at (800) 315-6608
Summer Hours: 9 am to 6 pm
Adults – $24.95
Seniors/Military – $21.15
Children – $16.95 (Ages 7-16)
Free for children six and younger
Description: An educational and cultural institution for all Alaskans, the Alaska Native Heritage Center provides programs in both academic and informal settings, including workshops, demonstrations and guided tours of indoor exhibits and outdoor village sites. Local residents and visitors to Alaska are introduced to Native traditions and customs of both the past and present. The Welcome House is a celebration of contemporary Alaska Native cultures while the outdoor facilities and sites allow the exploration of ancient tradition and the presentation of stories from the past. The Center provides a unique opportunity to experience Alaska’s Native cultures in one location.
See our Alaska Native Heritage Center page.

Anchorage Museum of History and Art:

201 North Bragaw
907-274-2400
Summer Hours: Everyday: 9 am to 6 pm
Admission: Adults: $6.50 Children: ($2.00 Suggested)
Description: A world-class museum located in the heart of Alaska’s largest city, the Anchorage Museum of History & Art began as a public-private partnership to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska from Russia. The Museum opened its doors in 1968 with an exhibition of 60 borrowed Alaska paintings, and a collection of 2,500 historic and ethnographic objects loaned from the local historical society.
anchoragemuseum.org

Statewide Museums

Museum of the North: (Fairbanks)

The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a thriving visitor attraction, a vital component of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the only research and teaching museum in Alaska. The museum’s research collections – 1.4 million artifacts and specimens – represent millions of years of biological diversity and thousands of years of cultural traditions in the North.

Hours –

Winter:
Sept 1 through May 31
Monday – Saturday: 9 AM – 5 PM
Sunday: Closed
Summer:
June 1 – August 31
Daily: 9am – 7pm
Adult Admission (15+ yrs) $12
Youth Admission (5-14) $7
Alaska Adult with ID $8
Alaska Youth $5
Alaska stationed active military families with ID Free

On the web: University of Alaska Museum of the North

Alaska State Museum: (Juneau)

395 Whittier Street
907-465-2901
Website: museums.state.ak.us
Description: Established in 1900, the Museum collects, exhibits, and interprets the human and natural history of Alaska. The Museum features a full-size bald eagle nesting tree and extensive ethnographic exhibits on the cultures of Alaska’s Native people. Two galleries offer changing exhibits. Docent tours scheduled throughout the summer. Arboretum on grounds features Alaska plants. The Museum provides statewide museum services and assists in the development of the state’s cultural and historic resources. The Museum Store, operated by the Friends of the Alaska State Museum, offers a wide array of Native arts, publications, and educational materials. Accredited by the American Association of Museums.
museums.state.ak.us

Kenai Visitors & Cultural Center: (Kenai)

201 North Bragaw
907-274-2400
11471 Kenai Spur Highway, Kenai, AK 99611
Hours: Open year round: Mon. – Fri. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended summer hours.
Admission: No admission fee – donations accepted.
On the web: http://kenaichamber.org/

Totem Heritage Center: (Ketchikan)

601 Deermount Street
Ketchikan, AK 99901
Phone: (907) 225-5900
Fax: (907) 225-5901
Email: museum@city.ketchikan.ak.us
Hours:
May thru September – Open every day, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October thru April – Open Monday thru Friday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
General Admission
Adults, $5. Children 12 and under, Free. Admission is charged May thru September.

Description: Visitors to the Totem Heritage Center are awed by a world-renowned collection of original, unrestored 19th century totem poles, retrieved from abandoned Native villages near Ketchikan. Additional exhibits illuminate the rich culture of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people of Southeast Alaska. Located on Ketchikan Creek, across from the Tribal Hatchery and Eagle Center. Enjoy a totally Alaskan experience within walking distance of downtown. Native crafts, books, cards and gifts available in the shop. Accredited by the American Association of Museums.
On the web: Totem Heritage Center Website