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Downtown | Midtown | East Anchorage | South Anchorage | West Anchorage
Anchorage is a pedestrian- and bike-friendly city. Downtown Anchorage’s flower-lined streets are easily explored on foot, and several businesses rent bicycles. The grid plan was laid out by the Army Corps of Engineers, and streets and avenues run exactly east–west and north–south, with numbers in the first direction and letters of the alphabet or Alaska place-names (Barrow, Cordova, Denali, etc.) in the other. The only aberration is the absence of a J Street—a concession, some say, to the city’s early Swedish settlers, who had difficulty pronouncing the letter. You’ll need a car for longer stays, expeditions, and to reach some of the city’s better restaurants without relying on taxis.
Outside Downtown, Anchorage is composed of widely scattered neighborhoods and large shopping malls clustered along busy thoroughfares. And although there’s no shortage of excellent restaurants Downtown, many of the town’s best places are found in cheesy strip malls. Also, you’re never more than a block or two from a good espresso stand or shop.
Once you’re done wandering the shops Downtown, consider heading south to Midtown. The neighborhood has some of Anchorage’s best restaurants. It’s also a good neighborhood to stay in if you would rather be slightly outside the main tourist fray.
The next neighborhood heading away from Downtown is South Anchorage. Until recently South Anchorage was more of a local spot, but with several new restaurants opening there’s been a growing tourist presence in the area. South Anchorage also has a large mall.
Another neighborhood worth exploring is Spenard, just west of Midtown (Spenard Road is considered the dividing line). The neighborhood, which celebrates its annual Spenardi Gras every March, has an artsy, hip vibe and is home to some of the city’s best casual restaurants, a good farmers’ market, and Anchorage’s largest independent bookstore.
You’ll find plenty to do year-round in Anchorage, though most visitors (particularly first-timers) might be happiest in June, July, or August, when the days are longer—up to 19 hours, 21 minutes during the summer solstice—and the temperatures warmer. If you must choose one of the shoulder seasons, choose fall. There’s less chance of rain, the snow has not yet arrived on trails except in the highest mountain passes, and there’s an excellent chance for warm, sunny days, cool nights, and dazzling color changes in the trees and tundra. But if you choose fall, pack a few extra layers as a just-in-case for early snow (or be prepared to visit one of Anchorage’s many gear shops): the city’s earliest measurable dose of snow fell on September 20, 1947.
Downtown
Top Attractions
Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.
The distinctive stone-and-glass building overlooks an expansive park filled with brilliant flowers all summer. Look inside for upcoming events, or relax amid the blossoms on a sunny afternoon. The center, which has four theaters, is home to 10 resident performing arts companies, including Alaska Dance Theatre, Anchorage Opera, and the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. | 621 W. 6th Ave., at G St., Downtown | 907/263–2787, 877/278–7849 for tickets | www.myalaskacenter.com | Tours by appointment only.
FAMILY | Alaska Public Lands Information Center.
Stop here for information on all of Alaska’s public lands, including national and state parks, national forests, and wildlife refuges. You can plan a hiking, sea-kayaking, bear-viewing, or fishing trip; find out about public-use cabins; learn about Alaska’s plants and animals; or head to the theater for films highlighting different parts of the state. The bookstore sells maps and nature books. Guided walks to historic Downtown sights detail the role Captain James Cook played in Alaska’s history. Tours depart daily throughout the summer at 11 am and 2:30 pm. | 605 W. 4th Ave., Ste. 105, at F St., Downtown | 907/644–3661 | www.alaskacenters.gov | Memorial Day–Labor Day, daily 9–5; Sept., weekdays 10–5; Oct.–April, Tues.–Fri. 10–5.
FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Anchorage Museum.
This is no just-in-case-of-a-rainy-day attraction. An extensive renovation in 2010 made the Anchorage Museum an essential stop for visitors. There’s no better way to deepen your understanding of the state’s history, people, and, thanks to an impressive collection of paintings and photographs, beauty. The postrenovation star of the museum is the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, featuring more than 600 objects from Alaska Native cultures, short films that teach visitors about modern-day Native life, and much more. If you have a strong interest in history, art, or culture, leave extra time for the center—though it’s just one large room, you might end up staying for hours. A good follow-up: wander the galleries filled with paintings and other art that showcases Alaska landscape and history through the talents of painters and other artists. The Alaska History Gallery’s dioramas and other traditional museum exhibits focus on the state’s history. Cap the visit in the Imaginarium Discovery Center. Kids and their parents—and, okay, adults without kids, too—won’t want to leave the museum once they step into the 9,000-square-foot center loaded with hands-on science exhibits. There’s also a planetarium. Muse restaurant, a bright and modern spot, serves delicious lunches and dinners. The gift shop is one of Anchorage’s best places to buy Alaska Native art and other souvenirs. Book lovers beware (or you may spend your vacation budget all at once): the shop’s book department runs the gamut from Alaska fiction to history, cookbooks, and beyond. | 625 C St., Downtown | 907/929–9201, 907/929–9200 for recorded info | www.anchoragemuseum.org | $15 | May–Sept., daily 9–6; Oct.–Apr., Tues.–Sat. 10–6, Sun. noon–6.
Fodor’s Choice | Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
Strollers, runners, bikers, dog walkers, and in-line skaters cram this recreation trail on sunny summer evenings, particularly around Westchester Lagoon. In winter, cross-country skiers take to it by storm. The trail begins off 2nd Avenue, west of Christensen Drive, and curls along Cook Inlet for approximately 11 miles to Kincaid Park, beyond the airport. In summer you might spot beluga whales offshore in Cook Inlet. Access points are on the waterfront at the ends of 2nd, 5th, and 9th avenues and at Westchester Lagoon. TIP When you get to high points in the trail, look north; Mt. McKinley is visible on clear days.
Worth Noting
Alaska Railroad Historic Depot.
Totem poles and a locomotive built in 1907 are outside the station, the headquarters of the Alaska Railroad since 1915. A monument in front of the depot relates the history of the railroad, which brought an influx of people into the city during the early 1900s. During February’s Fur Rendezvous festival, model-train buffs set up their displays here. | 411 W. 1st Ave., Downtown | 907/265–2494, 800/544–0552 | www.alaskarailroad.com | Daily, depending on train schedules.
Historic City Hall.
Offices of Visit Anchorage now occupy this 1936 building. A few exhibits and historic photos are right inside the lobby. Out front, take a look at the marble sculpture dedicated to William Seward, the secretary of state who engineered the purchase of Alaska from Russia. | 524 W. 4th Ave., Downtown.
Log Cabin and Downtown Visitor Information Center.
Housed in a rustic log cabin, the center’s sod roof is festooned with huge hanging baskets of flowers. Anchorage is a major stopping point for cargo jets en route to Asia, and a signpost out front marks the mileage to many international destinations. TIP After a stop in the cabin, step out the back door to the more spacious visitor center stocked with brochures. There are also two visitor information centers in Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, one in the north terminal and one in the south terminal in the C Concourse baggage claim area. | 4th Ave. and F St., Downtown | 907/257–2363 | www.anchorage.net | June–Aug., daily 8–7; May and Sept., daily 8–6; Oct.–Apr., daily 9–4.
Oscar Anderson House Museum.
City butcher Oscar Anderson built Anchorage’s first permanent frame house in 1915, at a time when most of Anchorage consisted of tents. Guided 45-minute tours are available. | 420 M St., in Elderberry Park, Downtown | 907/274–2336 | $10 | June–Aug., Tues.–Sun. noon–5; group tours (max. 10 per group) must be arranged in advance.
Resolution Park.
This tiny park has a cantilevered viewing platform dominated by a monument to Captain Cook, whose explorations in 1778 led to the naming of Cook Inlet and many other geographic features in Alaska. Mt. Susitna, known as Sleeping Lady, is the prominent low mountain to the northwest, and Mts. Spurr and Redoubt, active volcanoes, are just south of Mt. Susitna. Mt. McKinley, Mt. Foraker, and other peaks of the Alaska Range are often visible from more than 100 miles away. | 3rd Ave. at L St., Downtown.
FAMILY | Ship Creek.
The creek is dammed right downtown, with a footbridge across the dam and access from either bank. There’s a waterfall; salmon running upstream June through August; anglers; and, above it all, Downtown Anchorage. Farther upstream (follow Whitney Road and turn left on Post Road) is the newly renamed William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery—during the runs you can see salmon in the clear, shallow water as they try to leap up the falls. TIP Look for the wheelchair-accessible fishing platform on the trail directly north of the Comfort Inn. | Ship Creek Ave., Downtown.
Midtown
Alaska Heritage Museum at Wells Fargo.
More than 900 Alaska Native artifacts are the main draw in the quiet, unassuming lobby of a large midtown bank—it’s reputed to be one of the largest private collections of Native artworks in the country. Also here are paintings by Alaskan artists, a library of rare books, and a 46-troy-ounce gold nugget. | Wells Fargo Bank, 301 W. Northern Lights Blvd., at C St., Midtown | 907/265–2834 | www.wellsfargohistory.com/museums | Free | Late May–early Sept., weekdays noon–5; early Sept.–late May, weekdays noon–4.
East Anchorage
FAMILY | Alaska Botanical Garden.
The garden showcases perennials hardy enough to make it in Southcentral Alaska in several large display gardens, a pergola-enclosed herb garden, and a rock garden amid 110 acres of mixed boreal forest. There’s a 1-mile nature trail loop to Campbell Creek, with views of the Chugach Range and a wildflower trail between the display gardens. Interpretive signs guide visitors and identify plants along the trail. Children can explore the garden with an activity-filled duffel bag. Docent tours are available at 1 pm daily and some evenings June through mid-September; large groups should call ahead to schedule tours. The gift shop and retail nursery are open daily from late May to mid-September. | 4601 Campbell Airstrip Rd., off Tudor Rd. (park at Benny Benson School), East Anchorage | 907/770–3692 | www.alaskabg.org | $7 | Daily during daylight hrs.
FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Alaska Native Heritage Center.
On a 26-acre site facing the Chugach Mountains, this facility provides an introduction to Alaska’s Native peoples. The spacious Welcome House has interpretive displays, artifacts, photographs, demonstrations, Native dances, storytelling, and films, along with a gift shop selling crafts and artwork. Step outside for a stroll around the adjacent lake, where seven village exhibits represent 11 Native cultural groups through traditional structures and exhibitions. As you enter the homes in these villages, you can visit with the culture hosts, hear their stories, and experiment with some of the tools, games, and utensils used in the past. TIP There’s a free shuttle to the Heritage Center from the downtown Log Cabin and Visitor Information Center that runs several times a day in the summer. You can also hop a bus at the downtown transit center; Route 4 (Glenn Highway) will take you to the Heritage Center’s front door. A Culture Pass joint ticket for $29.95 provides admission here and to the Anchorage Museum downtown, and a free shuttle between the two; the pass is available at either location. | 8800 Heritage Center Dr. (Glenn Hwy. at Muldoon Rd.), East Anchorage | 907/330–8000, 800/315–6608 | www.alaskanative.net | $24.95 | Mother’s Day–Sept., daily 9–5.
South Anchorage
FAMILY | Alaska Zoo.
Roam the trails and visit with the polar bears, caribou, brown and black bears, seals, tigers, snow leopards, moose, wolves, lynx, and a large array of birds that call the Alaska Zoo home. The zoo provides a wide array of programs included with admission, such as zookeeper talks and toddler storytimes, that concentrate on promoting the conservation of arctic and subarctic animal species. Throughout the summer for an additional fee you can join daily, two-hour tours that include two behind-the-scenes stops. | 4731 O’Malley Rd., 2 miles east of New Seward Hwy., South Anchorage | 907/346–3242 | www.alaskazoo.org | $15 | June–Aug., daily 9–9; May and Sept., daily 9–6; Mar., Apr., and Oct., daily 10–5; Nov.–Feb., daily 10–4; winter closing hrs may vary with conditions.
FAMILY | Potter Marsh.
Sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, and other migratory birds, as well as the occasional moose or beaver, frequent this marsh about 10 miles south of Downtown on the Seward Highway. An elevated boardwalk makes viewing easy, and in summer there are salmon runs in the creek beneath the bridge. The Potter Section House, an old railroad service building just south of the marsh, operates as a state park office. Out front is an old engine with a rotary snowplow that was used to clear avalanches. | Seward Hwy., South Anchorage | 907/269–8400.
West Anchorage
FAMILY | Alaska Aviation Museum.
The state’s unique aviation history is presented with more than 25 vintage aircraft, a flight simulator, theater, and an observation deck along Lake Hood, the world’s busiest seaplane base. Highlights include a Stearman C2B, the first plane to land on Mt. McKinley back in the early 1930s. Volunteers recently restored a 1931 Fairchild Pilgrim aircraft and are eager to talk about their bush pilot experiences. TIP A free shuttle to and from Anchorage Airport is available, as is luggage storage. | 4721 Aircraft Dr., West Anchorage | 907/248–5325 | www.alaskaairmuseum.org | $10 | May 15–Sept. 15, daily 9–5; Sept. 16–May 14, Wed.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. noon–5.