Anchorage Museum
A woman walks front of the Anchorage Museum in downtown Anchorage, Alaska August 2010.
(Model Release: Agnes Hage)
If you truly want to get to know the city you are staying in, head to the Anchorage Museum, the modern glass-fronted building in the heart of the city that holds some of the most educational information on Alaska and the Arctic in general. This large museum contains art, history, ethnography, ecology, and science all under one roof, making a really unforgettable and informational experience for any group, of any size. The Anchorage Museum is dedicated to ‘studying and explaining the land, people, art, and history of Alaska’, a task it does quite well with it’s entire permanent and temporary collection. You can appreciate local art, learn the history of the land you are standing on, and learn all the interesting facts about Alaska along the way while visiting this fact-filled museum!
As mentioned before, the building itself is a more modernly designed one, the glass-loving architect behind this one by the name of David Chipperfield. His framework works nicely for the artwork and artifacts inside the walls, one of the more popular ones including the current one by the name of Portraits of Place; the Arctic in Photography. After you get an eyeful of the design and the artwork, head over to the hands-on science center and planetarium, this kid-friendly education station perfect for student groups and field trips. Pay attention to the daily events, several discovery center demonstrations, lectures, and ‘talk shows’ happening here daily.
If you work up an appetite and need a little brain food head over to the onsite eatery with your group, Muse Restaurant. You can find some of the most delicious and artfully put together burgers, salads, and salmon here, as well as many kid-friendly dishes. After lunch head to the Museum Shop and pick up that perfect educational souvenir!
