Best Places to Visit in Alaska
Sometimes you just want to get out and explore. We try to strike a good balance of places that you will really enjoy. Finding ideas for family friendly outings, or interesting places to go in Alaska with your friends, both are at your fingertips here with America Top 10. We aim to give you plenty of ideas without you having to do all the research. That way you can easily decide if you want to explore Alaska sites or check out the sites in another state.
You have also heard how it is becoming a lot more popular to have staycations (where you stay home instead of going to far off places) and discover new and interesting places in the near vicinity. We try to make that easier for you. Check out the sites in Alaska that have become local favorites easily with our site.
We hope that we have provided you plenty of choices in Alaska whether this is a new area for you or your own back yard. Something a little different from the typical amusement park. If you really loved somewhere but don’t see them on our list let us know, we are always looking to improve our lists and we can only do that with your help.
Tongass National Forest
Ketchikan, AK
Tongass National Forest, is the nation’s largest national forest. The Tongass covers most of Southeast Alaska surrounding the famous Inside Passage and offers unique chances to view eagles, bears, spawning salmon, and the breath-taking vistas of “wild” Alaska. Hike or take a sled-dog ride on a glacier, stroll along boardwalk trails, fish in streams or the ocean, or relax at a remote cabin. If spying some truly wild wildlife is on your bucket list, visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau, Anan Wildlife Observatory in Wrangell, Fish Creek Bear Viewing Area in Hyder, or Pack Creek Brown Bear Viewing Area on Admiralty Island, or immerse yourself in native culture at the stunning Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, located just steps away from the cruise ship docks in downtown Ketchikan.
Alyeska Resort
Girdwood, AK
Alyeska Resort is Alaska’s premier year-round destination featuring the 303-room Hotel Alyeska. Located just 40 miles from Anchorage and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Alyeska Resort is your base camp for summer and winter excursions.
Alaska SeaLife Center
Seward, AK
Alaska’s only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center is celebrating ten years on the shores of Resurrection Bay. Visitors to this “window on the sea” have close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions and other sea life while peeking over the shoulders of ocean scientists studying Alaska’s rich seas and diverse sea life. They are a private, non-profit corporation with approximately 105 full-time employees and dedicated staff of volunteers and interns.
The Hammer Museum
Haines, AK
The Hammer Museum is the world’s first museum dedicated to hammers. The Hammer Museum provides a view of the past through the use of man’s first tool. You will find over 1500 hammers on display, ranging from ancient times to the present. The museum is a 501c3 nonprofit organization which is run entirely by volunteers.
Pioneer Park
Fairbanks, AK
In late 1960/early 1961, the Pioneers of Alaska requested public land from the State of Alaska. The plan for the land was to create a tourist attraction that showed historical Alaska exhibits. The Pioneers of Alaska formed a non-profit Pioneer Memorial Park, Inc.) for the purpose of pursuing the Park project.
Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge
Douglas, AK
The Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge is enjoyed year-round by residents and visitors alike. Waterfowl hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing and photography, boating, fishing, scientific and educational studies, and sightseeing are popular activities supporting approximately 20,000 user days annually. The streams flowing into the refuge support an estimated 400 days of fishing effort each year. Coho salmon is the most frequently taken fish, followed by cutthroat trout, sockeye salmon, and Dolly Varden. Waterfowl hunters expend over 2,000 hunter days and take over 3,000 ducks annually on the refuge.
Goldstream Dredge No. 8
Fairbanks, AK
Enjoy a close up view of the Trans Alaska Pipeline and a presentation about it’s construction and operation. Then take a seat aboard a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and hear the conductor tell tales of prospectors who arrived by the thousands during the gold rush. The train ride takes you to Gold Dredge 8 where you will see first-hand how the dredge worked the gold fields, then receive a brief but informative course on gold panning. Once the train arrives at the camp, you will try panning for yourself! You will find gold, they guarantee it! Finally, explore the dredge camp and enjoy complimentary coffee and freshly baked cookies in the gift shop as your gold is weighed, then hop aboard the train and return to the station.
Fairbanks Community Museum
Fairbanks, AK
Fairbanks Community Museum, provides exhibits of the history and culture of the Fairbanks area that are educational, entertaining and enlightening for residents and visitors, with emphasis on school age children.
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage, AK
The Anchorage Museum brings the best of Alaska to the world and the best of the world to Alaska. Through a combination of art and design, history, science and culture, the Anchorage Museum creates a rich, deep understanding of the human experience and offers something for everyone.
The Alaska Botanical Garden
Anchorage, AK
Ten years after the initial planning, the first gardens were planted and the Grand Opening took place on July 25, 1993. With over 1,100 species of hardy perennials, and 150 native plant species, the Alaska Botanical Garden is the place to experience the abundance of the summer sub-arctic growing season and to learn about flora native to south central Alaska.
