Alaska Railroad Depot
The Anchorage depot is home to the historic Alaska Railroad and was built in 1942. In addition to the regular coming and going of trains, on display at the depot is an antique train engine that was used to build the Panama Canal. There are many historical photos in the depot, and there is a gift shop.
Where: 411 W. First Ave.
When: Open daily
Cost: Free
Phone: 265-2494
Web: www.alaskarailroad.com
Alaska Experience Center
The center is the home of two unique Alaska adventures, the Alaska Experience Theatre and the Alaska Earthquake Theatre and exhibit. The Experience Theatre treats visitors to a 180-degree, wrap-around, dome-screen presentation of "Alaska the Greatland." The 40-minute motion picture showcases Alaska's wildlife, scenery and people. The earthquake exhibit focuses on the history and destruction of Alaska's 1964 Good Friday earthquake. It includes historical photographs,interactive displays and a movie presentation including an earthquake simulation. There also is a gift shop at the center.
Where: 705 W. Sixth Ave.
When: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Cost: "Alaska the Greatland": $7.99 adults, $3.99 children 5-12, free for children younger than 5; earthquake exhibit: $5.99/$3.99/free; both shows: $9.99/$6.99/free.
Phone: 1-877-276-3730, 276-3730
Web: www.alaskaexperiencetheatre.
com
Alaska Public Lands Information Center
Take a walk, watch a movie or get a map at the center, home to enormous amounts of information and exhibits about Alaska. There are natural history exhibits, a variety of movies about the state that screen regularly and a one-hour live program at 2 p.m. daily with special speakers and visitors, including animals from the Alaska Zoo. At 11 a.m. daily there is a guided Capt. Cook walk. Visitors are invited to join the informative walk to Resolution Park and learn about Cook's travels to Alaska. The center has a trip-planning area and sells passes to state and national parks. Geographic information stations include topographic maps and GPS information. Information is available on the Alaska Marine Highway and public-use cabins.
Where: 605 W. Fourth Ave.
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Cost: Free
Phone: 271-2737
Web: www.nps.gov/aplic
Alaska State Troopers Museum
The museum tells the history of law enforcement in Alaska as a territory and as a state. It features exhibits, original art, memorabilia and photographs, including trooper uniforms and a restored 1952 Hudson Hornet police car. There is a gift shop.
Where: 245 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 113
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays
Cost: Free
Phone: 1-800-770-5050, 279-5050
Web: www.alaskatroopermuseum.com
Anchorage City Trolley Tours
The one-hour tour takes trolley riders past some of Anchorage's interesting sites, including the railroad, Lake Hood, Earthquake Park and the Anchorage Museum at Rasumson Center.
Where: 612 W. Fourth Ave.
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Cost: $10 adults, $5 children
Phone: 276-5603
Anchorage Light Speed Planet Walk
Visit the sun and the nine planets of the solar system (we're still calling Pluto a planet even if the scientists don't) on this walk through downtown Anchorage and along the Coastal Trail. Take one step per second and you'll travel the equivalent of the speed of light. There are informative signs. The sun is at G Street and Fifth Avenue; Mercury is at Fifth Avenue and H Street; Venus is in front of the Hotel Captain Cook on Fifth Avenue; Earth is at Fifth Avenue and L Street; Mars is in Elderberry Park; Jupiter is at the Westchester Lagoon dam; Saturn is at Lyn Ary Park; Uranus is at the top of the Point Woronzof hill; Neptune is along the trail; and Pluto is near the Kincaid Park chalet.
Where: Starting downtown at Fifth Avenue and G Street
When: Daily
Cost: Free
Anchorage Market & Festival
The market is one of Anchorage's most popular attractions for visitors and locals alike. Food, arts, crafts and a beautiful setting near Ship Creek make the market an excellent
shopping experience. Vendors will sell Matanuska Valley vegetables, herbs and flowers. Local artists and crafters provide framed photographs and artwork as well as jewelry, clothing and pottery. Food choices include reindeer hot dogs, pizza, halibut tacos, funnel cakes, salmon quesadillas and ethnic foods. There are more than 300 vendors, free live entertainment on the stage and buskers in the aisles.
Where: Third Avenue and E Street
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, May 12 to Sept. 9
Cost: Free to browse
Phone: 272-5634
Web: www.anchoragemarkets.com
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
The state's largest museum brings thousands of years of history and beautiful artwork together in one place. The museum's summer exhibits include "Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art From the Albrecht Collection at the Heard Museum" and "Changing Hands - Art Without Reservation: Contemporary Native Art From the West and Northwest."
"Arctic Spirit" offers a rare opportunity to view artwork, decorated pieces and functional items spanning 2,250 years of artistic creativity. "Changing Hands" will show work from about 100 artists that challenge ideas and perceptions of the definition of Native American art, craft and design, as well as concepts of ethnicity and contemporary culture. Both exhibits are open May 17 to Sept. 16. The Children's Gallery exhibition, "Out of the Ordinary," opens June 17. It features the work of Washington, D.C., artist John Kirchner. Local artists, authors and craftspeople create and sell items during the daily Art Potpourri program at the museum. The program is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily June 15 to Aug. 15.
The museum's permanent collection depicts 10,000 years of Alaska history, including Native subsistence lifestyles, European exploration, Russian-American history and contemporary times. The museum also features art of the north from travelers, adventurers and Native artists. Jazz After Hours is 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays during the summer. The Marx Bros. Cafe serves lunch and snacks in the museum's atrium. The Anchorage Museum Shop features unique works from Alaska artists and artisans.
Where: 121 W. Seventh Ave.
When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, May 15 to Sept. 15; open until 9 p.m. Thursdays
Cost: $8 adults, $7 seniors and military, free for children 17 and younger, but a $2 donation is suggested
Phone: 343-4326
Web: www.anchoragemuseum.org
'Aurora - Alaska's Great Northern Lights'
While visitors may enjoy Alaska's long summer days, they miss the spectacular northern lights. The aurora is visible indoors at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts via a 40-minute digital show set to music. The show includes more than
25 years' worth of rare images of the aurora borealis.
Where: Sydney Laurence Theatre, 621 W. Sixth Ave.
When: Hourly shows from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, May 24 to Sept. 1
Cost: $8.75 adults, $7.75 seniors, $6.75 military and children
Phone: 263-2993
Web: www.thealaskacollection.com
Cyrano's
The charming theater-cafe-bookstore is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Cyrano's Off Center Playhouse has an eclectic offering of a different play each month, including Alaska originals and classic and contemporary works. The theater is in one of Anchorage's oldest structures, built in 1915. The cafe features beer and wine, appetizer plates and desserts. There also is a comedy improv troupe, poetry readings and special events. It is a recipient of the Governor's Arts Award for arts organization and the Mayor's Arts Award for an outstanding arts organization. Cyrano's Theatre Company is frequently voted "Best Live Theater" by local residents.
Where: 413 D St.
When: Hours vary, but play performances are 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays
Cost: Plays are $17.50 adults,
$15 seniors, students and military
Phone: 274-2599
Web: www.cyranos.org
Delaney Park Strip
The long, blockwide downtown park is the gathering place for a variety of festivals during the summer months. Additionally, it has tennis courts, volleyball courts, softball diamonds, a train engine built in 1943 that kids can play on and the beautiful Centennial Rose Garden. During its long history, the park has served as a firebreak and an airstrip.
Where: Between Ninth and
10th avenues and A and P streets
When: Daily
Cost: Free
Imaginarium Science Discovery Center
The hands-on science center is great for kids - and for adults who still like learning. It includes a planetarium, hourly science demonstrations, exhibits on flight and space, an Alaska marine touch tank, a bubble lab, physics, a life-size T. rex, reptiles and an activity station. There is a gift shop. The center also provides statewide outreach programs.
Where: 737 W. Fifth Ave.
When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays
Cost: $5.50 adults, $5 children
Phone: 276-3179
Web: www.imaginarium.org
Live After Five
The summer concert includes some of Alaska's most popular bands and performers.
Where: Town Square
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays, June 1 to July 27
Cost: Free
Phone: 279-5650
Web: www.anchoragedowntown.org
Log Cabin Visitors Center
The Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau's downtown location is a hub of activity and information, with dozens of volunteers on hand to help visitors. Brochures, activity information and maps are available. The grounds around the log cabin are colorful with blooming flowers.
Where: Fourth Avenue and F Street
When: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily June to August; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily May and September
Cost: Free
Phone: 274-3531
Web: www.anchorage.net
Music for Little Ones
Let the kids enjoy some music and dancing.
Where: Peratrovich Park, Fourth Avenue and E Street
When: Noon to 1 p.m. Mondays, June 4 to Aug. 13
Cost: Free
Phone: 279-5650
Web: www.anchoragedowntown.org
Music in the Park
Pack a lunch or buy one from local vendors and enjoy some live lunchtime tunes. Music varies from jazz to big band and top 40.
Where: Peratrovich Park, Fourth Avenue and E Street
When: Noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, June 1 to Aug. 31
Cost: Free
Phone: 279-5650
Web: www.anchoragedowntown.org
Oscar Anderson House Museum
The house, built in 1915 by Swedish immigrant Oscar Anderson, is one of the city's first. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is Anchorage's only house museum. Many of the original artifacts belonging to the family are in the home.
Where: 420 M St.
When: Guided tours from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays, June 1 to mid-September
Cost: $3 adults, $1 children ages 5-12
Phone: 274-2336
Russian Orthodox Museum
While the museum is a couple years old, the history of Russian Orthodoxy in Alaska is much older, with the first missionaries arriving in 1794. Items on display include processional banners, rare icons and a kayak frame used by missionaries. Many of the museum's artifacts represent a blending of Russian religious traditions with Alaska Native cultures. Some artifacts date back as far as the 18th century. The museum includes a gift shop and a coffee shop.
Where: 605 A St.
When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays
Cost: Free
Phone: 276-7257, 258-7257
Web: www.dioceseofalaska.org
SegTours of Anchorage
Hop aboard a two-wheeled Segway for a guided tour of downtown Anchorage that includes Town Square, Ship Creek, Resolution Park and the historic town site. Tours are 90 minutes. Reservations required.
Where: 510 W. Sixth Ave.
When: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m. daily,
Memorial Day to Labor Day
Cost: $49
Phone: 441-1124
Web: www.segtours.net
Ship Creek
The popular urban fishery is great for salmon anglers who have only a few hours, or for sightseers who want to watch the big fish head upstream.
Where: Near the railroad tracks north of First Avenue
When: Open daily; fishing times vary
Cost: Free to watch
Ship Creek Center
There is plenty of shopping at the center, but it's also an arts, cultural, educational and entertainment destination. Points of interest include a large exhibit on the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, a historical timeline of Anchorage, a Tlingit totem pole, video showings on the history of Fourth Avenue and "Ocean Fury: Tsunamis in Alaska." There also are free Alaska Native Heritage Center dance or storytelling performances at 11 a.m. and
1:10 p.m. daily from May 15 to Sept. 15.
Where: 333 W. Fourth Ave.
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
Cost: Free
Phone: 278-3263
Web: www.shipcreekcenter.com
Theatre Thursdays
Enjoy a cultural lunch with live outdoor theater provided by TBA Theatre Company.
Where: Peratrovich Park, Fourth Avenue and E Street
When: Noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays, June 14 to Aug. 16
Cost: Free
Phone: 279-5650
Web: www.anchoragedowntown.org
Town Square Park
Town Square should be part of every visitor's itinerary. The small park is next to the Alaska Center for Performing Arts and is planted with beautiful flowers. Also in the park is a water fountain, and it has an excellent view of the Whaling Wall, painted by artist Wyland. The park hosts many community events during summer.
Where: Between Fifth and Sixth
avenues and E and F streets
When: Open daily
Wendler Building
The Wendler is one of the oldest buildings in Anchorage and is on the National Register of Historic Places; it at one time housed the city's only general store. It's Anchorage's only building with a corner turret. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race begins each March in front of the building, and there is a bronze statue of Balto, the famous sled dog, outside it.
Where: Fourth Avenue and D Street
When: Daily
Cost: Free
'Wild Salmon on Parade'
For the fifth summer, Alaska artists will turn molded salmon sculptures into creative, beautiful and unique art. Up to 25 artists are expected to participate, and the fish will be displayed throughout downtown. Many of the pieces are outdoors. A map is available on the Web site.
Where: Downtown Anchorage
When: June to August
Cost: Free
Web: www.wildsalmononparade.com
