We stopped to check out the monument. It's not bad - it has a statue of Cook standing there and it…read morehas a plaque explaining how he got to Alaska and stuff. The whole area is on a platform overlooking the mud flats and you can see the area beyond there. Worth a short stop.

This monument is dedicated to Captain James Cook, a British explorer whose expedition visited the…read morearea . The statue, that is the centerpiece of the memorial, is not an original however. It is a duplicate of the one in Yorkshire, England, by Sir John Tweed, R.A. This one is the work of Derek Freeborn and was donated to the State by BP oil company. Yep, that BP. The statue looks great, especially considering that it was installed in 1976 as part of the American Bicentennial Celebration. It sits in a little plaza area with a few wooden benches. The memorial is located in Resolution Park, overlooking Cook Inlet, with the statue of Captain looking out over the body of water. The life-sized bronze statue is perched on a tall wooden pedestal and has a bronze plaque on it that details Caption Cook and some of his exploits. The statue is not without its controversy. To some, Captain Cook represents the cultural violence of racism, genocide, and loss of land and history. The statue can be viewed as idolizing Cook who was a murderer and rapist. In addition to a change.org petition calling for the statue's removal, in 2020, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz left the fate of the statue up to the nearby Native Village of Eklutna. It has yet to be decieded. The statue has been the victim of vandalism a few times, one such time was even before its dedication. As recent as 2020, two men were charged with criminal mischief after writing graffiti on the wooden pedestal that the Captain Cook statue sits. Who knows how long this statue will be here or even if it will be removed? So, go see it while you can. As far as parking goes, there is metered street parking and commercial garages and lots within a reasonable walking distance.

Great tribute to the history of Alaska…read more It is sad that people have vandalized it by breaking the marble and removing the placards. Too many people don't care about their history.

The Monument is on the way down the hill from the Downtown Hilton to the Alaska Railroad Depot…read more Locals call it "Ike on the Half Shell". I read the plaque, hung out at the "plaza" a bit, enjoyed the view, and wondered why there wasn't something more impressive to mark Alaska's entry into the Union.

This larger than life mural is part of a collection called Wyland Whaling Walls. It is the work of…read moreworld renowned environmental artist Robert Wyland, who in 1981, set out to paint 100 murals celebrating ocean life. It took him 27 years, but he did it, with the 100th being in Beijing, China. This mural was the 54th in the series. It was dedicated in 1994 and is a whopping 400 feet long and 50 feet, high. It is known as an Anchorage landmark and as is the case with most of Wyland's murals, it is very vivid and detailed. It overlooks a parking look and you really cannot see the entire mural in one vantage point. You will see some of Alaska's native marine life in the mural featuring a mom and calf Orca among other Orcas, some beluga whales, and a dolphin swimming and some seals sitting on a glacier. It is all set against a background of Alaskan mountains. It is gorgeous and considering it is almost 20 years old. It is in great shape. Parking to get a closer look is very easy. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance and well as tons of commercial parking lots and garages. As I mentioned, it overlooks a lot Itself. Anyway, as with most mural that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area such as the 5th Avenue Mall, Town Square Park, and Anchorage Visitor's Center, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This is a very beautiful mural, I am very happy some NICE public art exists somewhere in this city!read more

If you've spent any time at all in North Anchorage "tropical paradise" is certainly not the first…read moreterm that comes to mind. This is truly a hidden gem inside Russian Jack Springs Park. You enter through the solarium, a little tropical oasis with two goldfish/koi ponds, an incredible display of tropical plants and trees, and a large birdcage with a tree in it. We enjoyed simply sitting on the bench here and taking it all in. Next is the main greenhouse. There is quite a collection in there, some of the plants and trees have clearly been there a very long time, there are cacti that practically touch the ceiling, trees spreading out overhead, and all manner of other tropical plants that you won't find anywhere outside within a thousand miles of here. And there are starts and seedlings as well, indicating this will continue to be the lovely hidden oasis it is for years to come. I've been to bigger and more grandiose tropical greenhouses, but to have this at all in Alaska is quite an accomplishment. And it's free. A great way to spend an hour or so.

Hidden Gem in the middle of winter. Wonderful place to…read morevisit, I can't believe I've never been here after so many years in Anchorage. (22+) Great for a field trip or just to observe and learn more! Perfect for an afternoon date in my opinion! There's Birds, Fishes & Endless Plants! Note, there's barely anyone on the weekdays but it may have just been my visit...Must!!! Plus: Mon-Sun //FREE Down: 8:00 AM-3:00 PM If you work full time during the week you'll need to plan a weekend visit, definitely worth it! Link to my VLOG http://youtu.be/nTvrMXsv4Vc

This memorial is situated downtown in the DeLaney Park strip (which used to be the first airport…read morefor Anchorage, way back when!) in-between the rose garden and the WWII memorial. Still, I bet most people haven't seen it. It's a series of granite plaques along with some beautiful landscaping...in the summer. I went to photograph it in the winter, and the snow adds its own charm. However, many of the plaques are not readable without some brushing and scrubbing. Too bad that it's not really maintained in the winter. The main plaques that are lit in the winter are a site to behold. There's an excellent etching of Dr King, along with a long list of sponsors that all pitched in to help get this thing built, back in the 90's. I'm so nostalgic for a time when almost everyone could rally behind a cause we all believe in, the sponsor list goes across all organizations and industries and was, 100%, non-controversial. Wait, am I nostalgic for...the 90's?! There is also a bust of Dr King but...I'm not a huge fan of it. It just doesn't look like him, in my opinion. If you showed me just the bust...I don't think I would know who it is. Anyway, this memorial is worth checking out.

I like the sentiment of this memorial, but it could be a tad better. The memorial was dedicated in…read more1998 and renovated in 2002. It is in a small plaza area and consists of a bronze bust of MLK and two curved walls with bronze plaques with stories of MLK and the civil rights movement on them. The bust is not the best or most detailed that I have seen of MLK. There is also a granite slab with an image of MLK laser etched into it, along with the donors for the project. It is the nicest part of the memorial. There is metered parking within a reasonable walking distance of the memorial. It is definitely not a destination stop though and should be coupled with a visit to the Alaska Veterans Memorial, which is separated from this one by a just large field. It guess the urban campers that set up camp behind the memorial, nor the marijuana they were smoking, does not help the cause either. Admitting the memorial needs a little TLC. It has been 20 years since its last renovation. The commemorative panels had been degraded by neglect, weather and vandalism. One is even missing. I always find time to pay respects to MLK and it pains me that I cannot give this memorial 5 stars, but it is in too bad of shape and the bust is not good.

We came to play mini golf!…read more I was actually surprised how empty it was for a Friday night. Nobody was playing any games and there were three groups total in the mini golf area. I think we spent maybe 30 minutes playing the 18 holes with two people. I like the theming of the golf areas, one underwater and one arctic. The holes were kind of simple, but a few had cool things sprinkled in. Maybe 4 total had something cool. It was $9 for 18 holes, each person. No 3D glasses were offered but don't really need them.

We had a kids Birthday party here it's November and yes it's cold outside. But it's FREEZING INSIDE…read morethis building. All of the kids were miserable cause they were freezing we all had to wear our full winter gear inside. It's so dark in the "party room". 9/10 of the arcade games did not work. Definitely not worth the money. $200 to rent the "room" and then $20 per person/ kid on top of that to golf. It was just pathetic to be completely honest. They are many other places to host bday part events that are well worth the money and price. I wouldn't recommend this or do it again.

I stumbled across Dos Manos thanks to a TikTok video and knew I had to check it out right away--and…read moreI'm so glad I did! This gallery is such a gem in Anchorage. It's filled wall-to-wall with incredible art from so many talented local artists, and it has such a warm, welcoming vibe when you walk in. If you're looking for unique ways to decorate your space, they have beautiful prints that instantly brighten up a room. I also loved the selection of cards, stickers, and fun gift items--perfect for grabbing something special for a friend (or yourself!). It's the kind of place where you'll find something new and inspiring every time you stop by. Supporting local artists while picking up one-of-a-kind pieces? Definitely a win-win. Dos Manos is officially one of my favorite new finds in Anchorage.

Great shop in Spenard! First time being in here, and only because we had a gift card! It is a…read moregallery with different art pieces by different artists, but much more than that it is a gift shop that sells tons of locally made items. If you need a gift for a birthday, baby shower, or the holidays, come by this shop and you just might find something. They have a kid section, they have a room with Corso prints, and a cool staircase with art upstairs. I will definitely be back. The worker was a young guy just sitting behind the counter on his phone not interacting with anyone shopping, but he was nice when we check out. Picture was $60 and the cup I think was $18.

YOU HAVE TO GO ON THIS TOUR! oh my god, i teared up at one…read morepoint because of how incredible this tour was. let me break it down for you. - the staff is insanely nice and knowledgeable (a huge plus)! - there's drinks and snacks on board - there's indoor portions to keep you warm but i would definitely bring layers just in case - plenty of space outside up front, on the sides, or on the upper deck. trust me when i say you can't be on a bad side - the captain and workers will absolutely make sure you see all the wild life and won't rush the tour at all! while on tour we saw otters , puffins, orcas, hump back whales , goats , and so much more! this tour is informational, fun, and beautiful! plenty of photo op moments and really chill. HIGHLY recommend if you're in alaska!

My aunt booked this tour last minute I think and it was worth it. The tour guides really knew their…read morestuff and answered all my questions. We had fun & saw lots of beautiful sights and animals. :) *This was in 2019 btw*

If you find a stray dog you might as well ignore it, don't pick it up because there is nobody that…read moreworks here that will be able to help you. They have drop off boxes for the times they are not open but if you can't get the animal to do what you want you will be s.o.l and are likely to be bit. And don't bother calling anchorage 311 because they don't care about animals loose in the community to be hit by cars either.

When I went, it was a long wait, but the patience and kindness the employees had were beyond…read morebelief. The wait is worth it to adopt one of their amazing pets. I adopted my dog from here and won't ever regret it. Their website is updated hourly, phone lines open to contact, and great hours to meet and greet with their pets.

Security is Tough!! Just wanted to see the Alaska Centers Wildlife Museum inside the federal…read morebuilding. Great gift shop with a multitude of information on the state of Alaska. Very educational and informative and free.

This is a great place to visit for learning more about what Alaska offers on public lands, as well…read moreas the wildlife across the state and some historical information. The rangers were helpful and very knowledgeable answering questions and the animals on display (via taxidermy) were simply amazing.