Beautiful museum with 4 floors of really great stuff. It has artwork, including beautiful landscapes of Alaska. It has a huge floor covering the indigenous people's of the state. The artifacts are extremely high quality, many on long term loan from the Smithsonian and is branded as Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center. read more

This museum is huge!! There are so many great exhibits. We looked at the comicon exhibit they currently have and checked out the discovery museum with the kiddos. When we arrived we checked in and paid. They don't give you a ticket or a stamp or anything which is strange. When you walk past the lobby you can go one of two ways. Grab a map because unless you just plan on strolling around and don't have a specific exhibit you'd like to see, it's easy to get caught up in other ones and get lost. The museum tea is huge. There's more than enough to see and do here. We paid for two hours worth of parking and by the time it was up, we hadn't even seen half of the museum. It is now one of the things my family and will be doing once a month. It's completely crazy how nice it is and how many wonderful things there are to see. read more

Not the sexiest museum in the world but heck, state of the art facility and quality presentations. This isn't just a museum for arts and history but a cultural hub for Anchorage. Their restaurant is awesome too! It has enough to keep myself and my family occupied, lots of great photo ops, and has a planetarium?!?? A very attractive choice for days I can't decide. Lots for families and lots for tourists! read more

This museum is hands down one of my favourite in the world, and I stop to every museum I can. I was fortunate enough to have free admission for the day after Black Friday, too! It is very modern, with a large elevator taking you to one of four floors they have. On the bottom level they have a large cafe with a few bars on tap and soft drinks. There is also a gift shop right next to the entrance/exit. Everything was absolutely spotless and shiny, especially considering so many people had travelled through there around thanksgiving. There are bathrooms on every level as well, which were also well attended to. I had the pleasure of visiting while they were showcasing Fanatics. Everything from sports, comics, and even Game of Thrones artwork were on display. The museum curators and staff are so sweet and friendly. The vendors that were there on Saturday were selling homemade goods, signing books, and selling their own art pieces. I was surprised there were that many vendors in one room. This museum is huge. Every level you think it can't get bigger, but it just keeps going! I love the way they utilize technology to display different facts and 360 panoramas of different parts of Alaska. The homage to Native Americans was really above what I expected. Other than the beauty, I learned so many new facts about the history of not only Alaska, but America. read more

Came here with a group we enjoyed it. Small coffee spot with snacks. Restaurant onsite. Nice gift shop. It's super artsy. Enjoyed the native culture exhibits and docent.therrs another Alaska exhibit which was nice. read more

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Was not expecting such an enjoyable experience. This beautiful contemporary building is conveniently located in the downtown area. There are exhibits that will appeal to all ages. Appreciated comfortable seating throughout the museum. Unfortunately we were not able to take it all in, because we arrived in the afternoon. One highlight was the huge oil painting by Sydney Laurence of Mt. McKinley, particularly because the Great One was shrouded in clouds during our visit in Alaska. The whimsical huge fluffy bears were a hit too. The artist is Paola Pivi. Children and adults will enjoy the Discovery and Nature exhibits. Fascinating was the blow a bubble that encases you. Plan on spending the day. read more

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Great museum with so much to see. To see and read about the Alaska people was a true eye-opener. The displays and art were well thought out and planned nicely. While I am not a true art lover, my husband is and really enjoyed himself. Kids of all ages would love this place. The Muse Cafe made and served a great cup of coffee. read more

Every tour we have been on says how great the museum is. We did not enjoy it at all. It's $20/ person and there are very few exhibits. You can do the entire museum in an hour 2 at most. The best part is the Native items and clothes, but even those were a lot of repeats. If you take a child they will be bored out of their mind for 95% of the museum until they get to the 6 exhibits the kids can play. We would not go back or recommend. read more

I've been to my share of Museums, and though this one is not huge the displays are great! We had 3 hours to spare and used all of it and would have probably been fine with another 2 hours on top of that. the grounds are really well maintained inside and out. I did a quick walk through of the 3rd floor which is currently about us/russia/alaska relations. I found this quite fascinating! Included in there is the difference between an Alaskan malamute and Siberian husky and being the dog lover that I am I was engrossed in the stories of Balto, and the first dog in space. I could go on about the many things I learned there but as the displays might someday change I would just like to say the displays are well done! On to the most interesting display I have seen in a really long time! There were displays for all the native people of the area, their names their customs, and historical lifestyle Items. I was completely blown away, if I had found this display first I would have spend my whole time there from looking closely at each item to listening to all the dialogue for each group! Yes the gift shop is mostly pricey jewelry but that seems to be the case with all museums I've been to unless they are purposely geared towards children, there were a few cuddly toys and shirts and things but I wasn't there for the shop :) if you need a day to stay indoors and close to down town, this place is so worth your time and energy! read more

Located in the heart of downtown Anchorage, the museum is on the smaller side, but this is actually nice as it never becomes overwhelming. A wide range of exhibits seem to change regularly, although the best feature is the collection of Native artifacts and clothing. The gift shop is also very nice. The museum does a great job capturing life in and development of the state. read more

I'm generally not a big fan of museums, but visiting the Anchorage Museum was one of the best decisions I made on my recent trip to Alaska! Locals told me the museum had undergone recent renovations and expansion and had been getting tremendous reviews. I assumed it was a lot of hype, but on an overcast, rainy day, I went to see for myself. And it did not disappoint. From the outside, AM looks modern and sleek and the interior mirrors this. Each exhibit is stimulating in its own way and I found myself in a situation where four hours didn't seem like enough time to explore everything (I was right). But I moved slowly through the museum, drinking in the beautiful art, artifacts, and history lessons. I loved that the focus of the exhibits was Alaska and its native peoples. And the planetarium experiences are worth adding on. I viewed a presentation about the Aurora Borealis and was awed by how beautiful it was. As someone from the Lower 48, much of what I learned and saw was new, thought-provoking, and inspiring. I still can't believe it was only $18 for non-resident admission (plus $6 for the planetarium show) - it's a fantastic value! I shall return to this museum the next time I'm in Anchorage, and I'd encourage you to do the same! read more

Anchorage Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Very impressive museum. We all loved it with age ranges from 8 to 72! The bottom floor had a fun little hands on discovery center for the youthful and art and photographs etc on other 3 floors. Very clean and nice. Definitely recommend. read more

A little snack, some art and a cute gift shop...excellent stop. Our family stopped here when it has started to rain a little as a nice in door activity and it did not disappoint. Our 8 year old was fascinated with a microscope the museum set up to a tv screen and could looked at the samples for hours. I enjoyed the app and listened to mini lectures about each exhibit area. We all enjoyed the Artwork and culture that this museum had to offer. I do wish they had a few more things for children to manipulate and explore but we were please with our experience. read more

The Muse Cafe has to be the beat food I have ever eaten at a Museum anywhere in the world. Don't let the 60's Red and white tables fool you. This little cafe is full of high quality trendy foods! We started off with tea and house made Sangria and that itself kicks your socks off. Recommend crab cakes- more crab than filler and delicious ! The flat breads were next. Fresh and delicious. Will need to come back to try more entrees. We were surprised and delighted. Now the prices are a little high but the quality of foods explains the why. Quality food requires quality ingredients! read more

Wonderful museum! Art, State history, Native culture, Smithosian exhibits, kids' area, cafe, & gift shop. Highly recommend. read more

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Very good historical and cultural museum with a broad range of art and cultural items. Worth going once a year due to changing shows. Anyone with a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit/debit card gets free entry the first full weekend of each month as part of Museums on Us, but paying full admission is worth it anytime. read more

Anchorage Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

There's a lotta history in Anchorage which is covered at this museum. From the origins of eskimos to how the state became the 49th of the US, the facts can be found at this museum. I enjoyed the presentations regarding the purchase of the state of Alaska, the lifestyle of the eskimos, and the wildlife found in Alaska. It covers information regarding the state of Alaska while also giving homage to Anchorage. It's likely you'll stop here while in the city to gain a piece of wisdom. And it's strongly encouraged. read more

I have lived in Alaska for over 10 years and visited the Anchorage Museum so many times. I have been a member at times, even though I live in a rural area. Unfortunately, every other visit I would have given them five stars, but not this most recent visit; I just did not like the majority of the exhibits this time. I was there for about 4 hours and it was the first visit I've ever had where I felt like there was nothing else to see. Let's start with the good: The Smithsonian section is very good. I did not spend much time here this visit because I have been so many times in the past, but this is one of the best parts of the museum. It is professional, compassionate, and balanced. You have the option of looking at the artifacts and appreciating them for their sheer beauty or interest, of for settling down and watching videos, reading longer texts. You can get a general sense of things, or have a very in depth experience, depending on how you approach the space. The exhibit on fossils in Alaska was ok to good. You don't get to see locally uncovered fossils very often and I was stoked to recognize common Inupiaq root words in some of the scientific names. In some ways, this seemed to do one things that the Anchorage Museum has often done well in the past: mix art and science together. But this exhibit did not carry enough depth to carry the entire museum on its shoulders and the stylized art got repetitive. Much of the kids' artwork in the atrium was surprisingly interesting. Several pieces caught my eye and I decided to spend some serious time looking at each piece. Lots of interesting kids out there! I was especially moved by one piece by a 12th grader depicting the story of her parents adopting her from China. Her image of a Western couple picking up a baby in a Chinese market was made even more powerful by their completely blank faces. I also enjoyed the group projects that explained how the individual pieces came together to make the whole. Next, the OK. I got a latte from Steam Dot and it was just ok. I don't think the milk was heated or frothed up properly, but I enjoyed drinking it while drawing and writing in the atrium. There was some scattered small art exhibits tucked in hallways and corners--always fun to find them. I liked the photographs from Iceland and some work by a woman from Nome who put together, for example, Native carved wooden bowls and filled them with rosary beads. No Legos to play with in the kids' area, only Duplos. The Bad In the new area for Alaska Art, some areas were large and empty and the view out the window of the mechanical innards of the building was more interesting than the art. The space granted to the art was uneven, with some tons of space and some crammed together. The piece that was most interesting to me was video footage of Shishmaref and North Carolina, but I felt that for most visitors it would lack context and would lead to misunderstanding. Some of the small art exhibits were awful. The good news there is that they rotate quickly, so if I didn't like it, chances are, I won't have to see it again! The Ugly The travesty that is the new Alaska Gallery. Beyond the beautiful entrance is...not all that much. I know that the old Alaska floor was dated, but it conveyed a lot of information, especially for visitors and resident newbies, of which there is a constant flow. The new exhibit is all trying to be hip with dark colors and dark lighting and arranging things by theme "Alaska is...Adaptation," for example. The part that was most interesting to me was about the Inupiaq Messenger Feast and in particular the King Island Wolf Dance. I had never seen anything like the wolf dance before--the video they commissioned is worth seeking out. Beyond that, it struck me as superficial. There are lots of so-called interactive digital features that don't teach you much of anything. And I am heartbroken that the various Alaskan homes are gone. How are people supposed to know what a Quonset hut is? read more

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This is a nice and creative place to spend your day, the museum has a great deal, that on the first Saturday of the month, adults get in free!! (If you have a Bank of America card) This place had some good and bad things, but overall this place is pretty nice. My favorite place was the bears with feathers on them in the 3rd/4th floor. The discovery center was pretty good, although some things were broken/damaged, but it was a fun place. The Alaska portion of the museum has a lot of hands on activities, and fun things to look at and watch. You can see places all over Alaska using panoramic photos. They also had a giant map of the whole state of Alaska, which was pretty cool. Overall, I thought this place is a good way to spend part of your time in Anchorage, and if you live in Anchorage, check out the temporary exhibits!!! read more

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We spent 2 hours at this museum there is so much to see and is so well done, time passed and we didn't even know cause we were having fun. Make sure you bring your student ID or military ID so you can get discount. Start from the upper floor and make your way down, their exhibits are so entertaining. We also visited the kids area, which was another set of fun itself. My 10yr old loved it! We will be going back on Friday for the planetarium. Cannot wait! read more

What an awesome find! I had seen a special regarding Anchorage and made a note-to-self about this museum knowing that one day I will go there! Spent a nice day here learning and taking in all the beautiful history. Great displays and exhibits that really shows the culture and the lives of the natives. Loved the gift shop and I bought a beautiful bookmark that I will always cherish. Thank you for sharing and preserving the native history...we should all be so lucky to see this place in person. read more

Anchorage Museum - Anchorage Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Really great museum that rivals others in huge metropolitan cities that I've been to in terms of quality of great exhibits. Staff was great and polite, definitely a must see when in ANC. read more

Anchorage Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Really great museum. The exhibits were overflowing with authentic native artifacts. There were lots of personal cultural details that I would have never known. They also had a hands on interactive discovery center which was fantastic! Definitely a great spot for all ages. read more

Upon arrival into Anchorage, we decided to check out this museum to ensure we included a bit of culture in our visit. It was affordable and not very busy, and ended up taking us about an hour and a half. We are two adults, so we didn't spend much time in the hands-on area designed for kids, so that probably made it a shorter experience for us. The "Art of the North" Gallery housed several historical paintings from the 1800's and beyond, and it was outstanding - such beautiful art from early explorers of Alaska. We also really enjoyed the exhibit on the native Alaskan people, called the "Smithsonian Arctic Sties Center", where they showcased historical clothing, tools, toys and other artifacts from the Smithsonian Institutes National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of the American Indian. Definitely recommend visiting this museum, it was a great use of our time as we started off our Alaskan Adventure. read more

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We very much enjoyed this museum during our winter visit to Anchorage. The facility is very nice and the collections are presented well. There is a diverse mix of art and great displays of native arts and crafts. Everything as expected has an Alaska tie. Well done! read more

Very solid permanent collection, and tremendous variety of rotating exhibits, children's activities and special events. Worth your time whether you're a visitor or a resident. read more

Wow! Sooo very cool to visit this museum. My wife grew up in Anchorage and had fond memories of visiting as a kid. Even as adults we both really enjoyed the number if unique exhibits that were Alaska specific. The interactive bubble exhibits might have been some of our favorites lol. #BigKids read more

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I didn't get a whole lot of time in this museum, wish I could have seen more. I really liked the display on the past and present food culture in Alaska. It was really interesting to read of all the different factors that go into this very unique food culture. I also liked the display on the modern day "Molly of Denali" children's PBS series, starring the first culture children of Alaska. Upstairs they have an amazing and beautifully designed display of indigenous culture. This is a large museum in terms of square footage and I was surprised that some of the displays were so spread out, as if they were trying to fill up empty space. I think they could've utilized some of their spaciousness better by filling it up with more artifacts and displays. But yes, it is a very interesting museum! read more

This museum was a pleasant surprise! Very interactive and a wide variety of exhibits to appeal to all personalities: art, history, and science. I really enjoyed learning about Alaska here, this museum is very well put together. Highly recommend for all ages. read more

If you are in downtown Anchorage, this is a must see if you like museums. Heck I'm not an avid museum goer and I still enjoyed seeing the different exhibits they offered here. Tickets were $15 for adults on our visit. AAA discount available, we aren't members so I'm not sure how much it would've been. The museum had a variety of different exhibits to check out. Instead of going to 3 different places this was like a one-stop-shop. There was a lot of interesting information and exhibits about the earthquake, a large amount of native history exhibits, some oil exhibits and some interactive displays geared toward children but still fun. Only complaint is that parking anywhere near here is expensive, we paid $8 for 2 hrs. for a lot about a block away. read more

We came here after visiting the heritage center. Parking was a little challenging but realized to maximize at the mall parking garage at $1.75 per hour (1st hour free). The museum itself is pretty large but a bit confusing since it is a combo of Children's/Science/Art museum under one roof. My wife and I walked through it pretty fast as my parents took their time. I think it took us a little over an hour. Overall, I think it is a decent museum for Anchorage but it probably needs to just focus on one or the other. read more

I just wanted to pass the time while my boyfriend took care of some work errands. I am not the most artsy person but it was very informative and filled with cultural and historical takeaways. For the price, it was worth visiting for someone who's never been to Anchorage. read more

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Gréât place to learn about Alaska and wander through great art. The family areas are great and the planetarium has something for everyone.

I love going to museums and I've been to lots of them so I was very happy to visit the Anchorage Museum on a work trip. The place is very modern and very well kept and has so many things to see. They have contemporary art and lots of local exhibits and a fun kids science area. It's a great place to go on a rainy day and will easily take a few hours! I personally loved the Smithsonian native Alaska exhibit that was very high tech with lots of tv screens playing interviews and slideshows of native dress and culture. It is a beautiful and well designed exhibit that showcases the many Alaskan native people. There is also an Alaskan timeline exhibit that showcases the different people and events throughout Alaska before and after statehood. It was very informative and I liked the upclose look at Alaskan houses through history. The museum is 4 or 5 stories and will take you a while to look at everything, so give yourself a few hours to visit this gorgeous museum. read more

Anchorage Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Wonderful museum with 4 levels of culture and art! It's most certainly the place to go with family or friends. It featured a lot of historic and cultural artifacts related to Alaska that resulted in a greater understanding and appreciation of the 49th state! If you're visiting Anchorage, make this visit on your list! read more

Anchorage Museum - Words to live by! - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Great addition to my 2+ week trip to Alaska! There's a really wonderful and interactive trip through the different people that came to be in Alaska and how they survived and the ways they coped with the harsh climates. There's walk-thrus of early gold rushers' homes, even a pipeline "pig". Lots of good Alaska history here! read more

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Really cool place to learn about Alaska history! It's in Downtown Anchorage, lots of cool places to eat around there. They also had a restaurant inside the museum, and a gift shop. Kids under 2 get in free! It's 4 floors of history. They have an elevator for those who can't to the stairs! Totally worth checking it out! read more

Anchorage Museum - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

The update helped me feel like I live in a town of 350,000 people the old part is yes nice but growing up in Norther Ca. with lots of indian stuff all over I felt as if I had already seen most of it. The cost is fair and inline with most museums in the lower 48. The staff are friendly and get what you need to you. There is nothing that screams the most amazing place ever but there is also nothing that scream Don't ever go. I give you 3 stars for now. read more

A must see on any stop in Anchorage. The Smithsonian display of native ceremonial clothing, and the military camps really bring Alaska and her history to light. Fantastic gift shop. Lovely park on the grounds. read more

The Anchorage Museum is definitely a MUST SEE when visiting Alaska! The space is modern and beautiful. LOVED the artwork on the first floor by local artists. The discovery section on the first floor was fun too! The open atrium in the center of the museum was an unexpected surprise. We really enjoyed the photo exhibit of the People of Alaska that surrounded the walls of the atrium. The second floor contains several galleries. At one end is the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, which has beautiful exhibits of Alaska Native people. The display cases contain artifacts from each area and videos describing the lives of the different groups. I found this exhibit informative and beautiful, spent over an hour looking through all the displays. The other gallery on the second floor is the Alaska History Gallery. This gallery shows Alaska's history from early times to the present and includes Alaska's native culture, Russian colonization and the gold rush era. While we were exploring this gallery, there was a docent tour happening so we tagged along for a bit. The docent did a great job explaining the galleries, especially the Native people displays. My friend was impressed with the oil pipeline example, something we really hadn't considered. The third floor contains rotating exhibits. At the moment the displays are about the Alaska bush pilots. We didn't have a chance to explore this exhibit, but heard from some friends it was amazing. The hours change seasonally. The admission price is $15.00, $10.00 for seniors. read more

Anchorage Museum - My favorite painting! "Good to See You" by Alvin Eli Amason. You can't walk past this and NOT smile :) - Museums Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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