This mural is the work of William Kozloff. He painted it on the North (back) side of Seed Lab in…read more2020 as part of the Alaska Mural Project in collaboration with the Anchorage Downtown Partnership. The mural depicts a native Aleutian woman, known as an Unangan, holding a skinning knife and wearing a bag that is used for preserving seal meat until they could get it back to the village where it could be processed. Kozloff aimed to bring attention to the impact of colonization on the Aleutians and what he called "the Century of Servitude" I love the purple and teal color scheme used in the mural. It is defiantly attention grabbing. It has some fine detail and showcases Kozloff's talent. 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. 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 murals in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This 40 foot wide by 20 foot high mural is the work of Daniel DeRoux. It is also known as Alaska's…read moreMount Rushmore and is prominently on the side of the 7th Ave parking garage. It took more than seven months to complete the project, 5 of which went into just the design. DeRoux uses 49 historic people, 73 communities and abundant wildlife that were carefully painted from old photographs into 512 small cells to make a picture of 4 prominent Alaska figures, the State's first governor, William Egan, the first two U.S. senators (Bob Bartlett and Ernest Gruening) and Robert Atwood who spearheaded the committee to make Alaska the 49th state. DeRoux's goal was to illustrate as many Alaska communities and regions as he could cram into the collage. You will find skiers, church steeples, mountain goats a person posing under arched jawbones from a bowhead whale, puffins, loons, a fox, and a Chilkat blanket pattern. There are also images of dozens of Alaskans involved in the history of the state mixed into the mural. I will admit that the background immage cells are a little hard to see without binoculars, but trust me, they are there. The detail of the mural is awesome and I am a huge fan of collage murals, and this is no exception. 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 is on the side of a parking garage. 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 or Town Square Park, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This sculpture is the work of Hugh McPeck and was dedicated in 2000, Y2K. It weighs 1,200 pounds…read moreand stands 8 and a half feet tall. It depicts, as its title insinuates, a bear with a raven perched on its head looking down on him. The sculpture sits out front of the Bear and Raven Adventure Theater an interactive play space where children can get to know Alaskan history. The sculpture is in great shape and has a fun vibe. It looks like the animals are having a grand time.It has a plaque that gives it some context and reads, "The Bear and Raven, The Raven whispers to the Bear, "I really enjoy watching you fish for salmon in Ship Creek". The Bear's large smile and tummy, indicates that he loves it too! This sculpture is dedicated to the fun loving spirit of all Alaskans. Legend has it when you rub the Bear's tummy it will bring you good luck." 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. Anyway, as with most sculpture 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 or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

The location is very convenient. It's in downtown and there are shops and eateries all in walking…read moredistance. The visitor center is also near by. If you don't mind walking a bit, it's amazing. The place is very nice. I like how there are also some tour businesses in the area. We were able to walk there to book some tours. The accommodation is nice, clean, convenient and I loved the decor. Kitchen has glasses, dishes, refrigerator, utensils as well as extra blankets, tv, and more. Recommended

This is a classic mural located in downtown Anchorage on the side of the David Green Master Furrier…read morebuilding. It has somewhat become the business signature and is overlooking a parking lot. It was painted in 1993 by Richard "Ziggy" Ziegler, an amateur muralist and master shoe repairman at the Arctic Treasures store in Anchorage. Ziegler is a charter and has run for mayor of Anchorage The mural is showing its age and has some severe fading and just has a nostalgic look about it. It depicts a group of jolly walruses hanging out on the ice on one end. On the other end you will find a polar bear standing on a glacier and the words "David Green" in front of it. Even though somewhat faded, the colors still complement each other very well with the blue sky, aqua water and white glacier combining to make a perfect background for the piece. I could use a good power washing and/or refresh though. The mural is very dirty and covered in what I believe to be soot. Parking to get a closer look at this mural is very easy. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance and well as tons of commercial parking lots and garages. And as I mentioned, it overlooks a parking lot itself. Anyway, as with most murals 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 or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This attraction is located in front of the Anchorage visitor's Center. It is a metal abstract arch…read morededicated in memory of Robert L. Hartig, one of the principals of the law firm of Hartig Rhodes Hoge & Lekisch, a leading corporate and business law firm in Anchorage. The spiraling arch is made of stainless steel and granite and is the work of sculptor Roger Barr, who received the commission for the piece in 1985. It is illuminated at night, which I think makes it more impressive to view after dark. One of the arch's pillars are inscribed with the following: Spirit Bridge In Memory Of Robert L. Hartig 1928 - 1980 A Leader In Law And Community Affairs His Dedication Provided A Bridge For A New Generation In designing the piece Barr drew upon Hartig aviation background and went with somewhat of an aviation theme. Barr "sought to create a sculpture that would soar, reflecting and seeming to dissolve in the changing light, large but not massive." 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. Anyway, as with most sculpture that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. Fortunately, most people visiting this attraction will be there visiting the Anchorage Visitors Center and this will be a subsequent visit. If you do choose to make this a destination stop, which I do not suggest, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This sculpture is located in downtown Anchorage near the tourist area with all the gift shops and…read morerestaurants. It is in an area known as the mushing district and was sculpted by Jacque and Mary Regat in 1989. The sculpture depicts a single sled dog running with a determined stare and has a lot of meaning. There are bronze plaques on the statue noting it meanings and significance. First, the statute is dedicated to all dog mushers and their "heroic dogs". More specifically, it commemorates Fur Roundezvous, Anchorage's winter celebration, which features the World Sled Dog Race and the Iditarod Dog Sled Race, which makes it location significant. The Sculpture is located at 4th Avenue and D Street, it also happens to mark the ceremonial starting point of the annual Iditarod dogsled race. The sculpture is also dedicated to the memory of David Green, a local famous furrier whose store, David Green Master Furrier, is located just down the street. This sculpture is not the best nor most detailed, but I really like its back story. And I have always been intrigued by dog sledding. It is in great shape and located in a touristy area even though , as I have noted, that the location goes much deeper than that. Also, contrary to many claims, this sculpture is not of Balto the Wonder Dog or any other specific sled dog. 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. Anyway, as with most sculpture 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 Land Management Center and Anchorage Tourist Center or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This is a sculpture that depicts three ships of the controversial explorer, Captain James Cook,…read morethat represent the 3 voyages of his exploration. There are bronze markers that are engraved with information of each respective voyage. The voyages occurred between 1768 and 1780, with him being killed during the third voyage in 1779. The piece sits in a little trench that is lined with medium sized rocks. It sits in front of the Anchorage Pel'meni restaurant and across the street from the Captain Cook Hotel. It was made in 1977 BY Josef Princiott, with the assistance of Susan Mckittrick, Jim Froehlich, and Dean Mctavish. This area seems to be heavy on Captain Cook, with this sculpture, the hotel, Cook Inlet and his memorial all within a few blocks from each other. It is a nice piece, but is showing signs of wear and tear. It could use a little TLC. Parking to get a closer look at this sculpture is very easy. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance and well as tons of commercial parking lots and garages. Anyway, as with most sculptures 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, such as the Captain Cook Memorial, or The Alaska Victim Memorial, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Definitely the weirdest thing to stumble across while walking around downtown anchorage.read more

STAR! Star is…read moresomewhat of an Anchorage mascot (the one that's not a moose). He/she (they all have horns, how do you TELL?!) lies quietly in the hay, unnoticed by many. Star has his/her own Facebook page. If you go take a look at Star, Star will pretend to not care about you. However, if you wait 5-10 minutes and talk sweetly, Star will get up and walk over to the chain-link fence to say hello. Supposedly Star is "walked" in the neighborhood, but I've never observed this yet. If you're at the Park Strip, you may as well come see Star.