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

What a delight! Right from the start of our stay and throughout the whole time, all of the staff…read moremembers were amazing ~ helpful, smiling, and accessible. From the lobby to the room, the hotel is sparkling clean. The building is historic and the past comes alive with photos retelling stories of the Anchorage of old, and gorgeous paintings that capture the shifting light with remarkable beauty. The Historic Anchorage Hotel is an adorable and refreshing boutique hotel experience, very classy and designed with care down to the smallest detail, and with so much in walking distance. The best gift store with the most interesting curiosities in all of Anchorage is also right next door, with snacks and great Alaska-made finds. We had been wanting to stay here for a long time and now that we have, I am really excited to go back. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

This is a beautiful historic hotel filled with mementos of the last century. There are photos of…read morethe hotel from the early 1900's and its on the historic register. It's within easy walking distance of shops and restaurants with a walkable public art tour featuring artists like Robert Wyland and Hunter S Thompson. The entire staff is friendly and helpful and the manager, Terry, spent lots of time telling me about the 26 room hotel and the haunted history. She showed me her video of a chandelier with just a few of the crystals vibrating inexplicably and told us that some ghost hunters had told them there were 32 separate entities inhabiting the hotel. I didn't see anything strange but I love the stories. There's a basic fitness room and a beautiful bar area (but no liquor license) where the breakfast buffet is served. The breakfast is small but adequate with the star being the pancake machine that looks like a copy machine but spits out thin pancakes when you push the button. There was no fruit available but they do have water, coffee and tea available all day. The room was comfortable with the old timey vibe. The updates include a power strip with USB ports, a coffee maker (and tea provided) and a large flat screen TV. There's no air conditioning but the floor fan works well enough. We chose this hotel to be within walking distance of the train station and the train rolls in at 5:20am - blasting it's whistle for about a full minute. It leaves again at 6:45am but the whistle is shorter. I was exhausted and fell back to sleep quickly so it wasn't really a problem for me. The huge gift shop next store offers hotel guest 10% off and they have everything you could want. I would definitely recommend this very clean and comfortable, unique hotel with its attentive staff.

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 mural was painted by William Kozloff in 2020 and is on a side wall of the Seed Lab,…read moreoverlooking a parking lot. It is between two other murals. It depicts a native woman, with glasses, dressed in traditional garb, wearing some Bluetooth headphones and taking a selfie with her phone. The phones light is on and you can see "JUST" tattooed across the woman's fingers on the hand holding the phone. The word "JUST" is also behind her head. I do not know the backstory of the mural, but the murals on the Seed Lab walls have to do with either climate change or the State's indigenous history. I am assuming that this one falls under the latter. Artistically, it is a very nice piece that is in great shape. I like Kozloff's use of color in the mural. It is very vivid and the colors really compliment each other. 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. And as I mentioned, it overlooks a parking lot itself. That is where I ended up parking at. 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.

There's a saying next to it that's counterintuitive to the painting. There's nothing "forward…read morethinking" about taking a selfie.

This sculpture is the work of Leo Vait of Homer, Alaska who made the piece in 2006. It is located…read morein downtown anchorage, in a small Plaza area in front of the Atwood State Office Building. It is a duplication of another piece, also by Valt, that is located in his hometown of Homer. The "bones" are arranged much like the whale bone huts in some of the native Alaskan villages. They are made of 3/16 inch steel, coated in zinc and then painted. The sculpture is part of the Alaska State Council on the Arts' a Percent for Art Dedication collection. I find this piece very unique and intriguing. It is illuminated at night and has some large rocks placed under it to add to its aesthetics. It is a simple piece and it reminded me of an exhibit at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, around the lake. It is in decent shape, especial for being 16 years old. It is definitely attention getting and hard to miss. 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. This is defiantly not a destination piece that you make a special trip to see, but is nice to take a look at if you find yourself in the area. 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.

I LOVE the Anchorage Museum. Yes compared to other large…read morecity museums it's on the smaller scale, but it's still fantastic. The Smithsonian Alaska exhibit is truly amazing, and such a great piece of history. Honestly my favorite part about the Anchorage Museum is the classes offered, the after hour events, the seed lab, the lending museum, (which is part of the seed lab) and the perks of buying a membership. There are so many cool classes offered for kids and adults and I feel like not that many people know about them. I'd encourage everyone to look up the events calendar on the website and see what they have coming up. Movie screenings, silent discos, Pink Floyd at the planetarium and then there are the member perks. They offer really cool behind the scenes tours and great discounts on classes and entry fees for members. They also offer free entrance days maybe once a month, so the price CAN be accessible to everyone.

The Museum is located in Downtown Anchorage, across from the Anchorage Mall, with an attractive…read morearchitectural design fronted by a lovely grove of birch trees. I found it odd that the Museum's underground parking is only available to patrons at night and on weekends. Given the temps and homelessness, pushing patrons onto the street/area surface lots seemed counterintuitive. While many of the Museum's galleries offer strong, sometimes dated, points of view (i.e. on COVID vaccination rates and opinions from 2020), the Museum has a loan from the Smithsonian collection showing Alaska native cultural heritage pieces on the 2nd floor. This history alone is worth a studious and extended visit. The "dog" gallery is equally captivating, and the cafe was both welcoming and refreshing. Areas designed for children, while mostly holding our 5 & 7 year olds' interests, were fairly rudimentary without consistently clear learning goals for the well-travelled. At $25/ea for a regular adult, it's a good one-time experience.

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

Quick History lesson, if you didn't know Alaska was not a state during World War II, but its…read morenatives were still involved, as part of the Alaska Territorial Guard, which served from 1942 to 1947. They had about 6,000 volunteers in all and fought Japanese the took over a couple of the Aleutian Islands kept watch over the shores. The group was nicknamed Eskimo Scouts and Uncle Sam's Men and in 2004 2004 they were formally recognized by the Army at US military veterans. This is one of eight identical statues placed across the state that was made to honor those soldiers. It is the work of Alaska native James Grant who sculpted it in 2009. It depicts an Alaska Territorial Guard solder wearing an artic parka and standing proud. He has his hood up, which is fur lined. He is also holding a rifle out in front of him with both hands. You will also see a bandolier slung sash-style over his right shoulder. There is a bronze plaque on the statue's base that details the Alaska Territorial Guard, their significance and contributions. The sculpture alone would be probably a 3 star rating, but the backstory and significance bumps it up to a solid 4. Its detail and presentation is not wowing, but it tells a nice story and honors a well-deserving group of proud natives. 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 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 piece is located in the Anchorage Federal Building and US Courthouse. It is located in a small…read morereflection pool located in the center of the Federal building's atrium. The sculpture gets its name, Tlingit, from the natives who goes by the same name and live primarily along the northern stretches of the Alaskan coast. It is the work of Robert Hudson, who created the piece in 1980 as part of the government's Art-in-Architecture Program. Its dimensions are 17' 10" by 11' 6" by 5' 10" and is in amazing shape, especially considering its age. Being inside surely helps preserve it. It is made of steel, with some sections painted in a rainbow scheme. It is a nice sculpture that changes with the viewers point of view. They look like boxes, but start to appear flatter as you walk around it. I like the way the rainbow painted sections compliment the bare aluminum. It has kind of an accent wall effect. It is interesting to note that many of the buildings tenants that worked in the offices around the sculpture, at the time of its installation, did not approve of the commission, and occasionally threw things at Hudson as he began its construction. If you would like to see it, you will have to go through the federal building's airport like security screening. So, I get it. It is not practical to come see the sculpture unless you are visiting the federal building or courthouse. Nobody likes going through It is nice to see though. If you do decide to visit, there is metered street parking available as well as some commercial lots and garages available within reasonable walking distance. And if you do make a trip to see the mural, I suggest that it be part of a larger itinerary or on your way to some other attraction. FYI, the Anchorage Museum is directly across the street.