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Anchorage Museum
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
24 reviews for Anchorage Museum
Review Highlights
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"The Smithsonian Arctic research wing was very educational." In 6 reviews -
"...exhibit that showcases the many Alaskan native people." In 8 reviews -
"The new imaginarium is quite fun, even for adults." In 3 reviews
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Matt S.
Eugene, OR
8/21/2011
Truly one of the most memorable and interesting museums I have ever been to. You will not find one Italian Renaissance painting of Jesus or one American Colonial painting of General Washington at the Anchorage Museum.
A wealth of information about Alaska's history and about the culture and heritage of the people of the First Nations. We visited on our first full day in Alaska and it gave me a great taste of our setting. I was honestly a bit surprised at just how very little I actually knew about Alaska before visiting the museum.
I can't recommend the Anchorage Museum highly enough to anybody who cares about understanding the place they are visiting or to anybody who is interested in history.Listed in: Anchorage AK, August '11
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Review from Sarah J.
4/27/2011
Being from DC, I loathe any museum that makes me pay for admission. No place can be that good! Anchorage Museum, however, is totally worth the price of admission (which is a measly $12 for adults and $9 for pretty much everyone else, including students, so it's not all that bad). Their new wing is just stunning. Modern, sleak, full of light. They even have an exhibit on the expansion itself and the history behind the architecture. Having that exhibit on the top floor where you can overlook the city is especially striking.
Don't worry, history buffs, there is much to be seen in the way of Alaskan history at the Anchorage Museum. Want to learn about statehood and why every state is jealous of Alaska's constitution? AM has it. Or maybe you're more into wildlife and indigenous culture. AM has that too. I especially enjoyed the more recent exhibits on the pipeline...they even have a part of the pipeline in the museum! Then again, most Alaskan history is recent since it's only been a state since 1958, but hey, still a fascinating learning experience about our second youngest state.
Most of my museum experiences are not all that memorable. However, something about the Anchorage Museum struck a chord with me. Maybe it was the company I was in or the day in August. Maybe it was the feast for the eyes making it so memorable, or the sense of pride I had that our country has such a gorgeous state in its union. Whatever it was, I truly enjoyed my time at Anchorage Museum. I think you will too.Listed in: Get Movin'
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Review from Elizabeth Y.
Monterey Park, CA
6/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very cool museum in the heart of Anchorage! General admission is only $12 and they have a large variety of things to see. Come learn about the history of Alaska as you walk through displays showing their culture, costumes, people, animals, etc.
My favorite area was the discovery science center for children. Bring your kids - they have so much to learn here! There's a bubble area to make huge bubbles, a video machine to capture how high you can jump in slow motion, and more!
If you are one of those who read everything, you will probably need 3 hours. We got done with the whole museum in just a little over an hour though.
Don't forget to stop by the gift shop on the way out! Oh, and parking is easy - park on the street for free if it's available or in the parking lots for $1/hour. -
Review from Megan J.
10/18/2011
twelve dollar entry
(nine for students helped us out)
worth it for these exhibits
unlike most others
interactive respectful
learn through sound, sight, touchListed in: Five Days in Anchorage
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Review from Joe B.
8/17/2011
What an excellent way to spend a day! AM truly has something for everyone; it combines art, history, science and industry, military, and children's museums to become the Megazord of museums. This was one of my first stops on an accidental tour of Anchorage. My flight to Tokyo was diverted to Alaska after the quake, so I deplaned knowing nearly nothing about local history or native culture. I was about to be the Ugly American in my own country! Luckily, this museum saved me from my ignorance, and in a big way. It's close to everything, which was good for me because I didn't have a car, so if you're in the area, you really have no excuse to skip out on this experience.
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Review from Beth I.
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.Listed in: Alaska work/foodie Trip
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Review from Benjamin H.
Anchorage, AK
7/6/2011
For Anchorage's size and remote location, this is actually a pretty good museum. Since the new addition has been added, they have brought some decent exhibits: Science of Star Wars, Gold, Mammoths and Mastodons. The new imaginarium is quite fun, even for adults. The paintings in the old section haven't changed much but I are still arresting.
The new cafe is fairly decent with outdoor seating and a nice menu. I wish there was a way to buy a pass for the museum and the traveling exhibits for the whole year, not just the museum. -
Review from Patrick C.
WOODLAND HLS, CA
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was sad that the Mammoths display was an extra fee. We knew that we would be spending a lot of money on this trip so we decided to do the planetarium instead. The planetarium was very cool. Also really like the kids science area. Good times playing with the experiments set up for the kiddies :)
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Review from Kara R.
7/11/2009
I'm not really a museum-type person but the Anchorage Museum had plenty of variety to really keep me interested.
The museum has a very modern architectural feel to it which was pretty neat. The traveling exhibit was about Gold, which was actually a fascinating exhibit. I highly recommend paying extra to go see it. They talked about the history and chemistry of gold, and had some very cool gold artifacts from the Alaskan Gold Rush and around the world. The little kid in me got real excited at the crown making station but that's a story for another time...
The Natural History section has enough to keep everyone and their mother entertained. There are tons of dioramas, Eskimo artifacts, and even life-sized recreations of frontier life. Since it's in Alaska you'll probably be wearing a jacket already but just in case, bring one. We happened to go on an abnormally hot day and I was absolutely freezing in the Natural History section.
Another section worth checking out is the area dedicated to the WWII soldiers who fought battles in Alaska. The history of those soldiers and what they had to deal with weather-wise was pretty fascinating.
Definitely check this museum out, it's definitely worth a trip when in Alaska.Listed in: FamBam's Trip to Alaska
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Review from Sarah B.
Boise, ID
6/27/2010
I have been to SO many museums, and this one absolutely stands out in my mind. There were so many varied feelings as I went through. The Alaskan Art exhibits are stunning - due to the art AND the atmosphere.
The hands-on area has some amazingly fun experiments that I hadn't seen before (more than your standard tube tornado and a thermal camera!). The touch pool of sea life even had a younger kid (12 maybe?) helping as a volunteer and he was SO knowledgeable - totally blew me away.
The Native Cultures exhibit and the WWII exhibits both almost brought me to tears and were so fascinating. And the history of mining and oil ... well, given the nature of recent events it was nice to learn more about the history of the industry and try to get a feel for how such an industry affects its surrounding people and landscape.
Alaska is so gorgeous, and its history can make you uncomfortable and protective of the land and indigenous cultures. At least that's how the museum made me feel - which is quite a feat for a museum. -
Review from Julie S.
8/3/2011
Being a HUGE fan of the MFA in Boston. This was very different. Very artifact based, which is a good thing (you know, know your roots) and every square inch there was a wealth of knowledge. But there was just something about it that I didn't LOVE. I think it was the atmosphere. Who knows. I read the other reviews and people loved it here, so maybe it was me.
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Review from Adam M.
9/9/2010
Between the ever present Aleutian history of Alaska and my ignorance of any art scene I was not expecting much when I decided to kill a couple of rainy hours in town with a visit to the museum. Boy was I wrong.
From the moment you approach the Anchorage Museum you realize there's something different about this place. A glass and steel monolith surrounded by stone and landscaped public space the building stands out from its surroundings. Inside it is a contemporary combination of wood and stone with small gallery spaces surrounding a central great hall.
The exhibits were all excellent and of an international calibre. The Smithsonian Arctic research wing was very educational. The Alaskan history was much more fascinating than I thought it would have been and not filled with the typical native American stuffed animal dioramas. The great hall has rotating exhibits and while I was there it had a captivating display of photography by legendary mountaineer Brad Washburn. There is even something for the kids with an interactive science area usually only found in children's or science museums.
The Cafe near the exit is not to be missed. A sheik Euro styled space with a great menu but even better drink list featuring homemade infused vodka's. -
Review from LINDA R.
Paradise Valley, AZ
9/29/2010
Highly recommenced. Extremely informative. Riveting displays. Amazing artifacts.
Went with a born & breed Alaskan, and I was uncomfortable thinking he would be bored out of his mind, but he was drawn to all the exhibits and even learned a lot about his own state.
We found the 2nd floor on Natives to have put us in an awestruck state of mind. The ancient clothing, way of life, and culture of the Eskimos was just so educational. You are able to be transported back in time, and into a life that you never knew existed.
The only down side was that I ran out of time and was really disappointed I was not able to slip into the adjoining Muse. I had heard they have an awesome martini & wine bar - Whaaah. A quick peak in and it looked really cool. sigh. next time! -
Review from Jason W.
Novato, CA
3/13/2009 4 photos
I visited the museum in early March. Most of the museum was closed because they are preparing to open the new expansion. Because of this, admission was reduced from $8 to $5. The atrium and the Alaska History galleries were the only open areas.
The lower level contained a collection of art produced by local children which was fun to peruse. The upper level had small displays on military activity in Alaska. The atrium took about ten minutes.
I spent about an hour and a half in the Alaska History galley. The gallery covered the earliest native people, Russian settlers, the gold rush, development of the railroad, the Good Friday Earthquake, World War 2 and the pipeline. The exhibits were very well done and I like how many of the items were displayed. A large percentage of the artifacts were displayed in life-size dioramas.
The museum was definitely worth the $5 and I look forward to visiting the newly expanded museum when I visit Anchorage again. -
Review from Gesselle C.
New York, NY
3/27/2011
This is a beautiful museum. I started on the 4th level and strolled down. The Native American and Eskimo exhibits are exceptional, i feel that I truly learned more about their varied experiences, languages and cultures.
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Review from G L.
Anchorage, AK
5/18/2008
Note: This is a review of the cinema side of the Anchorage Museum only.
http://www.anchoragemu...
The Anchorage Museum shows just one film a week, Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m., on a screen in an auditorium, usually a couple of years after release. Not normally five-star cinema, but these foreign and independent films are extremely well-chosen. The foreign fare often hasn't opened in any US theatre but only because of language and marketing -- this series is by no means of the high-falutin', shoulder-stabbing, eye-slicing wtf variety. Regardless of where you're coming from and especially for a city with sometimes limited selection, this is always a good place to go.
Tickets are $6 general, $5 seniors, $4 members. Street parking is easy at this time. None of the cineplex previews, ads, talking paper bags, b.s., so be on time. -
Review from CJ S.
San Tan Valley, AZ
6/22/2011
Visited the Anchorage Museum 3/4/2011, on my last evening before heading north. After a lovely meal at the Museum's Muse Restaurant [see separate review], we proceeded to the Art of the North [permanent exhibit] and spent some time enjoying the landscape paintings. Also had fun during a brief stop in the Imaginarium, and found the Alaska History exhibit [also permanent] most interesting. Definitely worth more than one trip; hope to visit again someday.
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Review from Alden G.
6/28/2010
Anchorage is fortunate to have such a great museum. Well worth a visit; I was very impressed with the smithsonian arctic research displays; there are many other fine displays as well, including a review of the oil industry, and impact WWII had on the state.
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Review from Thisonegirl h.
Los Angeles, CA
4/28/2008
Neato! I was a student intern here in high school and can give you a perfect art museum curator's explanation for the galleries upstairs. First of all, upstairs is all about Alaskan people and history and you'll get well acquainted with the type of clothing Native Americans wore, the type of animals they hunted, and the tools they used. (This is where I take out the real animal fur and bone tools for you to touch). Over here are models of Alaskans hunting whale for food. And over here are the clothing they wore, yes, they are really made out of seal guts. To your right is the wall that explains the great earthquake of 1964.
When I interned there, they had an awesome kid's art section where kids could touch/play/create with the materials they had laid out there. It was perfect for kids to exercise their creativity. But that was many years ago, so I don't know what they have now, but I'm sure it's something cool! -
Review from Junglist S.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2010
Fantastic museum! Excellent artifacts showcased and accompanied by impressive Smithsonian touch displays. Nice collection of art, including some for sale. Very nice building overall. The interactive areas were a lot of fun. Out of all the museums I've visted around the world this definitely ranks among the best. Absolutely a must see in Anchorage.
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Review from Dana S.
Juneau, AK
10/31/2010
This place is really cool. The imaginarium is awesome even if you're not a little kid (as long as you're willing to play around) and there were lots of adults doing the activities, too. The bubble station is really awesome as are the moon jellyfish (my favorite). As for the other exhibits, they change so I can't really speak to them, but the ones we saw were interesting. There was an Alaska Native exhibit from the Smithsonian and a collection of photographs. Unfortunately the third floor was closed due to preparing the Andy Worhol exhibit. I would recommend going just for the imaginarium, though.
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Review from SandyEgg O.
San Diego, CA
8/4/2011
The Smithsonian exhibit on Alaska's Native cultures was first-rate. They have a lot of neat stuff including traditional costumes, tools, artworks, and lots of masks. Each display has two computer touch screens that have additional information on each article in the display. They also have benches situated in front of really nice TV programs about each culture.
The museum staff was almost entirely in their 20's and more interested in chatting with each other and texting than doing their jobs. Staff didn't check our tickets at all until we tried to enter the supplemental exhibit on mammoths and mastodons (not included in the $12 ticket). Then we learned that we were supposed to have exchanged the tickets we had for other tickets at the regular entrance. Oops. We also learned that backpacks must be carried, and not on your back because they might knock exhibits over. Really? Come on. So, backpack in hand, we viewed the contemporary native art exhibit which was really interesting -- lots of masks. I love those. Then later, when we were in the main exhibit hall (where everything is behind glass) I put the backpack back on. Never mind the screaming children running back and forth the exhibit hall, pressing their dirty little faces against the displays, and generally following their parents poor example, security makes a beeline for me and my backpack. Backpack warning number two. This time, I hear a story about a child not paying attention the the backpack on his back and knocking a patron over. I responded, "I am not a child." Anyways, backpack back in hand. Not until we're leaving did we notice that there are free lockers we could have put that heavy sucker in at the beginning. Thanks guys. I mean, really.
Other exhibits included Alaska history (nowhere near was well put together as the Smithsonian exhibit, but it was alright), basket weaving (nuf said), Alaskan landscapes (does no justice to the real thing), and a photo exhibit about gold mining (I love old photos!). All in all, we're glad we went, but it wasn't a highlight of the trip. -
Review from Betty C.
Anchorage, AK
4/20/2008
A solid museum experience, especially if you are new to the collection. I look forward to the expansion project as they will hopefully have room to display items previously unseen. AMHA has brought memorable exhibits to our community and is a popular venue for such public events as craft fairs, wine tastings, and prom. I like to pretend that my tax dollars go here exclusively, but if that were true, shouldn't I get in for free?
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Review from Molly I.
Anchorage, AK
12/30/2010 4 photos
Since it was remodeled, I've been to the museum over and over. For the Pink Floyd light shows in the planetarium. For the Warhol exhibit. For the Christmas toys. For the snapping turtle. For the bar downstairs. For the bubbles. The new remodel is absolutely beautiful with lovely lighting perfect for taking photos. The service can be a little spotty but always in somewhat-amusing ways -- a guy at the front desk sold us $18 tickets but failed to mention the museum was closing in 20 minutes so we got kicked out before we got to see much of anything. Another time we had a drink at the bar & the bartender repeatedly forgot our orders and we soon learned why. Each time she stirred a drink, she capped the straw with her finger and then sipped the straw. That's ALOT of alcohol over the course of a shift! Ah well, the food and drinks and atmosphere are amazing and the museum is a great place to wile away a couple of hours.
