Location: Fairbanks
Top Things to do in Fairbanks
- 1. Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
- 2. Running Reindeer Ranch
- 3. Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center
- 4. University of Alaska Museum of the North
- 5. McKinley Explorer
- 6. Chena Indian Village
- 7. University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 8. Ice Art Championships and George Horner Park
- 9. Chena River State Recreation Area
- 10. Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
10 Things to Do in Fairbanks That You Shouldn't Miss
Its far north location means Fairbanks gets the midnight sun in the summer and the northern lights during Aurora Season (August to April). These wonders define the city, along with winter activities, the gold rush past, Alaska Native heritage, a vibrant arts scene and “golden heart” hospitality. Enjoy dog mushing, panning for gold, floating the Chena River or visiting a museum. Add a nearby trip to a hot springs, Denali, the Arctic or the Interior. Fairbanks is the gateway to discovering Alaska.
Restaurants in Fairbanks
1. Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
Overall Ratings
5 based on 861 reviews
This unexpected gem at Wedgewood Resort features a remarkable collection of antique cars and historic fashions, plus entertaining displays on Alaska motoring history. With over 100 vintage outfits exhibited alongside automotive works of art, visitors are treated to a visually stunning trip back to a time when cars and fashion dominated the luxury goods market. The museum's automobile collection features over 85 American-made vehicles, including beautifully restored horseless carriages, nickel touring cars, rakish speedster, elegant classics, and early racecars. From rare marquees like Compound and Argonne to well-known names like Packard and Stutz, visitors will be amazed at the beauty, innovation, and history of these rolling masterpieces. All but a few of the automobiles are driven each summer, making this a true "living museum."Home to more than 600 textiles from the 18th to the Mid-20th Century, the museum presents one of the largest historic fashion collections on permanent display in the Western United States. The exhibits include enchanting examples of men's and women's fashions, from silk bustle dresses and motoring dusters to shimmering flapper shifts and dapper tuxedos. Antique accessories including historic hats, shoes, jewelry, and more complete the scores of vintage elegance. Historic photos and videos located throughout the galleries vividly illustrate the extreme circumstances faced by Alaska's pioneering motorists. Although dreadful road conditions and severe climate were unkind to their vehicles, some of these early cars survived and several are exhibited in the Alaska Gallery. These include the Territory's very first automobile, built in 1905 by a man who had never seen a car before! At the Sourdough Roadhouse, children and adults can don period clothing and climb aboard a 1911 automobile for photographs along the Old Valdez Trail.
Reviewed By ppanther808 - Prescott, Arizona
Not just cars, but clothing worn doing each of the time periods! The museum staff was more the helpful answering questions or demonstrating the movements of different car parts. There are audio tours available for free so you are able to listen to some of...MoreHappy to hear that you had a great time! We enjoy hearing that you liked the cars as well as the clothing! Please come back and visit us again soon!
2. Running Reindeer Ranch
Overall Ratings
5 based on 730 reviews
OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, NO DROP-INS ACCOMMODATED. PLEASE CALL FIRST. Enjoy a walk through the boreal forest of Alaska with our curious and gentle reindeer. Olive, Jasper, Rufus, Daisy, Buttercup, Margarita and Rocket will be your guides as you enjoy the beauty of Alaska's interior. See them romp free through the forest doing "reindeery" things. After our walk we will return to the house for a light refreshment and to finish up the conversation. Each time you come will be a unique experience. We are open year round by appointment only. Same day reservations sometimes available but you must contact us in advance. Winter cut off temperature -65 F.(That's a joke, it really never gets that cold, we cut off when you don't want to do it, we are always game! Reindeer love the cold!) Book Online on our website or facebook page.
Reviewed By Susan B - El Cajon, California
This attraction is a home with several reindeer in their family (Yes, the reindeer are family, with names and caretakers). The owner has a very good presentation on reindeer and delightful stories of how the ranch evolved. After an opening presentation on safety and a brief introduction to the reindeer world, you spend 1/2 hour to 45 minutes walking around the property with the reindeer and taking pictures, then retire to the home for hot drinks, cookies, and more information. A very interesting and fun way to spend 2-3 hours.
3. Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Your 1st stop for visitor information. Enjoy Alaska Native art, music, stories and dance. Free world-class exhibits that tell the story of life in Interior Alaska. Wave to family around the world on our Antler Arch webcam. Free films, WiFi, parking.
Reviewed By Jan M - Crescent City, California
What a beautiful cultural and visitor center. We spent a long morning here and enjoyed every minute of it. Often we tire of museum-type environments after just an hour, but this one was very engaging, kept us moving, and offered variety. We came away knowing more and feeling happy about the process of learning.
4. University of Alaska Museum of the North
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Discover Alaska Native cultures, natural wonders and diverse wildlife all in one stop. Explore 2,000 years of Alaska art. See the state's largest collection of gold and a mummified steppe bison. Discover treasures from thousands of years of cultural history. Learn about Arctic dinosaurs and other research by museum scientists. Breathtaking architecture and award-winning exhibits make the museum an extraordinary destination. Movies shown daily. Museum Store and Cafe on site. Behind-the-Scenes Tours of the museum's labs and research space during the summer. Open year-round on the UAF campus. The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a thriving visitor attraction, a vital component of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the only research and teaching museum in Alaska. The museum's research collections - more than 1.5 million artifacts and specimens - serve as a valuable resource for research on climate change, genetics, contaminants, and other issues facing Alaska and the circumpolar North. Summer Hours: Daily 9am - 7pm Winter Hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 5pm
Reviewed By Katherine M - FAIRFAX
Everything I read and heard about this museum turned out to be true. It's a fantastic tribute to Native Alaskan artists, the native animals of Alaska, it's prehistoric life, and everything in between. The museum is in a beautiful, open and clean building and everyone who works there is super helpful. I loved the people in the museum store especially; they helped me pick some gifts for my family and took the time to explain the artwork I chose. This was one of my favorite things I did in Fairbanks!
5. McKinley Explorer
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
A scenic railroad spanning 356 miles, from Fairbanks to Anchorage.
Reviewed By Maurene_K - Dover, New Hampshire
We transferred from Anchorage to Denali National Park on Carnival Corporation-Holland America’s McKinley Explorer that operates one of the largest fleet of dome railcars. The train travels over the Alaska Railroad’s tracks. We were on the McKinley Express Route. The trip started at Milepost 114.3 in Anchorage and ended at Milepost 347.9 at Denali Park Station. Total travel time was about 7 hours.
Accommodations in the railcars were very comfortable. Compared to most airline and motor coach seats, these were quite luxurious. The cars were two stories high. The lower level had restrooms, a dining room, and viewing platforms between railcars. The upstairs had roomy seats placed two and two across the aisle. Each seat had a fold-down tray table and a footrest.
One of the best things was that all seats were assigned at the time of ticketing and were, therefore, reserved. That eliminated the free-for-all scrambling to get the choicest seats with the best views. All seats have excellent views. And, all seas faced forward.
The dome cars facilitated maximum panoramic views. The curved glass segments were fitted into bare-bones frames to provide nearly unrestricted panoramic views ranging close to 180° in a vertical semicircle and nearly 360° in a horizontal circle.
Each car had an assigned host guide who provided commentary and answered any questions passengers had. Our host guide was very knowledgeable, personable, and entertaining.
En route, we saw mostly rural picturesque scenery, mountains, tundra, rivers, and streams. For wildlife, we saw lots of grizzly bears, moose, trumpeter swans, and an eagle.
There were a few rural whistle-stops for locals in outlying areas.
After more than a week of giving us clouds and rain, the Weather Genie finally granted our wish for good weather. It was a very clear day for our rail trip to Denali.
On the approach to an unobstructed scenic view of Mount Denali and others in the range, the engineer announced that we were about to get a full view of the mountains known as The Family ~ Mount Denali and the surrounding mountains that included Mount Crosson (12,800 ft.), Mount Foraker (17,400 ft.), Mount Silverthrone (13,320 ft.), Mount Hunter (14,573 ft.), and others. He slowed the train down to a crawl in order to give passengers a chance to go downstairs and get out onto the open-air platforms between rail cars and take turns at the railings to get photos without having the distortion of and/or reflections from the tinted glass in the rail cars in their photos. The views and photos we got were spectacular.
The majesty of the tallest mountain in North America with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet was astounding. It takes a couple of minutes to wrap one’s head around the concept of a mountain this size because Denali doesn’t have just one peak. It has subpeaks and formations called spurs that are lateral ridges and buttresses which are bluffs in mountaineering terms. So, Mount Denali is not very vertical but also very horizontal.
So, we were part of the extremely fortunate 30% of visitors to see all of Mount Denali as the summit is frequently enshrouded in clouds. Living in a mountainous state and having traveled to mountainous countries, it’s been my experience that mountains tend to make their own weather systems.
We had snacks and lunch on the train. My friend had salsa and chips at her seat. The dining area for lunch on the lower level had large picture windows for uninterrupted views of the passing scenery. I ate lunch there. Although it did not feature a fine dining menu, the dining room had tables with white linen tablecloths and small vases of flowers. Lunch prices were $12.00 and up. One menu item was Reindeer Chili. I ordered the Turkey Club at $15.45. It had oven-roasted Turkey breast, hickory smoked bacon, Tillamook cheddar, crisp Romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, sweet white onion, and house-made pesto aioli. It was served on a soft Telera roll which was a Mexican flatbread roll. I pulled out the bacon. The sandwich was well-prepared and slightly upscale. Everything was fresh. It was excellent.
Everything on the train is cashless ~ dining and souvenir purchases. For souvenirs, my friend and I bought hat tac-style pins that read RIDING THE RAILS with a drawing of the train and the souvenir booklet “McKinley Explorer: Ride Guide to the Historic Alaska Railroad” that had the railroad’s history and descriptions of all the mileposts on the different routes.
From the train station, we were bused to the McKinley Chalet Resort, our hotel for the next three days.
Everything was well-coordinated. We were very pleased with Holland America’s operations.
We rate the McKinley Explorer at 5.0.
We highly recommend this train ride to everyone. It's a must-do for anyone traveling to Denali.
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6. Chena Indian Village
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 162 reviews
Reviewed By work-to-travelMI - Grand Rapids, Michigan
This reconstructed First Nation village was a pleasant surprise at the end of our boat ride, as part of our Holland America cruise and land tour. The attractive young native guides were so informative and passionate about preserving their culture. We learned about their historic life style, reindeer, fishing and dog sled mushing. The village itself had a refreshing lack of commercialism. The meal at the beginning of the cruise was served summer camp style, a little chaotic but good, and there was shopping available there at the restaurant for those interested.
7. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 207 reviews
Reviewed By Bill A - Maple Shade, New Jersey
Nice new campus, to much to see. Disappoint by the Art Museum, no real art, just artifacts. Understand they recently had major financial cutbacks
8. Ice Art Championships and George Horner Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 82 reviews
Reviewed By Victor N M
Seeing the ice carvings all of these artist from around the world created is amazing. Defintely worth taking the drive in the winter to see this. They light it up at night with colorful lights, so plan on seeing it during the day and in the evening again as it is a whole different experience at night. Dress warm as it gets below zero and will not be fun if you are not properly dressed. They do have a warming building that is wonderful to warm up in.
9. Chena River State Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
Located just north of Fairbanks, this area offer many trails for day hikes.
Reviewed By M1chtopher - Gotha, Florida
After a hike at Angel Rocks and a soak at Chena Hot Springs we pulled the RV into Granite Tors campground for the night. There were plenty of spots available and it was $15 for the primitive site. There was a campfire ring and we were nestled amongst the trees for the night. There was a little road noise but luckily it is not a frequently traveled road.
10. Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 392 reviews
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is a 2,000 acre refuge on the site of the historic Creamer's Dairy in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Dairy was once the largest producer in Alaska and is on the historic registry of places. The refuge has miles of multi-use trails that are open year round and it is an excellent location for bird watching and wildlife viewing. The Farmhouse Visitor Center & Gift Shop is open daily in the summer from 9:30 - 5 and on Saturdays in the winter from Noon - 4. Guided Nature Walks are available Mon-Sat at 10 am June through August by trained naturalists. Non-profit organization "Friends of Creamer's Field" provides programs during the year at the state owned refuge. In the winter the trails are groomed for cross country skiing and skijoring. Dog mushers, walkers and runners also visit the fields and trails regularly. During the migration seasons the fields are closed except to the birds, but the other trails are still open away from the fields. Come visit!
Reviewed By Pengirl1
The man, who is also an artist, from the Park Service, was very interesting to speak with. He gave us lots of information about the Boreal Forest, the various birds which are still visiting in winter. He has great sketches he's done and is willing to show and share. An interesting stop on the way to hike in the Boreal Forest.
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