Official Language:
English
Secondary Language:
English
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Currency:
US Dollar
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Population:
More than 253,000 people call Anchorage home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Anchorage Alaska: Spring through fall, the climate in Anchorage is similar to that of San Francisco's spring weather, with temperatures that can reach into the 70°F/21°C. The Summer high is an average 65°F/18°C.
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Anchorage, Alaska's largest city set between the Knik and Turnagain arms of Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains in southern Alaska is certainly more than simply a city to fly into on the way to your awaiting cruise ship. To the south of the city are the glacier-carved fjordsof the Kenai Peninsula and to the north is the Alaska Range. This is home to Mt McKinley and Denali National Park. It is the financial, communications, and transportation hub of Alaska. Anchorage is a city of contrasts. After a day of skiing or dogsledding, you can dine at a fine restaurant. Surrounded by the beauty and activities Alaska has to offer, Anchorage provides visitors with a unique blend of spectacular scenery, Russian and Native heritage, Alaskan adventure, and big city amenities. Walk around the downtown area and visit Resolution Park and the Captain Cook Monument, Oscar Henderson House in Elderberry Park and the Anchorage Museum of History & Art. Nearby attractions include Earthquake Park, the Native Heritage Center, Eagle River Nature Center, the Eklutna Historical Park and Portage Glacier. You can take boat sightseeing tours via Seward of the Kenai Fjords National Park or Prince William Sound Glaciers or explore the Denali National Park by road or air. Anchorage was founded in 1914 as the headquarters of the Alaska Railroad running north to Fairbanks. It became a key aviation and defence centre with the construction of Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base during World War II and later a regular stop on air routes from Europe and the United States to East Asia. Anchorage was hit by a massive earthquake in 1964 leaving the city devastated, though much of the downtown area has been rebuilt. The discovery of North Slope oil in 1968 brought the most recent boom with oil and construction companies setting up offices in the city.
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Attractions |
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Prince William Sound:
Anchorage Soak in the breathtaking scenery of fjords, glaciers, waterfalls and bays whether kayaking, sailing or cruising through the calm waters. Wildlife abounds in the form of whales, seals, sea lions, eagles, bears and deer.
Alaska Zoo:
If you've missed seeing Arctic wildlife on your Alaskan adventure, you'll find it at this small zoo, where all the animals have names. You'll see moose, caribou, sheep, wolves, musk oxen, mountain goats and several different types of bears, including polar, grizzly and black bears.
4731 O'Malley Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99516, United States
Tel: 907-346-3242 http://www.alaskazoo.org
Anchorage Museum of History and Art:
Located in downtown Anchorage, this museum offers exhibits on Alaskan culture. This museum was expanded to triple its original size in 1984 and is now an impressive centre for displays on Alaskan history and indigenous culture. There is also an art gallery featuring works by regional, national and international artists. The Alaska Gallery, upstairs, traces the history and people of this land in 3-D exhibits.Sydney Laurence (1865-1940), known as the 'Painter of the North,' is given due honour here. His most impressive work, a painting of Mt McKinley, is the centrepiece of the historical art collection; there is also a room devoted to oils by the artist, who spent much of his life panning for gold and painting.
121 W. Seventh Ave.
Anchorage, Alaska 99501, United States
Tel: 907-343-4326 http://www.ci.anchorage.ak.us
Chugach State Park:
At the doorstep of Anchorage, this gorgeous park stretches its haunches across a half-million acres; it's the second-largest state preserve in Alaska and the third-largest state park in America. For eagle-spotting, vista-viewing and wildflower-meandering, it's beyond compare. Excellent mountain biking begins at the Hillside area trailheads, which you can reach via bus; the buses are now equipped with bicycle racks.Chugach is one of the most heavily used parks in Alaska, offering a wide variety of developed trails suitable for all levels of hiking. Flattop Mountain is a popular intro to elevated Alaska, or a week can easily be spent traversing trail-less areas, and exploring one valley and ridgeline after another. These wilds are close to the city, but they are wilds nonetheless; come prepared.
Alaska Native Heritage Center:
This cultural center brings together Alaska's five main indigenous groups in one place. Intersection of Muldoon Rd and the Glenn Hwy; 907/330-8095 or 800/315-6608, Situated on 26 acres on the outskirts of town, the Heritage Center consists of traditional village settings, one for each of the five indigenous groups of people in Alaska, from the Inupiat in the north to the Tlingits of Southeast. This is a living museum with artists and craftspeople at work building kayaks, carving totems, sewing mukluks, weaving baskets, drying fish, singing, and dancing. Everything at the center is designed to celebrate, perpetuate, and share these traditions. This is a must-see for any first-time visitor to the state.
Delaney Park :
If you're not ready to be face-to-face with the grizzly wilds, grab a latte and stroll over to this city park - known locally as the 'Park Strip'. It stretches across downtown, from A to K Sts between W 9th and W 10th Aves. The greenbelt, the site of a 50-ton (56-tonne) bonfire celebrating statehood in 1959 and later where Pope John Paul II gave an outdoor mass in 1981, is a good place for a lie-down on a warm afternoon.
Imaginarium:
This is a good place to go, especially if you have kids in tow. The Imaginarium is a hands-on science museum that features more than 20 exhibits explaining the northern lights, earthquakes, oil exploration, bears and other very Alaskan topics. Even adults will want to enter the polar bear's den or dabble their fingers in the marine-life touch tank.
Ship Creek Viewing Platform:
Do salmon really swim upstream? See for yourself at Ship Creek, the historical site of Tanaina Indian fish camps, where king, coho and pink salmon do their thing from mid- to late-summer. The overlook, east of the Alaska Railroad Depot, is where you can watch the return of the salmon. The rushing creek is undeveloped, save for the platform, and no fees are required by visitors.
Earthquake Park:
W. Northern Lights Blvd. Interpretive display shows the results of Anchorage's 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and explains the area's geology, flora and fauna. At 9.2 on the Richter scale, the most powerful tremor ever felt in North America, the quake leveled a number of area neighborhoods. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail runs through the lower area of the park and offers fine views of Cook Inlet.
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum:
Anchorage visitors can view old wrecked planes in a restored hanger.
4721 Aircraft Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99502, United States
Tel: 907-248-5325 http://www.alaskaairmuseum.com/
E-mail: aahm@gci.net
The Coastal Trail:
Trail maps available at the Log Cabin Information Center, 4th Ave and F St; 907/274-3531 Bike, walk, inline skate, jog, or ski the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which runs for 14 miles along the shores of Cook Inlet. This is one of the great treasures of the city, coursing like a lifeline from downtown neighborhoods to the airport and beyond. Everybody uses the trail—including porcupines, moose, and bears. Once you get to Kincaid Park, the wilderness trails there are a mecca for running in the summer and skiing in the winter, and are the site of world-class cross-country ski races. Bikes and skis can be rented locally.
Tours:
The best guided tour of the historic downtown area is given by Anchorage Historic Properties, 645 W. 3rd Ave. (tel. 907/274-3600; www.anchoragehistoric.org), a city-endowed historic preservation group that offers 2-hour, 2-mile walks from June to August, Monday through Friday at 1pm. The volunteer guides are fun and knowledgeable. Meet at the lobby of Old City Hall, 524 W. 4th Ave., next door to the Log Cabin Visitor Information Center. Tickets cost $5 for adults, $1 for children.
City Trolley Tours:
(www.alaskatravel.com/anchorage/trolley-city-tour.html): For a quick look around, catch one of the City Trolley buses, which look like red trolley cars. The buses take visitors on 1-hour tours to Earthquake Park and the airport area's seaplane base. They leave many times a day from the 4th Avenue Theater at 600 W. 4th Ave. and cost $10.
Gray Line of Alaska City Tour :
(tel. 800/544-2206; www.graylineofalaska.com): This 3-hour tour includes a visit to the Ship Creek area below downtown and the Alaska Native Heritage Center (though it spends only an hour there, not as much time as I like to stay). The tour costs $40 for adults, $20 children, including admission to the center.Alaska
Tour Quest (tel. 907/344-6667):
An all-day tour covers the same ground as the trolley tour at a slower pace and then goes all the way into the mountains at Glen Alps and partway down the Seward Highway to see the scenery there. Passengers get out and walk around at various stops and receive a picnic lunch. The Heritage Center is not included on the tour. The tour costs $39 adults, $34 for children and seniors.
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Anchorage:
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau:Phone: 907 276 4118
Fax: 907 278 5559
Toll Free: 800 478 1255
Port of AnchorageMunicipality of Anchorage - 632 W. 6th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501Port of Anchorage
Phone: 907 343-6200
Fax 907 277-5636
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