Museum of the North — Attraction in Alaska

Just returned from the University of Alaska Museum of the North and wow, it was an unforgettable experience! This place is a treasure trove of Alaskan heritage and natural history. The moment you step in, you're greeted with a vast array of exhibits that delve into millions of years of biological diversity and thousands of years of cultural traditions. The museum's collection, over 2.5 million artifacts and specimens, is just astounding.

Walking through the Gallery of Alaska was like stepping back in time. Seeing Blue Babe, the almost 50,000-year-old mummified steppe bison, was simply surreal. The state's largest public display of gold shimmered under the exhibit lights, capturing the essence of Alaska's rich resources.

The Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery took my breath away with its incredible 2,000-year spectrum of Alaska art. From ancient ivory carvings to contemporary paintings and sculptures, the depth and diversity of Alaskan artistry were on full display.

And then, "The Place Where You Go to Listen" – it's unlike anything I've experienced before. It's a sound and light installation that changes with the real-time movements of the sun, moon, seismic activity, and the aurora. It felt like nature was speaking directly to me.

The museum isn't just about observing; it's about engaging and learning. The education programs and family events they offer are testament to their commitment to community and learning. I was particularly impressed by the variety of topics and activities available, making science and culture accessible to all ages.

This visit was more than just a day at the museum; it was an educational journey that offered insights into the natural wonders and cultural fabric of Alaska and the Arctic. The University of Alaska Museum of the North is truly a gem, blending research, education, and public engagement in a way that leaves a lasting impression. If you ever find yourself in Fairbanks, this museum is...

Not worth the money or visit. This museum tries their best to be first class and initially appears to be but it is a mess at a closer look. Firstly, we unfortunately went there 2 hours before closing not realizing their winter hours started in Sep 1 and were shocked when they announced the closing time. There is no discount for late entry and they do not give you a 'late entry pre-warn' unlike other museums I've visited. Had we known they close 2 hours earlier than their summer hours, we would have chosen another time to visit. Some of the exhibits are not put together accurately of the time it was meant to depict so it was laughable - one great example was seeing a thermarest sleeping pad in an exhibit that was supposed to show old dated camping gear. Others have such bad color contract between words and background pictures, it was hard to read. It almost felt insulting as if the presenter assumed that nobody will read the descriptions. There is also no flow in the exhibits. There were some really interesting stories of the Japanese in Alaska that i managed to read about though and would have appreciated more time. Overall, it was a really disappointing experience as it came highly...

I’d recommend that others visit this museum if they’re in town. We totally lucked out with this museum because we happened to visit on their annual Open House day, when admission was free and we got to go behind the scenes to chat with researchers and curators. The collections of the museum are fantastic. The staff had tons of awesome stories to tell about the objects in their care. I especially geeked out on the freezer room with thousands of tiny samples that could be used by researchers around the world. That said, we went back for a second visit on a normal day and also had a good time. The exhibitions were very interesting. They covered a lot of history topics (how their first peoples lived, how settlers lived, WWII internment stories, natural history and geology, etc) and art upstairs. I will say that the exhibitions were a little scattered on how topics jumped around. And quite a few of the labels were hard to read (like black text printed on a black and white image) or just missing information that seemed useful to me (like approximate...