In an architecturally abstract igloo-and-aurora-inspired edifice sits one of Alaska’s finest museums, with artifact-rich exhibits on the geology, history, culture and trivia of each region of the state. You are greeted by an 8ft 9in, 1250lb stuffed bear and then signposted around sensibly laid-out exhibits that include woolly mammoth tusks, Alaska Native kayaks and Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old bison found preserved in the permafrost by Fairbanks-area miners.
The museum theater runs three films several times daily (admission $5): Dynamic Aurora is a multimedia look at the northern lights; Winter talks about, you guessed it, winter; and You are Here discusses the museum itself. Upstairs, the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery covers 2000 years of northern works, ranging from ancient ivory carvings to wood masks and contemporary photographs.
