Islands and Ocean Visitor Center

The Islands & Ocean Visitor Center is the public gateway to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge — the largest and most biologically diverse national wildlife refuge in the United States. Located in Homer, Alaska, this state-of-the-art visitor center offers stunning exhibits, educational programs, and interpretive displays about the refuge's vast wilderness network of islands, headlands, spires, and coastal habitats stretching across 4.9 million acres of Alaska.

The refuge encompasses more than 2,500 islands and protects some of the world's most productive seabird colonies, with millions of nesting seabirds including tufted puffins, murres, kittiwakes, and auklets. The visitor center brings this remote ecosystem to life through immersive exhibits on seabird biology, marine mammal behavior, Alaska's coastal ecosystems, and the unique geology of Alaska's far-flung island chains.

Interactive displays and interpretive films offer a window into habitats that most people will never visit in person — from the volcanic islands of the Aleutian Chain to the rugged Pribilof Islands, where the world's largest northern fur seal rookeries gather each summer. Staff naturalists and volunteers provide educational programs and answer questions about the refuge and its wildlife.

Operating seasonally from approximately May through September, the Islands & Ocean Visitor Center is a must-visit stop in Homer for wildlife enthusiasts, birders, and anyone curious about Alaska's extraordinary coastal wilderness. The center is free to the public and conveniently located on the Sterling Highway near the heart of Homer, making it an easy addition to any Kachemak Bay itinerary.