alaska-history

Painted spirit houses, a 19th-century log church, and 800 years of Dena'ina history — 25 miles from Anchorage on the Glenn Highway.

Hatcher Pass day trip from Anchorage: Independence Mine gold rush history, wildflower meadows, and serious hiking just 90 minutes from the city.

Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center: Alaska history gallery, Sydney Laurence art, Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, Discovery Center, hours, and admission.

Eight hundred miles, three mountain ranges, permafrost, earthquakes, and 18 billion barrels of oil: the Trans-Alaska Pipeline is one of the great engineering achievements of the 20th century, and it's surprisingly accessible to visitors.

Visit the Anchorage Museum in 2026: Alaska Native art, history from pre-contact to present, and family exhibits — downtown's essential cultural stop.

Anchorage's dark history: the 1964 earthquake, a haunted hotel, Gold Rush-era violence, and guided ghost tours through Alaska's largest city.

Anchorage's ghost tours, haunted landmarks, earthquake history, and dark tourism sites in 2026 — from the Historic Hotel to Earthquake Park.

Alaska was the only US state invaded during World War II. Explore the Aleutian Islands campaign — from the fierce Battle of Attu to Kiska's ghost invasion — and discover WWII sites you can visit from Anchorage in 2026.

Gold panning is one of Alaska's most hands-on visitor experiences, and two excellent sites are within day-trip distance of Anchorage: Crow Creek Mine in Girdwood (operating since 1898) and Hatcher Pass Independence Mine State Historical Park. Here's how to plan your visit.

About 26 miles from Anchorage, Eklutna pairs two of the most distinctive destinations in the region: a historic Athabascan village with a cemetery unlike anything else in Alaska, and a glacially-fed turquoise lake backed by towering peaks.