Location: Anchorage
Top Things to do in Anchorage
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What to do and see in Anchorage, Alaska (AK): The Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day
Set amid the coastal Chugach Mountains, Anchorage defies popular visions of polar ice caps and frozen tundra. It’s also warmer than you think (averaging 65 degrees in summer), making conditions ideal for sight-seeing or taking on uniquely Alaskan opportunities like arctic biking or touring the fjords of Prince William Sound. In the winter, you can ski, dogsled or do both simultaneously by "skijoring," which is cross-country skiing while being towed by a dog. Hey, it's no crazier a winter sport than the biathlon.
Restaurants in Anchorage
1. Paint a Scarf Alaska
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 119 reviews
At Paint a Scarf Premium you’ll enjoy: • An easy, relaxing and fun painting experience in a gorgeous Alaska setting • Friendly instruction from professional silk artist Gina Murrow • Free coffee, tea and snacks • A memorable time with friends and family • Go home with a scarf to wear – and an experience to share On sunny days we paint on the deck overlooking the creek. When it’s chilly we paint indoors next to the soaring rock fireplace. Finish your experience with a tour of the artist’s loft — or dip your toes in the icy waters of our creek. We’re just 30 minutes from downtown Anchorage, nestled in a glacier-fed creek valley away from the bustle of the city.
2. Anchorage Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
Anchorage Distillery's Tasting Room was built with re-purposed wood yet presents a beautiful, comfortable atmosphere. The historic photos that adorn the walls help create this all-encompassing space and the windows looking into the distillery allow you to see the Holstein stills and massive Bavarian tanks that are used to create a truly unique Alaskan product. Stop in for a hand-crafted cocktail made with a hand-crafted spirit and grab a souvenir after the tour. Join us for a FREE weekly tour, Thursdays at 6 PM.
3. Girdwood Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 64 reviews
Enjoy local brews and epic views of the Chugach mountains at Girdwood Brewing Company. We have a beautiful timber framed taproom adorned with local art and ski relics. For those who prefer the outdoors, there’s an awesome beer garden with fire pits and plenty of seating. We offer up four core beers and a series of rotating taps. Root beer, cold brew coffee, and kombucha are available for those looking for an alcohol free beverage. Tasters and 12 ounce pours are available to drink in the taproom. If you are looking for beer to go, we fill growlers, sell 5 gallon kegs, and have 4-packs of 16 ounce cans with labels designed by Alaskan artists (for sale in the taproom only). Food trucks are on-site every day, and we have cool merchandise for you to take home. Girdwood Brewing Company is truly rooted in our community. We donate to a number of nonprofits and outdoor adventure organizations. Our brewery also provides year round employment to over a dozen locals.
Reviewed By POLYMER - Phoenix, United States
Nice place to refresh the mind in a very good local brewery, a food truck serving excellent crepes made the perfect combination for a quick lunch while exploring the area. Friendly staff and cozy atmosphere Highly recommended !
4. Alaska Native Heritage Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,621 reviews
Alaskan native culture is presented through storytelling, dancing, craft-making and simulated, life-sized villages representing each of the five main indigenous groups.
Reviewed By IllinoisKate1
So much to see and learn at the Native Center. Reception desk will provide the schedule for the day. Admission $24.95 Adults. Straight ahead is the Gathering Place where you can watch Native Dance and Game demonstrations.Very entertaining and learned about each of the 5 culture groups in Alaska. Be sure to take the guided tour through the different villages on site and learn about their cultures. Guided village site tours are at 10:15, 12:15, 2:00 and 3:30. Theater offers introductory film. Heritage Nanvaq Café on site has breakfast and lunch items. This was one of our most memorable attractions in Alaska. Heritage Center, Wild life conservation, Railroad and flying to Denali were all worth the time and cost. Thank you!
5. Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 240 reviews
The Alaska Aviation Museum is located in the heart of Alaska aviation. It sits on the south shore of Lake Hood, the busiest seaplane base in the world, with more than 87,000 takeoffs and landings per year. A half-mile away is Ted Stevens International Airport, the air crossroads of the world. You can watch takeoffs and landings right from the museum. The museum presents one of the finest displays of Alaskan aviation history with many interactive displays, memorabilia, photographs, films and artifacts from personal collections of Alaska's pioneer aviators.
Reviewed By ransom007 - Anaheim, United States
The museum has free parking. You actually cross an aircraft taxiing area to get to the museum. It, frankly, does not look very impressive from the outside; but it is much more impressive once you get inside. There is an excellent history of flight in Alaska. There is a film about the Japanese invasion and occupation of some of the Aleutian Islands during World War II. There are several planes on exhibit inside the hangars that comprise the museum and several more outside. You can also walk across to the observation tower and watch and listen to the activity of the small plane airport. There is also a gift shop.
6. Alaska Public Land Information Centers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 256 reviews
Learn about the parks, forests, and refuges in Alaska through interactive exhibits, Junior Ranger programs, scavenger hunts, as well as free movies and presentations in the theater. During the summer there are Park Ranger-led walking tours, visits from the zoo, and other special programming.
Reviewed By 907blaked - Tampa, United States
It is difficult to know from the outside that there are exhibits and a movie theater inside this building, unless you know it in advance. We had read about it on TripAdvisor, and so when we went inside the Log Cabin Visitor Center to ask about the Anchorage Center federal building across the street, they provided us information and gave us a schedule of the movies that were playing. To get inside the Anchorage Center, as many have said, you go through what is essentially airport security, meaning you cannot have any knives or weapons, including ulu knives. Once you’re through security, there is a nice area with some exhibits, very nice bathrooms, and then the movie theater that plays about seven movies throughout the day. Each movie is about 20 minutes and it’s very well done. Some of the movies are repeated at different times. We ended up seeing four different movies during our stay in Anchorage, and I enjoyed all of them. The best ones were the ones about Katmai and the grizzly bears, and the one about the 1964 earthquake. Definitely plan on spending an hour or two here if you want to see any of the movies.
7. Alaska Railroad
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,488 reviews
Completed in 1923, the iconic Alaska Railroad connects many of Alaska's most popular destinations: Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Girdwood, Seward, Whittier and the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop. Daily summer departures and our knowledgeable Alaskan reservationists make it easy to plan everything from day trips to multi-day Alaska vacations including excursions and accommodations -- all using the Alaska Railroad to traverse this great land. Choose from two classes of passenger service: comfortable Adventure Class seating offering large picture windows, or premium GoldStar Service featuring glass-dome ceilings, all-inclusive dining and an outdoor, upper-level viewing platform. Come see why our authentic Alaskan hospitality and incredible scenery draws thousands of passengers yearly!
8. Oscar Anderson House Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
A house museum that once belonged to a Swedish butcher.
Reviewed By S7496GYtracyb
We stopped in during our walking historic tour. Debated if we wanted to do the tour but were really glad we did. Our guide was informative and personable. Enjoyed learned about early settlers to Anchorage and how they lived. Was a new take on what we had learned about the beginning of the cities. Highly recommend it.
9. Elmendorf State Fish Hatchery
10. Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,555 reviews
Alaska's largest museum focusing on art, history, science and culture of Alaska.
Reviewed By bikegem - Penngrove, United States
Wow. We had a few hours to kill during Fur Rondy and decided to visit this museum and are we glad we did. It was one of the highlights of our trip to Anchorage. The art in this museum is amazing....from romantic naturalism to modern art (mostly done by Aative Alaskans), we were in awe of the depth and breadth of the collection. Especially loved the Idiot String art piece and the different paintings of the wonderful Alaskan countryside. Very skillfully displayed and arranged. The Smithsonian portion of the museum houses a very cohesive display of the different Native American Alaskan tribes, with examples of their tools, dress and artifacts, accompanied by interesting video presentations. My only complaint is that the light is very low in that portion of the museum (probably to enhance conservation) but for my old eyes, I struggled a bit. But that is just a niggly little point and shouldn't stop you from visiting! Also, the museum's restaurant and store are fabuluous!!!!
