Alaska Native Heritage Center

Alaska Native Heritage Center Review

On a 26-acre site facing the Chugach Mountains, this facility provides an introduction to Alaska's Native peoples. The spacious Welcome House has interpretive displays, artifacts, photographs, demonstrations, Native dances, storytelling, and films, along with a café and an upgraded gift shop selling museum-quality crafts and artwork. Step outside for a stroll around the adjacent lake, where you will pass seven village exhibits representing the 11 Native cultural groups through traditional structures and exhibitions. As you enter the homes, you can visit with the culture hosts, hear their stories, and experiment with some of the tools, games, and utensils used in the past. The Heritage Center provides a free shuttle from the downtown Log Cabin and Visitor Information Center several times a day in summer. You can also hop a bus at the downtown transit center; Route 4 (Glenn Highway) will take you to the Heritage Center's front door. There's also a Culture Pass Joint Ticket for $28.95 that provides admission here and to the Anchorage Museum downtown; it's available at either location.