With a large commercial airport, a seaport and some 286,000 residents, Anchorage is the jumping-off point for many land tours in Alaska. In addition to serving as the state’s tourism gateway, though, Anchorage is also the area’s arts and cultural hub.
If your group has some free time in the city, take them to see the excellent exhibits at the Anchorage Museum.
The museum’s permanent exhibit galleries hold displays covering the art, history and science of Alaska. The history sections cover topics such as the Gold Rush, the fishing and canning industries, the oil industry and Native American people groups.
Visitors will also find information about the building of the Alaska Railroad as well as the 1964 earthquake that rocked Anchorage and much of the Alaskan countryside.
The best part of the museum, though, is its collection of Alaskan art. The striking landscapes of this state have inspired hundreds of artists over the years, and the museum’s galleries are full of paintings that depict some of the most beautiful scenery in vivid detail.
Highlights include a series of paintings of Mount McKinley by Sydney Lawrence, who lived and painted in Alaska for years at a time. Many of these works appear on very large canvases, reflecting the size, breadth and soul-expanding qualities of the Alaskan wilderness.
