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Most of Anchorage's downtown attractions are within easy walking distance of the city center. A leisurely stroll along 4th and 5th Avenues will acquaint  you with many of the city's gift shops and department stores. Pick up your copy of the ACVB walking tour at 4th and F St. downtown.

26 Glacier Cruise, experience the calm, protected waters of Prince William Sound and come face to face with glaciers, migratory whales and breathtaking Alaska scenery aboard the Klondike Express, the most luxurious high-speed catamaran in Alaska. Departures are daily from Whittier, 60 miles southeast of Anchorage. The 26 Glacier Cruise is one of the best cruises in Alaska and is sure to be a highlight of your trip. 519 W 4th Ave. 907-276-8023 or 1-800-544-0529

Alaska's Finest Tours & Cruises Glacier & Wildlife Explorer Tour. Our guided half-day adventure along scenic Turnagain Arm offers a one hour spectacular glacier cruise and non-stop wildlife. See Potter Marsh and mountain scenery where Dahl sheep are often spotted on the rocky cliffs. The waters along the way offers the best chance of seeing some of Cook Inlet’s 350 Beluga whales. Visit Portage Glacier-Alaska's second most visited attraction. Board a one-hour cruise, which is narrated by a U.S. Forest Service Park Ranger. View icebergs and get 300 feet from the glacier, where you can listen for the unmistakable rumbling of an active calving glacier. At the 140-acre Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center get an up-close experience of impressive bears, moose, bison, elk, reindeer, musk ox, and more. This is a picturesque holiday of a lifetime!

Alaska Zoo invites you to take a walk on the wild side! The Zoo, located just 15 minutes south of downtown Anchorage in a park like setting, is home to more than 100 animals representing 49 species. The Alaska Zoo is open daily year round and exhibits an array of animals including polar bears, brown bears and black bears, tigers, moose, wolves, snow leopards, lynx and caribou. That just names a few and doesn’t even mention the ravens, eagles and many species of hawks and owls that call the Zoo home. The Alaska Zoo is a private nonprofit providing a home for orphaned, injured and endangered animals. At the foothills of the Chugach Mountains, the 20-acre zoological park includes native and exotic flora. While it is a great place to “wander and watch,” many visitors take advantage of the “discovery tour,” a guided behind-the-scenes program available daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Check out the summer Tuesday night lecture series on a variety of animal related topics and the Friday night live music on the Zoo lawn. For more information about the Alaska zoo, programs, special events and opportunities to support the Zoo visit the website at www.alaskazoo.org. Open year round, hours vary according to the season. For current hours of operation, call the Zoo information recording at: 907-346-3242.

Alaska Wild Berry Products They have a great selection of Alaskan gifts, souvenirs, mail order gift packs and much more. Sample the delicious wild berry jams, jellies and chocolates and take a kitchen tour to see how they are made. Visit the live reindeer and enjoy a great cup of coffee at the espresso stand. Take time to check out the world's largest chocolate fall in the gift shop. Alaska Wild Berry also has locations downtown Anchorage in the 5th Avenue Mall and in Homer on the Kenai Peninsula. 907-562-8858 You will also discover the latest addition to the area, The Wild Berry Theater. Come enjoy a spectacular original movie shown hourly on a magnificent wide screen with surround sound.

Alaska Heritage Museum. Discover over 900 Alaska Native artifacts, plus a library of 3000 rare books, historical objects and original Alaskan Art. Free Admission. Located inside the Wells Fargo Building at Northern Lights Boulevard and C Street. 907-265-2834

Anchorage Museum is a world-class art, history and science museum. Its collections offer an overview of the Alaska’s rich history and an introduction to its varied culture. Displays delve into Alaska Native cultures, Russian occupation, the gold rush, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and more. It’s an ideal place to get oriented for your travels throughout the state. The museum’s Arctic Studies Center features 600 Alaska Native artifacts on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution. Artifacts include ceremonial masks, battle armor and waterproof clothing made from seal intestines. Visitors learn about these objects through iPhone-like touch screens. The museums multi generational, hands-on science center puts scientific concepts into an Alaskan context. The center features more than eighty exhibits including an aurora machine, a marine animal touch tank and an earthquake shake table. Other new features include a planetarium and an Alaska Native contemporary art gallery. The Anchorage Museum is located in downtown Anchorage on the corner of 6th Avenue and C Street. 907-929-9200

Alaska Native Heritage Center, is a premier cultural center sharing the rich heritage of Alaska’s eleven major cultural groups. Visitors to Alaska are introduced to Native traditions and experience firsthand engaging story telling, authentic Native song and dance, artist demonstrations, Native games demonstrations and more. Unique opportunities to interact and participate create an enlightening educational experience for young and old alike. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is located in Anchorage on the Glenn Highway. 907-330-8000 or 1-800-315-6608

Alaska Aviation Museum, is located on Lake Hood, the busiest seaport lake in the world. The museum features3 theaters with several Alaska aviation films, 4 hangars & a restoration hangar of exhibits and vintage aircraft, and flight simulator. Free shuttle to and from Anchorage airport and free luggage storage while you tour the museum. Unique gift store with aviation DVD’s, books, clothing, prints, toys, and more. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children. Open 9am-5pm. 4721 Aircraft Drive. 907- 248-5325

Alaska ATV Tours. Explore Alaska’s scenic backcountry on fully guided, easy to operate Honda four wheelers. This is very unlike any other ATV tour as it is very well organized and covers miles of wonderful territory. Just a short driving distance from downtown Anchorage. No experience necessary, snacks and safety gear provided. $15 discount when you mention you were sent by Bell's. 907-694-4294

Alaska Denali Tours, Let our professionally trained Tour Consultants take care of the logistics for your custom tour. Tell us your desires and budget, and our Alaska experienced consultants will build you a custom tour. We are dedicated to assisting you plan and execute your perfect Alaska vacation. You dream it. We plan it. Call 1-888-560-2489

Major Marine Tours, Experience the Major difference with Major Marine Tours! Cruise with a ranger into the Kenai Fjords or Prince William Sound. watch for otters, puffins, whales and glaciers. Large tour boats feature reserved table seating and a freshly prepared salmon and prime-rib meal. 907-274-7300. 800-764-7300.

Princess Lodges, Overnight tours include visits to the Kenai Peninsula for a secluded riverside stay at Princess' Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge. Or depart from Anchorage on Princess rail service to Denali State Park for a stay at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge and/or Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge near the entrance to Denali National Park, then continue to Fairbanks or return to Anchorage. Call 800-426-0442 for information.

Gray Line of Alaska, One of the largest and most experienced tour operators in the state, Gray Line of Alaska has been showing the Great Land to travelers for over 65 years. Whether it’s via motor coach, day boat, or glass-domed railcars, they offer complete destination experiences throughout Alaska and the Yukon from sightseeing and multi-day vacations to pre and post-cruise options and adventure tours. They can show you the highlights such as Prince William Sound, Denali National Park, the Yukon Territory, the Alaska Highway, and Kenai Fjords National Park. With offices located throughout the state, there is always someone to assist in planning an amazing Alaska vacation. 1-800-544-2206 Portage Glacier Cruise. For $34 experience the best value and closest glacier cruise tour to Anchorage. Board Gray Line of Alaska’s exclusive day boat and cruise iceberg-dotted Portage Lake to within 300 yards of the glacier. Choose a seat in the enclosed lounge or take a stroll on the open-air observation deck. Either place, you’ll have fantastic views of Portage Lake. You’ll enjoy informative narration from a representative of the U.S. Forest Service. Nature willing, you will witness the “calving” of an iceberg from the face of Portage Glacier. Portage Glacier Cruises one hour cruise operates 5 times a day, between 10:30am and 4:30pm mid-May through mid-September. Call 800-544-2206 for details and information on how to join in an amazing Alaskan experience.

Fly Denali. Land on ancient glaciers in Denali Park, fly over the towering McKinley summit, and soar through the magnificent Alaska Range on a flight from Denali Park or Talkeetna with Fly Denali and Talkeetna Aero Services. See Denali Park from the air and ground in one day with a day trip from Talkeetna or Anchorage. 888-733-2899.

4th Avenue Theatre, 630 W. 4th Avenue, 257-5635. Art Deco-style landmark, survived the 1964 earthquake. Houses a museum photo display of old Anchorage.

Alaska Experience Theatre - 333 West 4th Avenue, inside the 4th Avenue Market Place. Explore “Alaska the Great Land” - 40 minutes of historic footage in a dazzling OmniVision motion picture. It was filmed across Alaska, from helicopters, trains and river rafts to capture the scale and splendor, the history and the people of this great land! And don’t miss the 1964 Alaska Earthquake film in our “Safe-Quake” virtual reality theater! Feel the ground move under your feet! Open 10 to 7 daily during the summer. Call 907-276-3730 for recorded message & show times.

Alaska Botanical Garden take Tudor east to Campbell Airstrip, park at Benny Benson School parking lot. Interpretive signs along the walkways identify wildflowers, herbs and a formal rose garden. 907- 770-3692

Alaska Center of the Performing Arts 621 W. 6th Avenue. Town Square Municipal Park East side of Performing Arts Center is a wonderland of flowers and walkways to enjoy an afternoon in the sun. There are three theatres, the Evangeline Atwood Concert Hall (seats 2000), the discovery theatre (seats 700), and the  Sydney Laurence Theatre (seats 340)
For information call  1-877-ARTS-TIX (1-877-278-7849 or 907-263-2900

Alaska Heritage Library-Museum —corner of Northern Lights Blvd.  and C Street. If you're an Alaskan history buff or interested in learning more about the state's fascinating past, this is for you. Open to the public  is the National Bank of Alaska's collection of original Sydney Laurence paintings, out-of-print books, old documents, maps, gold rush newspapers, artifacts, films and recordings from Alaska's past.

Alaska State Trooper Museum and Gift shop, 245 W 5th Ave # 113 ,opposite Nordstrom's. 907-279-5050, free admission. The history of law enforcement in the Territory and State of Alaska dramatically told in exhibits, memorabilia and photographs.

Chugach Adventure Guides. Join us for unique and exciting excursions on the rivers of Alaska! Just minutes from Girdwood, you can hop on the Alaska Railroad and join us for canoe and rafting excursions at the foot of the amazing Spencer Glacier or take an eye popping float down the Portage River. A great salmon bake is also included! Call us for details at 907-783-4354

Fourth Avenue —the first "main street" of Anchorage, 4th Ave. is also the site February's Fur Rendezvous sled dog races and the beginning of the 1049 mile Iditarod Trail Race to Nome. During the 1964 earthquake  which measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, the north side of the street fell an average of 20 feet. The shopping centers and the Holiday Inn are built  on a special buttress designed to support the land after the earthquake.

Fur Rendezvous is 10 days of fun and frivolity, in the middle of February. It features grand prix auto racing, the Miners and Trappers Ball, theatricals, skiing, ethnic dancing, sports of all types, masked balls, craft fairs, Eskimo blanket tosses, Monte Carlo night, fur auctions, fireworks and a huge snow sculpture competition. But the true stars are the dogs and their mushers who  vie for the title of fastest in the world during three days of sprint races that begin and end in the middle of downtown.

Historic City Hall —424 W. 4th Avenue. The Lobby has exhibits about early Anchorage. This was previously the executive office building for Anchorage. The building has now been restored to its original 1936 appearance.

There is a memorial sculpture of William Henry Seward, U.S. Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.

Oscar Anderson House —Elderberry Park 421 M Street Anchorage's first wood-frame house built in 1915 and restored in 1982. Open 11 to 4 Tuesday to Saturday.

Resolution Park —End of 3rd Ave. and L St. offers views of Knik Arm and Mt. Susitna. Flowers and an Alaskan rock garden surround a statue of Captain Cook who sailed into Cook Inlet in 1778.

Ship Creek Overlook —Corner of 3rd Ave. and E St. overlooks several  points of interest.
The depression to the north is Ship Creek, the original name of Anchorage  and the site of the tent city which sprang up in 1915 as a result of the government's decision to build the Alaska Railroad.

Second Avenue and E Street Overlook—From the Anchorage Hilton Hotel, go north on E Street along the parking lot to your right. From the north edge of the parking lot, you can view Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains. Look north 150 miles on a clear day and you'll see Mt. McKinley—highest  mountain in North America, 20,320 feet above sea level. Directly ahead of and below you is the Alaska Railroad depot and headquarters of the state-owned  railroad. A small steam engine, the Alaska Railroad No. 1, stands in front of the depot as an historical reminder. This is an excellent photo subject as there are only a few engines like this in the world.

Clusters of petroleum storage tanks and deep-sea shipping docks identify Anchorage's $65 million cargo port. The creek, winding through the delta to Cook Inlet, is Ship Creek. When the Anchorage was originally planned in 1915, it was known as Ship Creek Landing. King salmon weighing up to 50 lbs., return to this stream to spawn each summer.

Chugach State Park, is the second largest of Alaska's state park units  and, in fact, one of the largest state parks in the country. (Wood-Tikchik State Park, near Dillingham in Southwest Alaska, at over 1.5 million acres, is the largest state park in Alaska and the US.) The park is situated in the extreme western end of the Chugach Mountains and forms a wilderness buffer  to the city. The park's approximately 495,000 acres of rugged terrain, which can change in relief as much as 5,000 feet within a mile, offer stunning views of Anchorage.

Park facilities include maintained trails, campgrounds, picnic sites, viewpoints and visitor centers. In addition to backpack camping possibilities, developed campgrounds are at Eklutna Lake, Eagle River, and Bird Creek. Park staff can provide recommendations and brochures.
The Eagle River offers excellent boating possibilities for canoers, rafters  and kayakers. This is challenging class II-IV whitewater, so please use caution and read trailhead information before starting your trip. Please observe regulations.

A State Park visitor center is at the end of Eagle River road. Guided hikes  and nature walks are available on summer weekends. Popular winter sports include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and dog sledding.

Eklutna Historical Park. Eklutna is the oldest continually inhabited site in the Anchorage vicinity, it is located at the junction of several traditional Indian trails. Visitors will see and hear about the culture and traditions of a people who have lived here for more than 1000 years. A half-hour tour  of the park starts in the Eklutna Village Heritage House. From there you will  take a guided walk to the Russian Orthodox Church, St. Nicholas. The church  was originally built in the 1830's, and reconstructed in the 1970's. It is the oldest standing building in greater Anchorage, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside the Church are centuries-old Russian icons, which are still a part of worship services today. The Eklutna Cemetery holds the colorful and decorated "Spirit Houses" over the grave of a deceased relative. This custom comes from the melding of Athabascan and Russian Orthodox beliefs and practices. You'll learn about the culture, and customs of the Dena'ina Athabascans, who still inhabit Eklutna. Admission fee.
Mile 26 Glenn Highway exit at Eklutna, turn left to the park. There is plenty of free parking and public facilities. For information contact: Eklutna Historical Park, 16515 Centerfield Dr., Suite 201, Eagle River, AK 99577; 907-696-2828 or the park at 688-6026.

Independence Mine State Historical Park near Hatcher Pass, has a visitor  center, open in the summer, that offers tours of the mine, displays on gold mining operations and information on the excellent hiking trails in the area. The area is steeped in gold mining history, with many of the original buildings  and much of the equipment still visible. It was on this site in 1908 that  the district's first stamp mill was built. A total of 665 ounces of gold was removed that year.

Musk Ox Development Corp. The world's only domestic musk ox farm. Daily guided tours (May through September). Mile 50.1 Glenn Highway.

Nancy Lake State Recreation Area is in the huge Susitna River Valley.  The flat, smooth valley is filled with lakes left by retreating glaciers of  ages gone by. It is ideal for boating, fishing, canoeing, camping and hiking.

Fishing
Bird Creek, mile 27 on the Seward Highway, is a popular salmon and  Dolly Varden fishery .

Bristol Bay Area, some 200 air miles southwest of Anchorage, is one of Alaska's top trophy sportfishing spots.

Kenai Peninsula has countless lakes and streams which provide good fishing annually.

The Kenai River is a favorite for rainbows and Dolly Varden throughout the summer and fall with catches in the 10 pound class not uncommon. Editors note:  This river is one of the best all around fishing rivers in Alaska.

Ship Creek found in the shadow of downtown Anchorage high-rise hotels, has more than 9000 king salmon that struggle upstream every summer. It's North America's most accessible King salmon stream! There are several other runs of salmon that also come into Ship Creek so it is worth checking out most of the summer.

Tours
Glacier Bay National Park is one of the top attractions in Alaska and should be included on any trip! No matter how you are planning to travel, Alaska's Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises is the best way to visit this World Heritage Site. The company offers Glacier Bay visitor packages of one-day, two-days and more originating in Juneau, Haines and Skagway, and also sells complete Alaska vacations, which include Glacier Bay.

Anchorage City Trolley Tours 612 W. 4th Avenue (ticket office) 907-276-5603. Step aboard Anchorage's first trolley for a clear view of our city. A lively informative sightseeing tour of Alaska's largest city! Relax while our Alaskan guide shows you how and where Alaskans live, the Alaska railroad, Lake Hood (the largest  and busiest floatplane base in the world), mysterious Earthquake Park, Cook Inlet (where our tides are the second largest in the world), anchorage Museum of History and Art, our famous fragrant flowers, great shopping areas, and favorite dining restaurants. Every hour on the hour 7 days a week.

People Mover Bus provides transportation to most visitor attractions. For information call 907-343-6543.

Parks and Recreation
As you might expect, Anchorage residents have an above-average interest in their outdoor environment. Parks and recreation are very much a part of Alaska's largest community, where the Municipality maintains more than 100 parks and  recreation facilities.

Anchorage Trails. The Municipality of Anchorage is sheltered between  the Chugach Mountains to the east and Cook Inlet to the west. Anchorage's  270 plus miles of trails wind through deep wooded areas of spruce, birch and cottonwood, passing through greenways and neighborhoods, intersecting busy parks, crowded shopping malls and two universities. The trails avoid the traffic  jams and provide views of the Alaskan Range, the Chugach, the Talkeetnas, Mount Susitna, and on clear days, Denali and Mount McKinley. They are conveniently accessible to all persons including those with disabilities and are all within reach of public transportation. They also cater to a variety of users including  skiers, horseback riders, dog mushers, hikers, runners, skaters and bikers.

The Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department works in partnership with a variety of non profit groups, local retailers, and the US Bureau of Land Management to build and maintain the trails. Local citizens are also involved in the care of their trails through the Adopt-A-Trail program.

Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge mile 117 Seward Highway (3 miles  south of Anchorage). This 2,300-acre wetlands provides resting and nesting  spots for the 248 bird species that have been recorded in the Anchorage area.  Interpretive displays explain animal and plant life; long observation deck  keeps your feet dry.

Anchorage Audobon Society, 278-3007, has a booklet called "A Field Guide to Birding in Anchorage." For a recorded message of recent bird sightings and other news, call 248-BIRD.

Chester Creek Park, following Chester Creek from Knik Arm to Goose Lake, is one of Anchorage's two green belt parks. Picnic and playground areas,  nature trail, baseball fields. Bikeways follow path of Chester Creek.

Chugach State Park is one of the nation's largest with 495,000 acres. The park offers wilderness experiences all year round: hiking, fishing and  camping in the summer; skiing, dog mushing and snowmachining in the winter.
The park has three developed campgrounds and five picnic areas. A visitor  center is at the end of Eagle River Road and an information center at Mile 115 of the Seward Highway.

Delaney Park, also known as the Park Strip, runs from A to P Streets between 9th and 10th Avenues. Baseball and softball fields, picnic and playground  areas, tennis courts and wading pool.

Elderberry Park, at 5th Ave. and M St., has picnic and playground facilities. Excellent view of Knik Arm and sunsets.

Earthquake Park on west Northern Lights Boulevard across from the airport, is dedicated to the 1964 earthquake that devastated Anchorage. It is a good place to get on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail which skirts the shores of Cook Inlet from Elderberry Park to Point Campbell, a distance of 11 miles. The park has excellent information signs about the  earthquake.

Far North Bicentennial Park, near the University district 4,030 acres  of forest webbed with miles of trails for hiking, skiing, dog mushing, mountain  biking and horseback riding.

Goose Lake Park, at the east end of Northern Lights Blvd., offers 94 acres of beautiful recreation land. Swimming, lifeguard, bathhouse, picnic tables, playground, tennis courts. Bike trails.

Kincaid Park, 1400-acre park providing more than 24 miles of hiking and Nordic ski trails, warm-up and observation center.

Lakes Hood and Spenard on the northern edge of Anchorage International Airport are two lakes which form the world's busiest floatplane harbor.

Resolution Park, at 3rd Ave. and L St., displays a bronze statue of Capt. James Cook gazing out over Cook Inlet, which he visited in 1778. Viewers on wooden deck provide good view of Knik Arm and Mt. Susitna (Sleeping Lady). Park's wooden deck and walkway are beautifuly landscaped.

Russian Jack Spring Park on Debarr near Boniface Parkway offers 300 acres of biking, hiking, picnicking, tennis and a 9-hole golf course in the summer, and skiing and sledding in winter. Warm-up chalet with snack bar open year-round. Municipal greenhouse at park entrance features a tropical plant  display, wildflower garden, exotic birds and fish. Open year-round 8am-3pm weekdays; 8am-2pm weekends.

Ship Creek Salmon Overlook& Waterfowl Nesting Area where spawning salmon swim upstream during the summer and wild geese and ducks live in the warming ponds year-round. Ship Creek is open to king and silver salmon fishing during certain times of the year. Check with Alaska Department of Fish & Game for regulations, 344-0541. This part of Ship Creek was site of the original settlement of Anchorage and is being renovated in a massive redevelopment project.

Town Square, next door to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts,  6th Avenue and F Street. In summer, the park bursts with color from the thousands of flowers planted in its many beds, and in winter it boosts flights of fantasy as master carvers from around the world compete in the International Ice Carving Competition in March.

Westchester Lagoon Waterfowl Sanctuary, 19th Ave. and Spenard Road, is home to a variety of waterfowl. Trails connect to the 5-mile-long Chester Creek Trail, a greenbelt that crosses the middle portion of town.

Anchorage has more than 121 miles of paved trails that weave throughout the city, providing biking, walking and jogging in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. Almost one-fifth of the trail system is maintained in  the winter.

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