Alaska SeaLife Center, Alaska’s only public aquarium and world-class cold water marine research facility, is situated on the shores of Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska. Visitors can have close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions and other marine life while peeking over the shoulders of ocean scientists studying Alaska’s rich seas and diverse sealife. Nearly 2,000 invertebrates, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals are on exhibit – approximately 177 different species. Most of the animals on exhibit come from the nearby Gulf of Alaska. Highlights include Stellar Sea Lions, harbor seals, Puffins, and much more! The Alaska SeaLife Center is dedicated to generating and sharing scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystem.
Open year round. Located at 301 Railway Avenue at mile 0 of the Seward Highway, downtown Seward. Admission: Adults $20, Students (ages 12-17) $15, Children (ages 4-11) $10, and age 3 and under free. Ask about Puffin, octopus, and marine mammal encounters and behind-the-scenes tours. General admission mid-May through Mid-September is from 9am – 6:30pm and mid-September through mid-May 10am – 5pm. Reservations recommended for all Encounters and behind-the-scenes tours, no reservations needed for general admission. Call 888-378 -2525 to reserve a specialty tour that fits your needs today.
Fish House Halibut
& silver salmon fishing charters, fishing tackle, ice, bait,
RV supplies, fishing & hunting licenses & information. ATM
1-800-257-7760 or 907-224-3674.
Kenai Fjords Tours, Inc. offers a wide variety of itineraries ranging from a 3-hour Resurrection
Bay Tour to the incredible full-day Northwestern Fjord Cruise. For
over 20 years Kenai Fjords Tours has been recognized as “the
must do tour” in Seward. 888-478-3346
Major Marine Tours, cruise with a
National Park ranger and receive a free full-color guide to the
Kenai Fjords National Park. Half-day and full day cruises feature
up-close viewing of otters, eagles, puffins, whales and three types
of glaciers. Cruise’s features an all-you-can-eat salmon and
prime rib meal and reserved table seating inside the cabin. 800-764-7300.
Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking Experience the beauty and wildlife of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. Paddle through bergy bits while watching glaciers calve. Have a chance to observe sea otters, seals and even whales from water level. See why Outside, Backpacker,National Geographic Adventure, and others have profiled Sunny Cove tours . Since 1996 we have introduced thousands to paddling. We offer everything from 3 hour introductory tours to 12 day kayaking expeditions. Join us for a combination paddle and wildlife cruise to remote Fox Island. Check out tour details and pictures of the area at our website or call us at 1 800 770-9119.
Historic Railcar, at the corner of
Third and Jefferson, was built by the Pullman Company as a dining
car for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1916. In 1935, the Alaska
Railroad purchased it and converted into a club car. It was used
as such until shortly before the earthquake of 1964, when
it was given to Seward. The railcar is open daily in summer 9am
to 5pm.
Mt. Marathon Race, Alaska's biggest
Independence Day celebration is held in Seward every Fourth
of July. The combination running-climbing race to the top of 3,022-foot
Mt. Marathon and back is believed by many to be the most strenuous
and rugged of the five cross-country-mountain-climbing races in
the world. The current record is 43.23 minutes set in 1981. Contact
Seward Chamber of Commerce, for information.
Seward Community Library, Fifth and
Adams, (across from City-State Building) presents a movie
and slide show depicting earthquake, fire and tidal wave damage
resulting from the 1964 earthquake. This movie is shown daily
at 2pm in summer. A noteworthy attraction is the Seward Heirloom
Quilt. Completed in 1976 by 28 local women, the quilt contains
36 blocks, each depicting a historical building or landmark
in Seward. Also on display, one of the original Alaskan flags.
Seward Museum, at the corner of Third
and Jefferson, is maintained by the Resurrection Bay Historical
Society. On display are native artifacts, relics, early-day
mining tools and a collection of rare baleen and porcupine quill
baskets.
Seward Silver Salmon Derby, takes
place in the middle of August. It is one of the largest single sporting
events in Alaska, thousands of sportsmen vie for the largest Coho (Silver) Salmon and try to catch tagged fish worth prizes. Tagged and released
at the beginning of the derby are salmon worth $50,000.
Check with Seward Chamber of Commerce for further information.
Nearby Attractions You'll find many recreation, sightseeing and photography
opportunities in Seward.
Caines Head State Recreation Area, scenic site of an abandoned World War II fort, can be reached by boat or on foot (at low tide) from Seward. Its headlands rise 650 feet above Resurrection Bay, against a backdrop of high peaks, and give a sweeping view of the ocean.
Early in World War II, as the territory of Alaska was attacked and occupied by Imperial Japanese ground forces, Caines Head and other Resurrection Bay vantages became strategic spots for defending the
Port of Seward. As the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad, the port was a critical supply line for the war effort and for Alaskans.
Visitors are invited to explore the remains of Fort McGilvray, and the many natural attractions of this 6,000-acre state recreation area.
The fort is open to explore, but take a flashlight to find your way through the maze of underground passages and rooms. The cliffs around the fort are dangerous. Stay on the concrete pads and trails.
Decayed structures are unsafe. (Do not walk on, or disturb them). In Case of an Emergency 911.
Harding Icefield Trail A 3 1/2 mile trail from the Exit Glacier area
leads up to the Harding Icefield. It is a very strenuous, all day hike and visitors should check with rangers at the visitor center for up to date trail information/conditions.
Kenai Fjords National Park is one of Alaska's newest national parks and covers the fjordland of the Harding Ice Field. (See "National Parks section" for detailed information.) Some of the wildest, most isolated, uninhabited and least-known country in Alaska can be found here. 907- 422-0500
Kenai Fjords coastline is home to seabirds and marine mammals. For example, you'll find that the Chiswell Islands, which lie several miles south of the
Aialik Peninsula and not far from the mouth of Resurrection Bay, swarm with life. Tufted puffins, black-legged kitiwakes, thousands of murres and Stellar sea lions live in and around the ragged collection of rocks rising some 600 feet out of the Gulf of Alaska.
Exit Glacier. Ten miles from Seward is one of the more accessible glaciers in Alaska. Turn at mile 3.5 Seward Highway and drive 8 miles to parking
area. You can cross the newly constructed bridge and park within 1/2 mile of the glacier. One can walk to within 15 yards of this glacier. Do not go beyond warning signs onto glacier. Camping allowed. Editor's Note: Please be careful around the glacier and observe warning signs. Half a mile from the end of the road is a public campground, 10 tent sites, water and toilets.
