Reviews of Museum of the North (Museum)

Andrea Zollman

I highly recommend visiting the museum to learn about Alaska and see thematic art.

Walter Walker

The gallery of Alaska portion of this museum is incredible a must see for anybody coming to Alaska

Erin Goodlett

Amazing museum! So amazing that it's a research museum and you get to see the videos on research and how things are preserved! Really enjoyed the exhibits and the art gallery!

Charlie Brundage

Enjoyable stop for the afternoon while in fairbanks. Quite a bit of things to look at and read about.

Frank Hollibaugh

A wonderful museum in Fairbanks located at the University of Alaska. I did not know that Alaska had dinosaurs and lions bison and Mammoths.

Daniel Scott

I felt it was overpriced at $14 for such a small museum. I was really disappointed that they charge $5 extra to watch the any of the movies playing inside. I would think $8 is a fair price or at least include one movie in the admission ticket.

Cathy Knappen

Lots of great Alaskan history and artifacts.

Victoria Avery

We set up a tour for our class and everyone loved it!

Emma Zimmerman

Allow yourself a few hours here at least! There's a lot to read and see, plus 30 min movies that run at various times throughout the day. Great information and introduction into Alaskan history, wildlife and culture.

Y G

Great museum. They have a nursing chair in the family room!

Jeffrey Simonson

Big grizzly. Famous photographer. Fast dinosaurs. Good coffee and soup. All in the main hallway.

Richard Budniewski

Outstanding museum. Great for kids, many events each month

Ross McDowall

Good place for a winter day to learn and experience.

Paul Julien

Enjoyed the exhibition especially the De Colonization of Alaska.

Jo Kao

Telling history about Alaska, u could have a half day in here and also see the nice view with coffee in the museum

Holly Giampaolo

Great experience with a lot of "touch" items throughout for kids, as well as a little spot upstairs with puzzles to play.

Betty Tingle

Great place to visit.

Greg Levandoski

Small, but really well done. Give yourself at least 4 hours, there's a lot of good interpretive stuff to read.

Hannah Pho

Giant cool animals and lots of beautiful art!

MaryJean Fischer

What an amazing building. If you like architecture this place is a must see. The view is spectacular on top of that hill. The inside did not dissapoint. We watched the movie about the Aurora which included excellent science as well as fabulous photography. The main exhibit was thorough and self paced. Lots of displays about exceptional women of Alaska. Thank you for that. Also the Aleut and Japanese detention exhibit was particularly well done. Say hello to Otto! #ottobear

Bob Ruby

Really good natural history museum.

Carey Wilson

Informative. Well organized. A little pricey for a museum and having to pay for the movies separately but nicely done.

Sue Arbegast

Nice museum with a lot of Alaskan history. A great arrangement of how it's all displayed. Loved the art works throughout the museum

Aaron Weingrad

Amazing place if you want to learn about Alaska and it’s history. Really special art exhibit as well.

JEFF PETERS

If you're going to spend any appreciable time in Fairbanks Alaska I suggest you go to the museum at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This Museum AZ great examples of native art and handiwork. As you enter the museum you're greeted by a gigantic bear. There are many stuffed animals throughout the museum. They also have a selection of Modern Art by Alaskan artists. The price is reasonable, $10 a person, and you can spend an entire day there without seeing everything.

Tanya Collier

Great history and always changing some things around

Dave McMahan

This is a small museum, but with a nice array of exhibits.

Abbe Fannin

Nicely done, lots of great history!

Patricia Welegala

The museum is incredible. Viewing the displays of animals and indigenous people was a great way to cap a very thorough visit to Alaska.

Alexandra Moreno

I love this museum and I take all my guests here. Everyone is so impressed by Otto the Bear! This is a really cool museum and does a great job going into detail about the different areas of Alaska. I always recommend this museum to those who are visiting Fairbanks!

Paula Riggs

Very good collection of artifacts of the indigenous peoples and early immigrants with an emphasis on peoples character, especially women's contributions, to the frontier. Animals of the area, extinct and current are on display. Stuffed or preserved of course. Go see.

Ryan Bradburn

Totally worth a visit. Chock full of info on the North, and an excellent exhibit on indigenous peoples while we were there.

Giddeon Machiavelli

Some very interesting exhibits, very well presented.

Kate Woodson

Wow! This is a hidden gem! Like a mini natural history museum.

Iddet Milian-Prada

Beautiful university museum. I highly recommend. Could spend up to two hours here if you actually spend the time to see everything and read the stuff your looking at. Lots of info. Very clean and friendly. Lots of animals and fossils and history. Building has a cafe inside. Second floor has area for kids if you want to relax. The outside is a beautiful modern building with beautiful views of Fairbanks and the surrounding valleys. Definitely a good stop.

Eddy Fava

Fantastic museum with very nice and informative exhibits.

Julianne Oates

This is a great museum experience. The top has a lot of artwork and the bottom is a great history- type exhibits. Plus, the gift shop is great with an additional rotating exhibit and it has a great view!!

Bill Jutz

Really awesome museum. Free for active duty and visiting family.

Caroline Peabody

The museum was limited in seating throughout exhibit and outside space..just three tables outside. The listening room was loud. A growing place I m sure.

Brian Crosswhite

Fun place to learn about alaska and the wildlife around the town

Shah Pez

Although small, it is a good brief overview of Alaskan history. Modern native Alaskan artwork on display, with a sound room which emulates the movement of the northern lights. Short videos are worth the bit of knowledge they impart on you about Alaska's unique natural characteristics

Deep Jariwala

Great collection. Actual dinosaur bones. It's a small museum though based inside the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Ronnie C

Was nice and quiet. Few people so we had it all to our selves. Great time reading and learning. Watched some videos of woodcarving and ceramics; very nice time.

Daniel Lazenby

Good general introduction to Alaska, Alaskan history and its indigenous first peoples. Went in thinking I'd be out in an hour. Four hours later I emerged.

David Valentine

Great, unique museum

Susan Hinson

Many indigenous exhibits. The Quiet Place was truly a room filled with awe and wonder. Museum sits on top of hill with great view.

Lucinda Brinks

Loved the exhibits and the extra $$ for the movie was well worth it.

Claire Meeks

I like how there were consistently touch and feel options in the main Alaska exhibit. Kind of stinks you have to pay for parking. Would be cool to at least be able to see some of the areas where research and preservation is conducted. Worth the visit for sure!

Katherine Repp

Very informative! Nice format!

Axle Martin-Frank

I went in with my partner who is from out of town and was expecting to pay a lot for entry, but a particularly helpful employee pointed out that all military and their guests get to enjoy the exhibits for free. We ended up not having to pay for the entry, so decided to watch one of their movie showings in addition. (that was 5$ ea.) The short movie was worth it and we had a lovely time!

Karen Fisher

I loved all the animals of Alaska on display. The art gallery was very good also.

Jon Doe

Fun thing to do in Fairbanks if you have never done it.

A. Cassella

Pretty interesting local history science exhibits and art. Great lottle gift store with local faire and books.

Ashley Hiatt

One of the nicest museums we went to. Lots of stuff to see and interesting history! Visited in December

April Lauren

Somewhat dated museum but great visuals/videos of the current creative art scene

Allen Posma

Enjoyed my visit

Robert Cheung

Small museum and is not as well funded as similar museums in Vancouver or Victoria on Vancouver Island. I give them a five star because of the exhibitions on the forced evacuations of the Aleuts, Native Americans, mistreated and abused by our own government and their video presentations on aurora.

David Rhodes

Great time looking at Alaska history

Mary Helen Whitney

great variety of exhibits related to Alaskan History and Art

Dustin Brentlinger

It's small but a really well designed museum. Its an interesting building with great exhibits.

Mike Meeks

I found it informative

Vicente Panizo

Art, artifacts, and history of Alaska. A great place to experience the past and present of the Alaska territory.

XinAn Xu

Great museum to learn about Alaska. Best museum around.

Rita

Beautiful collection of culture and history. A must-see.

Carolina Suarez

It’s one of te only museums in Fairbanks, but one that definitely has some very interesting sights. They have a lot of fossils and other artifacts from Alaska’s history as well as some art and interesting animal displays. It’s free for military families, but for the general public it can be a bit costly, like anything else in Fairbanks. They also had a cafeteria which wasn’t open when we were there, and a gift shop. Not a lot to do for young kids but kids 5+ will definitely enjoy the animals and such.

Janice Houston

Fascinating and full of Alaska history. Highhly recommend.

William Faltz

Good deal of history of the area

Elena Gedminas

It's only one museum worth your time

Kimberly Gilhousen

This place was very interesting and a lot of fun. I enjoyed all the animals to look at.

Matt Luongo

Cool museum with interesting exhibits but a bit pricey for what you see

James Beltran

By far the best museum I visited in Alaska. There is lots of things to see here and I would recommend setting aside a couple of hours went planning a visit. There is something for everyone here, don’t find a particular topic interesting? Keeping go and I will guarantee you will. If you only had time to do only one thing in Fairbanks, this museum should be at the top of your list.

Nancy Johansson

Would have rated it a 5. But the exhibits were very busy. They needed a few more rooms downstairs. Very interesting with great artifacts, animals and fossils. The art gallery upstairs was great too.

Milton Santos

Beautiful and very instructive

Marci Brown

Visiting from Oregon and spent about 3 hours looking around. Easily could have spent more time! Really great exhibits and next time I'll bring the kids!

Curtis Frost

This is a small museum but when you are in Fairbanks you really need to check it out. Awesome exhibits.

Daniel Hatfield

Small, but still quite a bit of stuff to see.

Jose Carrasco

This museum has an amazing infrastructure. Inside has some good areas to learn about different topics. Also includes good art exhibition and wonderful view.

David McCreary

Very cool place. Some great exhibits.

Jim Robison

An outstanding, well designed and funded museum. An excellent opportunity to learn of Alaska's history

melvin johnson

Started off decent, from the parking lot to the door. On my B'day, wanted to do something different, by going to local museum. Disrespect is what I felt as a life long resident and minority. Never again.

Billbang Sayasean

Fun place to spend some time if you're on UAF campus.

Jo Ann Hobbie

Great museum. Wish my cell phone was compatible with their free audio app they offered. Very informative and easily visited in a couple of hours. Resident hall two buildings away to get something to eat at an affordable price.

Clint Williams

Great info on the history of Alaska

Michelle Dobbratz

Great concept for a museum and interesting content, but the curation really got in my way. Materials are displayed in front of signs such that you can't read them, font throughout the museum is much to small (I have perfect vision, so I imagine it is worse for others), one display was impossible to read without getting down on hands and knees (and it was not for kids, is was actually quite technical). It seems they have the space to spread out, and at the very least they could use their space more wisely or rotate through their collection so viewers could really see and appreciate what is there. The Heritage Center in Utqiagvik (Barrow) has a much better but smaller curation of native artifacts, if you ever have the opportunity to get up there. The Museum of the North is worth the trip, but bring your reading glasses and your patient pants, because you will really have to work for a lot of the information presented.

Michael Kolodzie

Wow, this place was amazing. Lots and lots of exhibits to see so many things to do. We loved the museum it was a great learning experience.

Rebecca Bastien

Very interesting exhibits and a great way to spend the afternoon! Didn’t like that one would have to pay extra to watch the films. Was disappointed that there is not a special pricing for University Alumni. I and my father both attended UAF and spent a lot of our hard earned money there (read: no scholarships). After 40 years he obviously doesn’t have a school ID. We still had to pay full price for the museum. Not sure why they don’t have an Alumni database. With all of the databases kept at UAF I would think this could be possible. They certainly have one for asking for Alumni donations...

Joseph Barron

Great museum! So many unique displays. Worth the stop any time in Fairbanks.

Tracy G.

There are some pretty cool exhibits & we didn't end up going to the top floors, but I feel like the $14 admission for adults is a little steep. There is a movie ($5 more) that seems like it would be very informational.

Sapunna conover

Great place , I will be back , a lot of learning stuff, great place to visit for everyone

Susana Luna

So entertaining. Definitely a great place to go with family. They have great parts to delve into, they also let you touch some of the things they are displaying which is really cool for kids. Probably the best part for me was upstairs, they have a room with sound that you don’t talk when you’re in there but it’s so immersive.

Jeremy Kelly

Neat history, but the art was pompous, self- righteous junk. Not very much to see.

roxanne wilbur

So much history, art and a lot about the Northern Lights and solar winds.

Joliene Bridget Gates

Not worth the money or visit. This museum tries their best to be first class and initially appears to be but it is a mess at a closer look. Firstly, we unfortunately went there 2 hours before closing not realizing their winter hours started in Sep 1 and were shocked when they announced the closing time. There is no discount for late entry and they do not give you a 'late entry pre-warn' unlike other museums I've visited. Had we known they close 2 hours earlier than their summer hours, we would have chosen another time to visit. Some of the exhibits are not put together accurately of the time it was meant to depict so it was laughable - one great example was seeing a thermarest sleeping pad in an exhibit that was supposed to show old dated camping gear. Others have such bad color contract between words and background pictures, it was hard to read. It almost felt insulting as if the presenter assumed that nobody will read the descriptions. There is also no flow in the exhibits. There were some really interesting stories of the Japanese in Alaska that i managed to read about though and would have appreciated more time. Overall, it was a really disappointing experience as it came highly recommended.

Ellie H

For the price they charged I expected a lot more from this museum, it is not really a place for children. Some exhibits can be fascinating, others quite a bore. There are only around four rooms you can enter, there is a downstairs. The downstairs is home to their laboratory, which I've heard great things about. But, unfortunately you have to schedule a tour. Which I'm sure cost a pretty penny.

Jerry Patrell

Hey if you are in Fairbanks go to the Museum of the North!! I live here and I go a lot! Great Place! Learn lots!

Adriana Pellegrini

My favorite was the exhibit on pleistocene mammals. Enjoyable place to spend some time, but perhaps a bit pricey for its size. Good scavenger hunt work sheets to keep kids engaged.

CheckMate

Lots of interesting things to see here. One great interactive history&art museum. First time that I’ve seen a sign “please touch”!! One of the art work invite you to step and sit in it!!! Display and exhibition were carefully selected and designed to the smallest detail. I can feel that they put tons of thought into this museum. Great job!!!!

Andrew Elegante

Surprisingly dense museum that covers a lot of Alaskan history in a sleek, modern building. Spent most of my time (1.5 hour trip) going through the historical timelines, prehistoric exhibits, Japanese ww2 exhibit and mining history. Did not get much time to spend with native/aboriginal people's history and artifacts, which appeared to also be rich, but by then I was getting a little museum fatigue and had other things on my to do list for the day. I didn't even try to go upstairs so I probably could have spent 3 hours there pretty easily Be sure to check out the photos and thoughts in the hallway leading to the main exhibit hall and look for pull out drawers under the displays with more artifacts.

Timothy Dillman

I found the exhibits to be very informative and really help tied together a lot of what I had seen in my week of exploring Alaska's wilderness.

Loren Wille

Great museum - was well worth the visit

Nina Jacobson

I LOVE this place!!! So cool, amazing history!

Betty Tran

Small museum, but informative about Alaskan history.

Mitch Quist

Definitely worth the visit and $14 admission fee. The staff was pleasant and helpful. We spent around 1.5 hours here and enjoyed the time spent here.

Dualkarnain Siyah-Chal

Loved my visit with family.

Felicity Fung

Worth a visit, but don't expect to spend more than 3 hours here.

Paul F

This is a great place to stop by on a rainy day. For summertime travelers/visitors, people come to Fairbanks to experience yhe great outdoors of interior Alaska. But there are days when the weather doesn't cooperate, and the museum of the north at UAF is great place to spend a few hours. There's an art exhibit that's full of creations from local Alaskan artists. There's also a big exhibit that explains the diverse ecosystems of interior Alaska. There is also a small children's interactive area that allows kids to learn, play, and explore. If you're in town and have seen and done a great deal of outdoor activities, come check this museum out. You won't be disappointed. A must-see on a rainy day! (It's also cool to stop by in the winter too!)

Ellen Warner

This is a fabulous museum for all ages. Even if you only have one day to visit Fairbanks, it is well worth it for you to visit this museum on the UAF campus for a couple hours (you will wish you had more time to spend here though). There is so much to learn here and an amazing collection of local fine art. There is also a gift shop with some special crafts, and a small coffee shop with tasty snacks. And if Fairbanks is your first destination in Alaska, a visit here is a wonderful orientation to the natural and cultural history of the land.

Chunfen Zhou

Museum with a mix of Alaskan art, ethnographic, history, and natural history exhibits. Highly informative, but overwhelming at certain places (e.g. lots of wall text with very small font). The building, while looking quite nice from the outside, feels a bit confined when being inside. On the upside, the family room is well done, and there are hands-on collections scattered throughout.

Mastanaiah Namburu

I visited Alaska in the year 2011. Really this place is heaven on the earth. The university museum is wow some. The wild life is very good.i have seen the polar bear in original. There is a great fishing harbour in homer. Really i enjoyed a lot in that tour

John J Gentry

This museum has a modern exterior and wide open doors to accommodate disabilities. There is coffee shop inside and the local students who manage entry are very nice. The exhibits are well thought out and do change some during the year.

Justin Botejue

The most amazing, concise, and professionally curated museum in the state. Those who want to know Alaska in a short visit need to come here.

Matthew Muir

Blue Babe rocks!

Rangerjd

What a fin and interesting place yo visit, especially if you enjoy history.

Braden Limb

This is a very well done museum about Alaska’s different regions and how the people and animals have adapted to the environment. The movie about the Northern Lights was also very insightful

he jiang

Good place to know alaska

Mark C

Small but extremely well done.

anna Darko

The museum is housed in a beautiful modern building that takes advantage of light and offers a panoramic view of Fairbanks and the mountains beyond. The collections housed within range from modern Alaskan artists to art and artifacts from it`s first peoples. If human history isn't your thing, the natural world is well represented . Hikers and climbers also play a role here, so take a chance and visit this gem of a museum.

B. Tamm

A must see museum if you find yourself in Fairbanks. A variety of cool and interesting displays plus an art galley and a rotation of short films.

Darrell Simino

Superb Museum!! That was the best way to start our vacation that I can think of. We even had lunch in the cafe. When finished we both wondered where the time had gone it went by so quickly.

Dan Kronstadt

Wonderful museum on University of Alaska campus. Large gallery with different sections examining various times and places on Alaska.

Christen Bouffard

A wonderful place to learn about Alaska's natural history and see art by Alaskans.

William Edwards

Very nice museum. While it's not a huge museum, it has a lot to see and has a fairly wide variety of content. Also has an art exhibit which is pretty neat. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Fairbanks.

Ping Wang

Learned a lot about aurora here.

Nypthes Astarte

Lots of interesting history

Glen Clark

A little disappointing as it is small for the price charged. The displays and artifacts they do have are interesting.

JP Cody

Very cool place to visit. Cost us about 12 bucks apiece , but there is a lot of history in this museum. Very well-organized establishment. Very neat, and clean. The employees are very helpful with information. Very well read people that know Alaskan history. We had a great time, spent almost 2 hours looking at all the exhibits.

KK HH

Great place to learn the history and culture of Alaska.

Roger Ward

Everything is pricey in Alaska, but this little museum has a unique charm. Very thorough in its presentation and smooth layout. An enjoyable experience.

Ann 1

The museum is beautiful, however, the entrance fee is high for what it offers in comparison with other similar museums. Clean and beautiful, however... Also, a fish sandwich in the small snack shop was $14.85.

Mike MacEachern

Interesting local art and crafts. Beautiful view from up here, too!

Dave Watts

I didn’t really know what to expect when I visited, but I was pleasantly surprised. The museum itself is in a very modern-looking building. The first floor contains a wide variety of natural and human artifacts covering the prehistory and history of Alaska. This includes a very large stuffed bear, of course, but also a mummified bison called “Blue Babe” and even dinosaurs native to Alaska. On the human history side, I really learned a lot about the evacuation of Aleuts during the Second World War. This is something that’s not well known in the rest of the country. The second floor hosts an Alaskan art collection, which was pretty interesting and Alaska-focused. For example, there was a decorated outhouse!

Clark Greenaway

Not very big but very informative and interesting.

paul trainer

Nice natural history museum at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. If you like museums, this is a nice place to go. If you want lots of pizzazz, this really isn't the place for you

Everette Long

Nice flavor exposure to Alaskan culture and history. Nice displays but nothing that was knock your socks off. Worth the visit to get a feel for the culture. Note: taxi was cheaper than uber here.

Judy Wilkerson

Wow! This place was amazing and very informative. Loved Otto the bear.

Edith Sutterlin

This was very hard to rate. The collection selection and content was excellent, but the signage font and display of text throughout ranked a 1 star at best for many significant places in their displays. For example, I was intrigued to hear and shocked to learn of the Aleut experience during World War II in a key exhibit, but was shocked to see at least 4 substantial sections were unable to be read because of text v. Background poor color selection, transparency in text mounted on glass, glare, etc. These eally detractd The gift shop had convenience of selling post card stamps.

Laila Metwali

Very good place for spending one hour of acknowledgments and information about Alaska and northern light..

Terry Davis

Very good. Recommended. Just be prepared for the fees and charges. About $20 per.

Jake Volkers

Lots of interesting items worth seeing.

Lee Petersen

Great little museum. You could easily spend multiple days here, but won't feel like you missed a ton if you just spend a day. I'd recommend anyone coming to visit or to live in Fairbanks visit the museum early in your stay, it's a great introduction to the Alaska Interior.

Julie Shannon

History, science, art (from traditional native Alaskan art and artifacts to conceptual/contemporary art) - all centered in a reverence for place: the Museum of the North can keep a family busy for hours. Have visited repeatedly, and would get a membership, if I lived closer!

nwind27

This is one of unique history and preservation of Alaska.

Philip Rohr

Great place to visit in Fairbanks. Lot's of great exhibits and information.

Kealani Smith

Lots of artistic direction, not nearly enough actually on display.

Ariel Newby

It's not very big but still has some amazing displays and it wonderful for learning a bit more about Alaskan history.

richard canter

An absolute must visit when you visit Fairbanks! It's a beautiful place to experience what it means to be Alaska. Easy to spend 6 hours here. Will come again.

Monica Anthony

Amazing items!

Carole McCorry

Excellent information at the museum, much of it can be found at the information center that is closer to down town, which is free.

Martha Fluharty

Wonderful museum with a great collection of artwork.

Gila Carmel-Shaia

Nice exabition of the wild life local culture. The best is the movie about the auralia borealis.

Dirk Giles

Definitely worth checking out.

Gentle John

This is worth visiting. It is rich in the history of very early Alaska. The art work was to large degree native Alaska. The most fascinating exhibit was transferring light into sound. There is some beautiful carved ivory. There is a an entire zoo of stuffed local animals and even prehistoric findings. Then you can simply walk down the hill to the Botanical Gardens.

Queena Gandwa

An interactive museum! Good for kids and adults. Must visit for all tourists.

david jeppesen

The Stepped Bison was the most intriguing.

Sam DeLiso

A moderately sized museum with several rooms of displays regarding Alaskan natural to human history. Excellent Aurora video, taxidermied wildlife, and dinosaur fossil displays. Kept the kids entertained as well as the adults for about an hour or so. Will have to visit again when the botanical garden is in bloom. Thanks! Best, ~S

kiana ehsani

Although it is a museum, it's more informative for professionals rather than public. Many of the rooms and experiences were closed when we were visiting. The documentaries were the best part of the museum and we learned a lot about the aurora in the show.

R D

Beautiful facility. Very educational for a tourist from the lower 48. Glorious view of the snow mountains today.