Fairbanks Travel Guide

The University of Alaska Museum of the North on the Fairbanks campus is a premier institution for exploring Alaska's natural history, Native cultures, and Arctic science. The museum holds more than 2.5 million specimens and artifacts spanning Alaska Native art, Arctic archaeology, northern wildlife, minerals, fossils, and polar research. Signature exhibits include 25,000-year-old mammoth bones, a blue bear specimen, and intricately carved Native ivory works. The building itself, designed by architect Charles Gwathmey, draws inspiration from the Alaskan landscape and stands as a major cultural and academic landmark in Fairbanks.

Santa Claus House stands along the North Pole Highway about 20 kilometers north of Fairbanks, Alaska, the landmark attraction of this Christmas-themed town. The red-and-white wooden building is painted with Santa and his reindeer, and the shop sells Santa figurines, Alaska souvenirs and Christmas keepsakes year-round, most notably postcards mailed with a genuine North Pole postmark from the local post office. Outside stands a 12-meter Santa statue, one of the largest in North America, especially striking on winter snow nights. Reindeer antlers and holiday displays around the house create a storybook atmosphere. It is one of the few year-round Christmas attractions in interior Alaska, easily combined with winter aurora-viewing tours, and a warm stop for families and holiday enthusiasts.