Alaska Native Heritage Center

I order two books from the Gift shop August 13^th and still haven’t received them. I also emailed a couple of days ago, nothing!

Very educational. I was here 2 years ago after Labor Day but even though I was able to walk around it was closed. I almost didn’t come back but I’m sure glad I did.

In my 12 packed days of sites and activities in Alaska, The Alaska Heritage Center was my least favorite. If it were free, it would only be a waste of time, but since it cost $ 25, it was also a waste of money. The performances were only fair and much too long. The 2 we saw were cultural dances and game playing.
The 6 life-​size exhibits were manned by bored looking teens who acted as if their parents forced them into a summer job. They explained nothing unless asked a specific question and then answered monosyllabically.
This was a real disappointment. If you need something to do in Anchorage, there is a small, but good zoo and the very interesting Anchorage Museum.

We spent a few hours here one day in June when there was nice weather. We spent about 40 minutes inside looking at the artifacts and reading the placards about the different groups of Alaska native peoples.
The bulk of our time was spent outside around the gorgeous lake. The lake is surrounded by an example of housing for each of the Alaska native groups and had some examples of typical household items for each. But the real treat was the person inside the house who would tell you a bit about their family/​history/​culture and answer any questions. Some of the presenters were better this others, as a couple just sat there, but we heard some amazing firsthand accounts of how Alaska natives live today and how they used to live.
The day we were there there was a group on the stage giving examples of native songs, dances, and sports. We watched for a little while.
There is a nice little gift shop attached and a restaurant as well.

25 dollar cab ride from our hotel. $ 50 for 2 people to get in. We ate lunch there at a cost of $ 30. Most exhibits are in a dark area. Meaning lights off, they said to preserve the items in the display cases from decay. There are many items in the display cases which show who made the item and what Native Heritage they represent but there is no explanation of what the item represents to the Native People. No explanation of what it was used for. An example is there are 4 large sea shells in one of the display cases but no indication of who donated them or what they are used for. I hear the Fairbanks museum located downtown has a Smithsonian exhibit on Native Alaska which is worth seeing.

You can see Alaskan homes, traditional dance, and do sledge dog rides. This completed our Alaskan experience.

Wow! This place is amazing! The staff are so knowledgeable and friendly (so come ready to ask lots of questions). The performances at the Gathering Place are great and I highly recommend attending one or more. Also, absolutely do a tour, they make the place come to life. The outdoor structures and dwellings are well done and very impressive. I spend about 2.5hrs there with my family but could have spent more time. If I ever return to Anchorage I’ll make sure to come back to the Heritage Center! I’m so happy this place exists to keep the Alaska Native culture alive! Keep up the good work!

The Heritage Center is not exactly a museum, so don’t expect a lot of artifacts, and its no Smithsonian either, so don’t expect large crowds and popular exhibits. The reason being this was build almost from the ground up by the Alaskan natives so that they could control for themselves how to portray their own peoples and cultures.
Most evident is the fact that every staff member was an Alaskan native. I don’t just mean they were born here, I mean they trace their roots to the original Alaskans and are as diverse as the people they represent. The outdoor exhibits are very informational and the staff really know their stuff. There you will visit the replica houses and get a hands-​on lesson about the early native culture and life. If you’re there during the summer, expect a younger staff there for the school break. Their presentation is a little rough around the edges but you’ll still learn a great deal.
There is usually something on the stage, so take a seat and listen to the talk or enjoy the show. Again, nothing spectacular however if you want Cirque du Soleil, you’ll want to visit Vegas. Take it for what its worth, engage the staff, broaden your horizons, and take the opportunity to appreciate your vacation just a little bit more.

I think the indigenous people of Alaska deserve a MUCH better museum. The native corporations around Anchorage have MUCH much much MUCH better collections of artifacts, which may be part of the reason the ANHC has so few, I’m not sure. The Heritage Center has 2 things going for it though, it’s a nice place to go for special events, where native dance and music is celebrated. The other good part is a blessing/​curse. 90% of what’s worth seeing at the museum is OUTSIDE. The replicas of Alaska Native housing is amazing. But it’s really only accessible about 2 months out of the year… June and July. August rains the entire month, so you’ll get soggy if you visit then. Its worth taking the time to explore and enjoy the outdoor display… not something you want to rush through trying to avoid getting wet.
So my suggestions are this:
1. Go in June or July on a day when the weather is nice
2. If you can, couple your visit with a day they’re having a special event.
3. If you want to see artifacts, go elsewhere (Native corporations dot the city, and you’re welcome to walk in and enjoy, just don’t take photographs unless you ask.)

A docent tour as good as you will find. On site: mushers, a variety of authentic huts, bottled spices, beautiful canoes, a media-​rich exhibit, and folk dancing. Grasp and inhale an underwool clipping of Muskox fur, euuehg, whoa.

I really enjoyed a visit with a friend. I’ve been doing some work in Alaska with Native groups so was especially interested in seeing this. It was good to see the representation of the villages and get information about the various Native cultures. The performances was great that demonstrated the Native language, dances and music. If you are interested in the Alaska Native cultures, it is a good place to visit and enjoyable

We arrived at late afternoon and missed the last tour of the day. So we decided to just explore around by our self. They have 2 separate sections, indoor and outdoor.
The indoor part explains more about the people, the tools, clothing, etc from each tribe. It was interesting layout and very informative.
The outdoor was Nicely done, neat, attractive and informative. They made an imitation house and environment of each tribe and have boards everywhere to explain further more about the tribe itself.
Fortunately, we caught up to the tour at the 2^nd house and found It was really great to take the tour, because the tour guide was explaining more than the board does. She was a native of one of the tribe, so she told us the stories when she was a little back to their village. How did they survive and live, how her grandfather taught her the value of the tribe, to respect and to help other people. It felt real because you got the story from the real-​experienced person, not only someone who read the history and told you about it.
The whole museum itself is small that you could just finish them in an hour. But, I guess you don’t wanna miss the performance and show they have. We caught up like 5 minutes of 1 of them and It was quite interesting. Too bad, we don’t really have all day to see each of the performance.

Just had a great time at the Alaska Native Heritage Center with my parents, husband, and two small kids (ages 2 and 4). The kids were mesmerized by the 30 minute dance performance, which was a minor miracle given their attention spans. The native homes were very interesting to check out. The staff were helpful. Only complaint is that the food at the café was disappointing, but that’s obviously not what you’re there for. On the whole, I highly recommend it!

It’s a great place to visit and learn. You can spend hours watching the performances, walking through the village sites, and viewing the exhibits.
It is convenient place to get to since there is a free shuttle from downtown. I also recommend the combination ticket with the Anchorage Museum.

I wanted to like this more than I did. Having said that, It’s well worth a visit, particiularly for the performances. There is almost always somebody on stage doing dance, athletics, or story telling. Most of the tour guides and people narrating the demonstrations were sweet, but it felt a little bit like listening to middle/​high school presentations. There were definitely a few stellar performers and speakers, but others seemed insecure and uncomfortable with questions. We went early in the season (Memorial Day), so some of the summer staff may have been new and still working the kinks out of their presentations. There is a café, but almost everything was sold out by 1:00pm.
There is a free shuttle from downtown which was handy since we didn’t rent a car in Anchorage. Also, there is a combo ticket with the Anchorage Museum which makes the price reasonable.

Just went today! FREEEEEE on Mother’s Day and their opening day for the Summer season! I had a great time with the non-​stop performances and sharing of the native Alaskan cultures. At first, I thought I would be bored after an hour, however, the performances were different every time. The Hall of cultures and village sites were short, but I think they do deliver great points. I really enjoyed using their free app that gave me a private tour.
Just one suggestion, maybe a charging station for the phones or indoor seating for the café to charge the phone after using the app. My phone was completely dead after both Hall of Cultures and Village site tours. I am glad that I had my own set of headphones in my purse so I could take my time and walk with the recordings from the app FREE!
Also, today they had Pamyua performing at the end. I am so glad that I stayed. Although I don’t understand the language, but they have a fun raggae vibe that is welcoming. The children in the audience had a great time dancing and a mom stood up and danced too. I would definitely recommend it for my friends who visit Anchorage. However, I wonder what is their regular programs. Today, it was packed with entertainments, local craft artists. But if my friend is visiting next Mother’s Day, I will tell them to show up!
Keep up the great work!

My «white main’s guilt» told me that $ 25 was an acceptable price for a ticket. And it is just this misguided guilt that doesn’t want me to ‘diss’ this museum, but I will.
First and foremost my issue was with the chained up dogs. There are about 20 chained so that they cannot interact with each other or move more than a few feet! I asked the woman minding them if they were vicious to each other, she said no — this was to protect them from possibly jumping over the fence. Build a higher fence! They were in a low chain linked fence area, each with about a 4 foot heavy chain around its collar– short enough that they cannot play with each other, sniff around the yard, etc. I didn’t want to be ‘that person’ and ask annoying animal welfare questions, but it was just so sad looking. i asked if they go somewhere at night to run around, etc. she said no, they stay there chained up ‘for their protection’. There were about 8 dogs on the ‘iditerod’ — that is, chained to each other waiting to pull us fat tourists on a course in the dirt for $ 10 each. that was sad too, but at least they got out of there and a little exercise. The lady reminded me that these dogs ‘love to work’ and run 100 miles a day, etc. I know this, and that is part of the problem! the ‘lucky ones’ get to run a combined few miles a day, the others just sit without any possibility of running or even walking.
the museum displays were mostly recreations of original native pieces, and there were a lot of plexiglass displays with pictures of natives with pioneers and that kind of thing.
the shows were fabulous though — i saw one that was about ½ hour with kids (teens) showing native american games — physical feats that were amazing. the other show was the finale almost an hour of live dance and music, which also was very interesting and the costumes were great.
i think the ticket price should really emphasize that the money goes to provide jobs for native youth, etc. Because the Met or the Smithsonian doesn’t cost that much!
i would have given this 4 stars if it wasn’t for the dogs. i really hate using animals to make a buck PLUS not giving them proper treatment. no excuse.

This was the absolute best thing we saw in Anchorage. It was a rainy day so we headed here thinking the indoors part would be good. It was! but the outdoor exhibits were just as wonderful. Greats for kids and adults equally.
Indoors there is usually something happening on the open stage, seat yourself anytime, come and go as you want. There is a schedule posted and we saw both a story-​teller and later singing and dancing. Missed one performance of something because we were outdoors.
BIG TIP: in the outdoor village featuring many different tribes GO INSIDE THE DWELLING. It doesn’t look like there is anything happening because the entrances are dark but when you venture inside there is a native guide in each one waiting to tell you about that tribe. There are exhibits and artifacts you can handle. It is very low key and very one-​on-​one. It isn’t a fake Disney experience. You can ask questions and stay as short or as long as you want to. Heated inside each one (as well as an open door allows) and lighted. Really really fascinating.
ANOTHER TIP: There is a free shuttle downtown that will take you to the Heritage Center. This is the best way to visit. We drove but the navigation thingy was confused and it took a while to get the right entrance. The high school is right next door to the Heritage Center and it wanted us to go there by mistake.
The gift shop also has very good quality native crafts but higher prices go along with higher quality. Lower prices can be found in Anchorage, just remember to look for the Silver Hand logo showing it is Native Made and not from China (lots of that for sale).

I would HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Our trip had us on the road from glaciers to beaches to hiking trails, and we weren’t planning any time in Anchorage.
However, we made it a point to check this place out and were VERY glad we did. We walked in while a very knowledgable woman was making a presentation on the linguistic/​ethnic groups of Alaskan first people’s. Her presentation gave way to AMAZING young people who demonstrated traditional games and sports — incredible athletic displays like jumping and kicking 7 feet in the air, 1-​handed balancing manuevers, and knuckle-​push-​up-​sprints… (I later saw one of the presenters featured in a commercial advertising the upcoming Eskimo-​Indian Olympics!)
We then went to tour the village and dwelling replicas — and these kids were some of the curators! We heard from a really cool old man from Barrow, Alaska who explained why his people’s homes were built with two entrance/​exits — to have an escape hatch if polar bear found his way in.
Some of the athletes also described their peoples’ housing styles, hunting practices, and daily life.
I can’t say enough good things about this place — check it out, learn something, and support an organization and individuals who are doing worthy, important work.

Very interactive and engaging.
You learn about the different native tribes that are found in and around Alaska. Emphasis on the differences between them.
What’s cool? Outside, they have several different huts/​tents/​houses (don’t know correct term) set up around a pretty pond with artifacts inside. Really makes it easier for you to see the difference in culture instead of thinking «they’re all the same.»
Of course your guide tells you neat stuff too.
Inside you can see live performances, watch crafts people make things (and you can buy them), and view/​read/​listen to other informational exhibits.
Definitely worth a few hours.