Alfred Starr Cultural Center & Museum, Alaska, United States

5Corvus Connie 5:00 PM Jun 26, 2012

a glimpse of old-time Alaska life in a river town
Nenana, Alaska is about 1 to 1.5 hours south of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway and is located on the banks of the Tanana River. At one time, Nenana was the gateway to many areas of Interior Alaska, and is still a jumping-off place for both recreational and freight barge trips down the Tanana River to the Yukon River. The Alaska Railroad runs through town, with great photo opportunties of the blue and yellow train as it crosses the river and arcs down a ramp onto the riverbank. The old depot houses a nice museum and Coghill's store harkens back to old-time general stores. Nenana is the home of the Ice Classic, a annual guessing-game for when the ice leaves the Tanana River, and you can see a model of the famous black and white tripod. Life is casual in Nenana and visitors can walk or drive through town, enjoying the wildflowers and the river flowing by, and see a working fishwheel or the historic Episcopal church. On any trip to Nenana, I highly recommend a stop at the Alfred Starr Cultural Center and Museum. To get there, drive into Nenana straight towards the river. When you get to the train depot, turn right and drive parallel to the river and the railroad tracks. Keep looking to your left and after passing a few roads on your left you will see a log building on the river. Turn left when you see them, cross the railroad tracks and you are there. The staff are long-time residents with comprehensive knowledge of the history, geology, etc. of the area. The museum is small, but the displays are unique and very interesting. My favorite part of the museum, and I stop there every time I pass Nenana, is the gift shop. They sell all the wonderful items that used to be available all over Alaska, only to be replaced by imported kitsch. You can buy handmade models of dogsleds and fishwheels, books written by local residents, arts and crafts and wonderful Athabascan beaded art. Many museum-quality items that you won't see in other places. If you want to get a taste of authentic Alaska, I highly recommend a stop. Best to go in the summer, as hours diminish with the coming of winter, but stop anytime and you may get lucky!

4BrockDaBadger 5:00 PM Sep 29, 2011

Nice Athabascan Facility Halfway Between Fairbanks and Denali NP
Taking a Sunday drive from Fairbanks to visit Denali National Park, I stopped in Nenana to get out and stretch after driving for an hour and a half. Driving around the small community, I found this place and noticed it was open. Upon entering I was greeted by a local native American who was as curious about me as I was of him. Over the next hour or so, we chatted extensively about the area and he asked questions about my home as well. There are many exhibits in the large gallery about the people of the middle and lower Tanana River Valley with items of historical and cultural value. The center overlooks the river and on the other side of the river is a burial ground. There is a gift shop that has a varied selection of goods from local and Alaskan artists (ALL goods for sale are exclusively made in Alaska). Prices were quite reasonable and knowing that my purchase would provide support to the community, I purchased a wonderful gift for my daughter. Unfortunately, the Alfred Starr Cultural Center & Museum is only open May through September. When they are open, it is open seven days a week from 8:00 AM to 6:00PM. Stop by for a break and learn more about the area, and if so inclined, consider purchasing a gift for someone and/or for yourself.