4 Star Places To Visit in North Pole, Alaska, United States (2)

4.0 Santa Claus House (1.051 reviews)
- So-so ok, enjoyable
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Speciality & Gift Shops • Points of Interest & Landmarks

You really kind of know what you’re getting when reading about this place ahead of time so it’s hard to be too disappointed. Tourist trap? Over-priced gift store? Tacky Christmas decorations? There doesn’t seem to be tons to do in the Fairbanks area (other than outdoor/nature related of course), so this was a nice little stop not requiring a far out of the way drive. It was enjoyable to see the shop. We didn’t buy much due to prices. Santa wasn’t in, but we were childless and so this was a non-issue. Overall I appreciated the Christmas theme of the city itself just as much or more so than the store. See more..
4.5 Chena Lake Recreation Area (37 reviews)
- Spectacular viewing location for the Northern Lights
Spent More than 3 hours Beaches • Dams • Playgrounds

This was a beautiful and serene place to walk along the lake on a beautiful fall day, but it was an absolutely spectacular place to view the Aurora Borealis! The best viewing spot was a picnic area north of the boat launch parking lot. There is a short path through the woods leading to the lake, and it was a perfect dark spot away from the motion detecting lights in the parking lot. We had an amazing view of the north sky, with the reflection of the northern lights in the lake's surface! See more..