For our second night in Fairbanks, we had arranged for us to stay at the Aurora…
Alaska: Exploring the frontier city of Fairbanks
🏙️ Fairbanks – Gateway to Alaska’s Interior
As we left the high peaks of the Alaska Range behind us and pushed deeper into the Interior, the dramatic mountains gradually gave way to gently rolling hills — rather like being promised a rollercoaster and ending up on a country lane. Still lovely, mind you, just rather less heart-stopping.
Fairbanks itself is the largest city in Alaska’s Interior and the second largest in the entire state, behind Anchorage. It was founded in 1901 — not exactly ancient history — originally as a modest trading centre by a rather optimistic entrepreneur named E.T. Barnette, who had been stranded there somewhat against his will. Then, in 1902, gold was discovered nearby by a prospector named Félix Pedro, an Italian immigrant who’d been searching for years. The result was predictable: chaos, crowds, and a population that ballooned almost overnight from a handful of traders to thousands of wide-eyed hopefuls panning in the freezing mud. By 1903 Fairbanks was already the largest city in Alaska. Today, more than a century on, it has evolved from that frenetic gold rush boomtown into a perfectly pleasant modern city — albeit one that moves at its own unhurried pace. Think Tunbridge Wells, but considerably colder and with more bears.
We had two full days to explore, and we packed them in as thoroughly as two people of our advancing years reasonably could. Mercifully, Alaska’s summer days last almost forever — in late June the sun barely dips below the horizon — so we had absolutely no excuse for running out of time.
Day One
- Ice Museum — Master carvers work year-round on sculptures made from enormous blocks of Alaskan ice harvested from the Chena River. It was genuinely mesmerising, in a slightly baffled sort of way — watching someone turn a frozen block into a swan with a chainsaw is not something you forget quickly.
- Gold Dredge 8 — A wonderfully preserved historic site that takes you back to the gold rush era with remarkable thoroughness. The dredge itself, a vast mechanical beast that operated from 1928 to 1959, scooped up and processed millions of cubic yards of gravel from the Goldstream Valley — and visitors can still pan for gold there today, which we did, with modest results.
- Pioneer Park — Fairbanks’s open-air heritage site, where a reconstructed historic street gives you a decent flavour of frontier life, and the beautifully restored S.S. Nenana — a grand old sternwheeler that once paddled the Yukon and Tanana rivers — sits in dry dock as a floating museum. Well, a non-floating museum.
Day Two
- Museum of the North — Sitting on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, this is frankly the sort of place you could spend an entire day in without feeling remotely guilty. It covers Alaskan natural history, art, and — most compellingly — the culture and history of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples, the first people to call this extraordinary place home, going back some 15,000 years or more.
- Large Animal Research Station — Also part of the university, where musk oxen, caribou, and reindeer are studied up close. The musk ox, for those who haven’t encountered one, is a magnificently shaggy creature that looks like it was designed by committee during the Ice Age and nobody had the heart to suggest any changes. Utterly splendid.
- North Pole — A small town about 13 miles south-east of Fairbanks that embraced the Santa Claus theme with full civic commitment back in the 1950s and has never looked back. The streets are named things like Snowman Lane and Candy Cane Road. We met Santa and Mrs Claus. It was ridiculous and wonderful in equal measure, which, when you think about it, describes much of Alaska.
Day One
❄️ Marvel at the Fairbanks Ice Museum
One might reasonably ask whether travelling to one of the coldest cities in North America and then paying to look at ice is quite the right use of one’s time and money. Having done exactly that, I can confirm it is absolutely worth it — and I don’t say that lightly, being constitutionally disposed to grumbling about admission prices. Located in the heart of downtown Fairbanks on Lacey Street, the Fairbanks Ice Museum is the year-round showcase of the extraordinary ice art tradition that Fairbanks has cultivated over decades. The city hosts the World Ice Art Championships every March, drawing master ice sculptors from around the globe who descend on Fairbanks to transform enormous blocks of Alaskan ice into breathtaking sculptures — and the museum gives visitors a chance to experience something of that magic regardless of when they visit. The centrepiece is a large refrigerated display space where intricate ice sculptures are maintained at a constant temperature, allowing you to walk amongst them in your coat and hat in midsummer, which has a pleasantly surreal quality to it. The ice itself is sourced from a local pond and is renowned for its exceptional clarity — you can see straight through blocks the size of a small wardrobe, which seems impossible until you’re standing in front of one. A short film explains the history and technique of ice carving, and the gift shop sells a surprising range of items, none of which are made of ice, though I half expected them to be.
- 📍 Location: 500 2nd Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701
- 🌐 Website: www.icealaska.org
- 📞 Telephone: +1 (907) 451-8222
- 📧 Email: info@icealaska.org
- 🕐 Opening Hours: Summer (May–September): Daily 10am–8pm; Winter hours vary — check website
- 💰 Fees: Adults $15, Children (6–12) $10, Children under 6 free; group rates available
⛏️ Pan for Gold at Gold Dredge 8
If you have ever harboured a secret fantasy about striking it rich in the Alaskan wilderness — and I suspect most of us have, particularly on a Monday morning — Gold Dredge 8 is the place to indulge it responsibly, without any actual risk of hardship or frostbite. This is a genuine piece of Alaskan mining history, a five-deck National Historic Site that operated from 1928 to 1959, extracting gold from the permafrost-laden ground north of Fairbanks with industrial determination. The dredge itself is a magnificent beast — a hulking, bucket-chain contraption that floated in its own pond as it chewed through the frozen earth, processing millions of cubic yards of gravel over its working life. Standing next to it, or better yet being taken through it on a guided tour, you get a visceral sense of the scale and ambition of the Alaskan gold rush era. The tour covers the history of gold mining in the Fairbanks region from the first discoveries in 1902, and the guides are knowledgeable and entertainingly forthright. The highlight, of course, is the gold panning — each visitor is given a bag of gold-bearing gravel and a pan, and shown how to work it properly. I am not naturally gifted at this sort of thing, but I did find genuine colour in my pan, which produced a quite disproportionate sense of achievement. The gold is yours to keep.
- 📍 Location: 1803 Old Steese Highway North, Fairbanks, AK 99712
- 🌐 Website: www.golddredge8.com
- 📞 Telephone: +1 (907) 479-6673
- 📧 Email: info@golddredge8.com
- 🕐 Opening Hours: Mid-May to mid-September: Daily 9:45am–5:15pm (tours depart regularly); closed in winter
- 💰 Fees: Adults $34.95, Children (3–12) $24.95, Children under 3 free
🏞️ Wander Through Pioneer Park
Pioneer Park is the sort of place that could easily be dismissed as a slightly earnest collection of old buildings — and in lesser hands, that’s exactly what it would be. What it actually is, however, is a genuinely absorbing open-air history park that manages to capture something real about Fairbanks and Alaska’s past without descending into theme-park preciousness. The park was created in 1967 to celebrate the centennial of the United States’ purchase of Alaska from Russia, and it was built largely by relocating historic structures from around Fairbanks that would otherwise have been lost. Spread across 44 acres on the south bank of the Chena River, it includes an entire reconstructed gold rush-era town — a main street of original log cabins, a courthouse, a trading post, a salmon bake restaurant — as well as several museums, a Native village, the original Nenana, a sternwheeler riverboat that once plied the Yukon River and is now impressively preserved on dry land. Entry to the park itself is free, which in these times of aggressive admission pricing feels almost suspicious, though the individual attractions and activities within charge separately. We spent a lazy afternoon drifting between buildings, peering at artefacts, and sitting by the river while small children careered around on a vintage carousel nearby. It was unexpectedly lovely — the sort of afternoon that costs almost nothing and stays with you nonetheless.
- 📍 Location: 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701
- 🌐 Website: www.pioneerparkfairbanks.com
- 📞 Telephone: +1 (907) 459-1087
- 📧 Email: pioneerpark@fairbanksak.gov
- 🕐 Opening Hours: Park grounds: Daily, dawn to dusk (year-round); individual attractions open Memorial Day–Labour Day, typically noon–8pm
- 💰 Fees: Park entry is free; individual attractions charge separately (typically $2–$5)
Day Two
🏛️ Explore the University of Alaska Museum of the North
The Museum of the North is, without question, one of the finest regional museums I’ve encountered in North America — and I say that as someone who has trudged through quite a few of them with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Perched on the ridge of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, the building itself is an architectural statement — its sweeping white curves are meant to evoke glaciers, mountain ridges, and the aurora borealis, and for once the architect actually pulled it off rather than just saying it on the brochure. Opened in its current form in 2005, the museum traces its origins back to 1917, making it one of the oldest museums in Alaska. Inside, the collections are genuinely extraordinary: over 2 million objects and specimens covering the natural history, art, and cultures of Alaska and the wider Arctic region. The Gallery of Alaska alone takes you through 3.5 billion years of geological history without once making you feel like you’re being lectured at, which is quite an achievement. There’s an exceptional collection of Alaska Native art and cultural artefacts, a remarkable display of fossils — including blue babe, a 36,000-year-old steppe bison mummy discovered near Fairbanks, preserved in extraordinary detail — and rotating exhibitions that keep things fresh. The Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery showcases both historical and contemporary Alaskan art with a confidence and depth that would sit comfortably in any major city. We came expecting a pleasant afternoon and ended up staying most of the day, slightly dazed and considerably better informed than when we arrived.
- 📍 Location: 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775 (University of Alaska Fairbanks campus)
- 🌐 Website: www.uaf.edu/museum
- 📞 Telephone: +1 (907) 474-7505
- 📧 Email: uaf-museum@alaska.edu
- 🕐 Opening Hours: Summer (May–September): Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 12pm–5pm; Winter (October–April): Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 12pm–5pm, closed Sunday
- 💰 Fees: Adults $14, Seniors (60+) $12, Youth (7–17) $9, Children 6 and under free; UAF students free
🦌 Visit the Large Animal Research Station
The Large Animal Research Station — known locally, and rather charmingly, as LARS — is run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and exists primarily as a scientific research facility studying Arctic animals. It also, somewhat incidentally, offers one of the more quietly magnificent wildlife experiences available in interior Alaska. The station maintains herds of musk oxen, caribou, and reindeer, and during the summer months offers guided tours that take you to within genuinely close proximity of these extraordinary creatures. The musk oxen in particular are something to behold — prehistoric-looking beasts with enormous curved horns and thick, layered coats of qiviut, the softest natural fibre in the world, which the station collects and which local craftspeople spin into garments that cost approximately as much as a small car. The guides here are researchers and students, and the depth of their knowledge is evident from the first moment. You learn not just about the animals’ biology and behaviour but about the permafrost ecology that shapes everything in interior Alaska, the effects of climate change on Arctic fauna, and the extraordinary adaptations that allow these animals to thrive where most creatures — and indeed most people — simply couldn’t. It is, without being preachy about it, deeply illuminating. We left with a considerably more respectful view of the Arctic ecosystem than we’d arrived with.
- 📍 Location: 2220 Yankovich Road, Fairbanks, AK 99775
- 🌐 Website: www.uaf.edu/lars
- 📞 Telephone: +1 (907) 474-7207
- 📧 Email: uaf-lars@alaska.edu
- 🕐 Opening Hours: Summer tours: Tue, Thu, Sat at 10am and 1:30pm (mid-May to mid-August); check website for current schedule
- 💰 Fees: Adults $15, Children (6–12) $10, Children under 6 free
🎅 Discover the Surprisingly Delightful Town of North Pole, Alaska
North Pole, Alaska is a real place. This needs saying, because the first reaction of most sensible people upon hearing it is mild disbelief, followed by a suspicion that someone is pulling their leg. It is not a leg-pull. North Pole is a small city — population around 2,200 — situated about 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway, and it has committed to its festive identity with an enthusiasm that is either endearing or alarming depending on your relationship with Christmas. The streets have names like Snowman Lane, Candy Cane Road, and Mistletoe Drive. The lampposts are painted like candy canes. The water tower is decorated as a Christmas ornament. There is a Santa Claus House — an enormous gift shop-cum-attraction that has been operating since 1952, staffed year-round by someone named Santa Claus (the current owner legally changed his name to Santa Claus, because apparently that’s possible in Alaska, and honestly, good for him). The town receives thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus, Alaska every year, and volunteers actually answer them, which is the sort of detail that makes you feel briefly and unexpectedly better about humanity. We visited in August, which gives the whole endeavour an additional surreal quality — tinsel and baubles glinting in midnight sunshine — but the warmth of the welcome was entirely genuine.
- 📍 Location: North Pole, AK 99705 (approximately 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks via the Richardson Highway)
- 🌐 Website: www.northpolealaska.com / Santa Claus House: www.santaclaushouse.com
- 📞 Telephone (Santa Claus House): +1 (907) 488-2200
- 📧 Email: info@santaclaushouse.com
- 🕐 Opening Hours: Town is open year-round; Santa Claus House: Summer Mon–Sat 8am–8pm, Sun 10am–8pm; winter hours vary
- 💰 Fees: Free to visit the town; Santa Claus House is a free-entry gift shop (purchases optional)
Best time to visit Fairbanks
🌨️ Winter (November – February)
Winter in Fairbanks is extreme by almost any measure. Temperatures regularly plunge to -40°C (-40°F) and occasionally lower, and the city averages fewer than four hours of daylight in late December. Far from being a deterrent, this is precisely why many visitors choose this season — it is the prime time for witnessing the aurora borealis, one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles.
The auroras are most reliably visible between late September and late March, but the dark winter months offer the longest viewing windows. Clear skies combined with sub-zero temperatures create near-perfect conditions. Popular activities include dog sledding, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and visiting the Ice Alaska festival, where world-class sculptors carve elaborate works from Fairbanks ice. The World Ice Art Championships, typically held in late February and March, draws crowds from across the globe.
The cold demands respect and preparation. Frostbite can occur within minutes on exposed skin, and vehicles require engine block heaters to start reliably. Despite this, the local infrastructure is well-adapted, and many visitors find the crisp stillness of an arctic winter — often with the Milky Way blazing overhead — profoundly memorable.
What to pack: Thermal base layers (wool or synthetic), heavyweight insulated trousers, a down or synthetic parka rated to at least -40°C, balaclava, neck gaiter, insulated waterproof boots (rated well below freezing), heavyweight wool or fleece-lined gloves with a waterproof over-mitt, wool socks, hand and toe warmers, insulated hat covering the ears, UV-protective ski goggles, and moisturising lip balm and skin cream for extreme dryness.
🌱 Spring (March – May)
Spring arrives gradually in Fairbanks and is something of a hidden gem for travellers. March still brings reliable aurora opportunities with moderating temperatures, while daylight increases dramatically — by late April the city enjoys around 17 hours of light per day. The famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race takes place in early March, and Fairbanks hosts its own sprint mushing events that are wonderful to watch.
By April, temperatures begin to climb above freezing during the day, and the city takes on a thawing, expectant quality. Snowpack begins to melt, creating photogenic scenes along the Chena River. Birdwatchers will find April and May particularly rewarding as migratory species begin arriving in force. The Chena Hot Springs, a perennial favourite around 100 kilometres east of the city, remains a comfortable year-round destination and is especially pleasant in the soft light of a spring evening.
May is breakup season — the local term for the dramatic moment when river ice fractures and flows — and it draws spectators eager to witness the raw power of Alaskan rivers reasserting themselves. Crowds are thin, prices are lower than summer, and the landscape is changing visibly by the day.
What to pack: Layering is essential as temperatures fluctuate wildly between dawn and midday. Pack thermal base layers, mid-weight fleece or softshell jacket, waterproof outer layer, insulated waterproof boots, warm hat and gloves (mornings can still be bitterly cold), sunglasses (snow glare remains intense in March), sunscreen, and a lighter jacket for warmer afternoons in May. Binoculars are ideal for birdwatching.
☀️ Summer (June – August)
Summer transforms Fairbanks into a place of almost surreal brightness. During the summer solstice in late June, the sun does not set at all, and even at midnight the sky holds a warm golden glow. This phenomenon — the midnight sun — is one of the defining experiences of an Alaskan summer, and it can take considerable adjustment for visitors used to sleeping in darkness.
Temperatures are surprisingly warm, often reaching 25–30°C (77–86°F) in July, making Fairbanks one of the warmest cities in Alaska during summer. Outdoor activities flourish: hiking in the White Mountains or Chena River State Recreation Area, paddling on the Chena and Tanana rivers, fishing for king and chum salmon, and panning for gold at one of several historic gold-dredging sites. The Tanana Valley State Fair in late August is a beloved local event, and visitors can take the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park with relative ease.
Mosquitoes are a notable feature of the Alaskan summer interior and should not be underestimated. A warm, wet landscape means they emerge in impressive numbers by late May and persist through August. Repellent and appropriate clothing are essential rather than optional.
What to pack: Lightweight, breathable clothing in layers, a waterproof rain jacket (afternoon showers are common), sturdy hiking boots, long-sleeved shirts and trousers for mosquito protection, a high-DEET insect repellent, sunscreen (SPF 50+ recommended given prolonged sun exposure), sunglasses, a sleep mask for blocking the midnight sun, and comfortable walking shoes. A light fleece is useful for cooler evenings.
🍂 Autumn (September – October)
Autumn is arguably Fairbanks’s most visually spectacular season and one of the most underrated times to visit Alaska. The boreal forest erupts in colour — birch trees turn a vivid gold, willows blush orange and red, and the tundra takes on a rich tapestry of amber and rust. Peak colour typically arrives in mid-September and is truly extraordinary against the backdrop of the Alaska Range.
The auroras return in earnest from late August, and September offers a particularly magical combination: colourful foliage, cool, clear nights perfect for aurora viewing, and far fewer tourists than midsummer. Temperatures in September range from around 5°C to 15°C (41–59°F) during the day but drop sharply at night. By October, snow begins to fall and conditions turn wintry in earnest.
Moose are frequently spotted during this period as they prepare for the rut, and brown bears are active before hibernation. Wildlife observation reaches a peak. Hiking trails are uncrowded and the low, golden light makes for extraordinary photography throughout the day.
What to pack: Warm layering system including thermal base layers, mid-layer fleece, and a waterproof insulated outer jacket, warm hat and gloves (evenings get cold quickly from September onwards), waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, sunglasses, a camera with spare batteries (cold drains them rapidly), insect repellent for early September, and a headtorch for late-evening aurora excursions as nights lengthen.
🌟 Overall Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Fairbanks depends entirely on what you are seeking. For the northern lights, the window from late August through March offers reliable darkness and frequent aurora activity, with January and February providing the darkest skies and the most dramatic ice-art events. For the midnight sun, warm temperatures, and outdoor adventure, June and July are unbeatable. Autumn — particularly September — strikes an exceptional balance, combining the early return of the auroras with stunning foliage, excellent wildlife viewing, and comfortable daytime temperatures. For most travellers, late September or early October represents the sweet spot: you can witness the first strong auroras of the season while the landscape still holds the memory of summer in blazing gold.
Where to stay in Fairbanks
1. Aurora Express
For our second night in Fairbanks, we had arranged for us to stay at the Aurora Express Bed & Breakfast. The accommodation here is made up of old train carriages from the Alaskan Railway system. Four blue and yellow carriages were owned by the National Park Service but they didn’t have the funds to do anything with them. Two were sent to a transportation museum and two were bought by Mike and Sue Wilson of Fairbanks, who got a real bargain when they bought the two old-style Alaska Railroad cars for only $1 each – if you don’t count the transportation bill. It cost them more than $20,000 to move the two railroad cars to Fairbanks, where they already owned a caboose. Mike and Sue have carefully restored the carriages, a number of which have been themed and named to suit their characters; such as the “Immaculate Conception” and the “Bordello”.
2. Alaska Grizzly Lodge
3. Sophie Station Suites
Sophie Station Suites is an all-suite hotel located in Fairbanks, Alaska, a short drive from the city centre and a reasonable base for exploring the surrounding region. Each suite comes with a full kitchen, separate living area, and enough space to feel like a temporary home rather than just a place to sleep. This makes it a practical choice for travellers staying several nights, particularly those visiting during the winter months to see the northern lights or in summer for the midnight sun. The hotel has an on-site restaurant and bar, and staff are generally well regarded for being helpful with local advice. It sits close to the Chena River and is within easy reach of attractions such as the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Rates are reasonable by Alaskan standards, and the suite format suits both solo travellers and small groups equally well.
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