Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center Reviews

What a nice unexpected surprise!
If visiting Fairbanks make this a must see. Informative and interesting in a great use of space in this modern state of the art building. Different interesting films shown throughout the day for no charge. (Museum charges 5 dollars extra for movies on top of the 15 dollar admission fee)
If needing good places to eat, things to see or trails to walk talk to Joe. Hes a wealth of information! We went back 3 times for recommendations and he didnt disappoint.

The Morris Thompson Cultural Center is awesome. You can learn about the indigenous people that Have lived in this land for centuries. We love it.

Really enjoyed our time at the Morris Thompson CVC. Very interesting and informative. And warm. Stop by the cultural gift shop and engage the folks on staff in conversation. They have great insights on their elders and history.

Went in for a certificate acknowledging journey to Arctic Circle, had a nice chat with knowledgable man, Bob I believe, about other attractions to explore in the area.

Outstanding FREE attraction that traces Alaskan history from early native peoples, through Russian settlements, right up to modern times, but the emphasis on on the native population and influence. Exhibits are extremely well done, professional, well designed and sequential. (warning: we accidentally entered the exhibits through the exits, because the signage was not real noticeable, so we did it backwards!) Many hands-on exhibits as well as historical videos.

This was a pleasant surprise. Admission is free and walking distance from downtown Fairbanks. Outside you find mosaics that depict the beadwork found on native items. Just beautiful! Inside there are displays depicting life in the interior of Alaska. Very informative and well done.

This was a happy surprise on our trip to Alaska. We had some extra time, Pioneer Park museums were closed, so we gladly took the Pioneer Park shopkeeper’s recommendation to visit the cultural center. It was a marvelous afternoon! We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the people, climate, history, and culture of Alaska. It was fascinating, well-curated, and very informative.

Excellent museum with the history of Alaska - the native peoples and their way of life. Great visuals, kid friendly. Be sure to see the Antler Arch out back.

What an excellent way to spend part of a day in Fairbanks. I went here three years ago and HAD to go again. It is a wonderful capsule of information and dioramas that fully evaluate the Alaskan experience from the beginning to present day. I highly recommend going. I really don't think I have see a better depiction in Alaska. I have been to like museums in Anchorage and hands down this is the best. Thank you Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center for a wonderful and exciting trip down all things Alaskan.

The lady at the help desk was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful providing us information and choices with all of our various requests. We visited the exhibit and when we returned, she had it all ready.

A wonderful free museum filled with interesting and informative exhibits plus two gift shops, one standard and with marvelous things made by the elders. If you only go to one museum in Fairbanks, go to this one.

I live in fairbanks and I highly recommend this cultural visitors center. The center gives you a wonderful look at the native culture and what it took to live life in the interior of Alaska. A must see! There is also a wonderful walk along the Chena River just behind the center

Don't miss this place! We were beyond impressed with the quality of the exhibits (kudos to the curator!!!) and the overall flow of it all. The information provided by the staff was incredible. This was one of the most amazing places in our entire Alaska trip! And it is FREE!!! Be sure to go outside to the antler arch too - very cool! And then you can just walk a few more steps and be on the riverfront trail.

Beautiful building and great exhibits. Very colorful and informative. Great items to purchase also which always make it fun.

This was an unexpected source of delight! The museum is not huge, but it is very well done. The exhibits are informative and very interesting. This should be on the list of the most important sites in Fairbanks!

Literally have a hour or two to kill, go here. It’s very educational and they have people there that can show you what to do during your stay in Fairbanks. Def would recommend you go here first

A short walk from The Creperie, it was a small informative center and we're glad we found it! I wished we came here first to get more information from the Visitor Center.

Helpful staff and loads of information. This should be ones first stop in Fairbanks if they are unfamiliar with the area. The staff is very knowledgeable and they have material on all of the things to do and places to visit. The facility also has a good display of native and historical items.

Such a cute and educational experience. Well done and curated. The staff helped us find out how to best track the sky for aurora watching. And the Native gift shop (a bit tucked away down the hall, not the main one at the front) had such magical things — I definitely came away with one of a kind jewelry I can’t stop wearing.

Visited the Visitor Center to learn more about the Alaskan culture. Great displays telling the story of the history behind Alaska. Also learned a ton about the Norther Lights and how other culture view it. Great visit!

The individuals at the Morris Thompson Center are very helpful. I visited on my first day in Fairbanks looking for out of the ordinary places to take photographs. The staff showed me many places on their maps that weren’t the usual tourist traps, including the location where I could photograph the Sandhill Cranes that were there on a very brief stopover in their migration. That shows that their information is really up-to-date. It should be everybody’s first stop in Fairbanks

Very nice place and free! The rangers and guides hear were very informative. It's definitely worth the walk from downtown to visit

Worth visiting very informative . Covers many areas of Alaska history and culture .great for a rainy day. Near down town

We came in for visitor suggestions. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We stayed an unplanned extra time to tour the museum, which was excellent, fresh, informative, interesting, well done.

Good place for information - staff was very helpful. Too bad gift shop was closed. Location very convenient ……………………..

Informative center with well appointed displays and local information.
Very nice gift store and the famous antler arch is right outside.

There's not a ton here, but there are some nice exhibits so if you are in the area or in the need of info, then this is a good stop. We spent about 1/2 hour exploring their exhibits.

Great introduction to Fairbanks and Alaska. Displays and dioramas appear authentic and very informative. Start here and you can’t go wrong.

Lots of good exhibits on the history of Alaska and Alaskan life. Well worth the cost of admission = free!

We spent some time looking through this center. There’s a museum that’s very interesting too. Many items showing Alaska culture both past and present
Gift shop on site & lots of reading materials.

In just 30 minutes you can learn so much here and feel confident as you begin your exploration of Fairbanks and expand your knowledge of its people and resources. Definitely worth a stop and be sure to walk down to the moose antler arch for an obligatory photo!

A wonderful museum (which also acts as an information center) dedicated to Native Alaskan culture and life in the interior of Alaska. Artifacts, exhibits, fils and videos all add to the experience

We learned alot about native Alaskan culture, about the wildlife, how the oil industry has affected them with the pipeline, about what there summer and winters are like and what some of there dwellings would be like.

Movie on Brooks Range was great, exhibits too. National Park folks were very informative. Better than I expected.

This is such a well done visitors center! The arch is a can't miss for the photo opp, and then the cultural center was so immersive, and informative. There were some people there drumming while we were there and it added so much to the experience. They did a great job blending touristy info that travelers want to know about with the native history of the area. We didn't have this on our list to make sure to hit on our trip but we were so glad we went.

Definitely a "must see" especially if you've not been to Fairbanks before. The staff is friendly and helpful and there is a lovely museum in the building, as well as beautiful things to see around the building.

Anyone who visits Fairbanks, Alaska must definitely visit this place for general information about the city of Fairbanks and Alaska in general. Printed materials on various tours, places to visit, public transportation, city map, etc. are available for free. The video presentation on the northern lights and the items on display are all very interesting. Staff are very friendly and helpful.

I found the center a nice break and informative. I spent approximately 2 hours there and could have stayed longer. Clean and friendly with many tourist exploring. Very family-friendly. I would recommend.

This was well worth a stop! We visited both the Museum of the North and this cultural center and learned so much about Alaskan native peoples and history. This made a visit to the more expensive Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage essential when we returned there.

This center has some amazing dioramas and exhibits. I normally just breeze through, but found myself stopping at almost all exhibits. Very interesting information about the culture of Alaska.

Start here!!! They offered a fantastic, free museum, tons of referrals, pamphlets, and loads of information about the area, things going on in town, etc.

A lovely center with lots of information. We watched a video about Alaska and the area. Very nicely done and worth watching. They also have a nice area to walk thru with displays. Outside a garden with vegetables that are huge. We met Dixie Alexander and her niece who came to the garden. She is a lovely lady who used to work for the Discovery Riverboat. She is a beautiful seamstress and made the wonderful costumes on display there.

All the information you want is stored right here. Lots of separate rooms depicting the history of Alaska. We were able to get in on their free topographical map give aways. Thank you for that. Be sure and get your picture taken outside under the antler arch.

The visitor center is impressive with their exhibit. Their staff is friendly and helpful. The riverwalk right by the visitor center is nice.

If you want to learn Alaska per season combining with a very knowledgeable tour guide Clark, this is the place to be… the displays are nice too.

Love this place, I only wish the gift shops are open 7 days a week. Please don’t forget to utilize the stampers for stamping date on your Alaska visit/ tour paper as a souvenir.

Go there to set your visit...well worth it, and the tour is great too! Watch the Dog sled video!! Very touching,,,give this place tome even if you think you dont need to go...pls GO!!

Enjoyable free museum with lovely exhibits. Exceeded my expectations. Kudos to those responsible. Definitely worth a visit.

My wife and I recently visited the Morris Thompson Visitor Center with friends while in Fairbanks prior to a cruise tour. The visitor center is very nice and there is no charge to see the exhibits. We would recommend this place to anyone visiting Fairbanks.

Very nice! Well done and informative displays. Gives a wonderful idea of what it was really like in the early days of Alaska.

Right in the center of town. A must visit to start your adventures in Fairbanks and surrounding areas.

Loved the variety of information! And it was free!! Highly recommended. Visiting from NC and found this museum to be great for adults and kids.

We had an unplanned visit to the visitors center. We lucked out! This is hands down one of the nicest, most interesting visitors center we have ever been in! Lots of information. Friendly staff willing to answer any questions. Lovely and educational displays. A very decently priced gift shop. Don’t miss this.

Very cool center, with interesting and well organized depiction of AK history. Skip the gift shop, make sure to walk the grounds

Wonderfully informative. Many displays and video presentations ! So glad we went. Spent almost 2 hours and it was free.

First stop for when you visit Fairbanks the first time. There is a city visitor center and a National park office in one place. Also there is a gift shop. There is a winter trail through its side door, clear path between snow. Antler Arch is by its parking lot. There is an exhibition inside of the center that tells the history of Alaska.

A good place to start touring Fairbanks from, lots of information on native lifestyle, history and creditable past. A free place to visit.

I was very unfamiliar with Alaskan history, especially that of the indigenous people. This museum had excellent exhibits that gave me a great introduction to both. I would recommend starting a visit to Fairbanks here at this museum. It's free to visit, although donations are recommended.

We had some extra time in Fairbanks and decided to go to the center. The displays and information were excellent. It gave me great information that came in handy for other Fairbanks tours. We had an hour but could have doubled our time there. And the price was right --- FREE.

We found the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center exhibits to be interesting and we were glad we visited. Don't miss the Antler Arch just outside the center. The Center is a short walk from downtown Fairbanks!

We spent an afternoon in the Center and enjoyed taking in more information about native cultures. There is so much to absorb that a visitor should plan to take a few hours. However, if you only have a short amount of time you should still visit.

A great place to start a Fairbanks visit. We were greeted by the staff who checked to see if we had any questions. Great exhibit! Learned a lot about the history and the naturs.

It was recommended by our tour guides and Alaska Aurora Adventures to check this place out. We were glad we did. It's basically a free museum and a museum for those that don't want to spend hours in a museum! SO it was perfect for me. Right size. great exhibits and really helpful staff. Plus, just about every brochure for every tour and activity and hotel and restaurant etc, can be found there! Go. check in out. Especially if you have some free time in your trip.

A great museum and cultural center. There are stuffed native birds and other animals too with histories of the region. The center also has an artisans’ workshop.

We stopped in here to get maps and an idea what to do in Fairbanks and the info and staff were great. nice gift store too!

I was blown away by the service at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. I would definitely recommend any Fairbanks traveler stop here first. A kind gentleman went out of his way to pull out maps and explain quirks about the places we wanted to visit. He even went as far to look up how far we could drive into Denali while we were there. It was so nice to be greeted in such a welcoming way and it set the tone for the trip. An added bonus is the quaint museum they have set up that goes through the history of Alaska. We enjoyed our stop here tremendously and the maps we kept came in very handy when service was spotty on the highways.

We had lots of time to kill while waiting for our flight at the end of our tour. We walked here from the hotel. It was a really nice visit with helpful staff and free! We watched a couple of the films as well. Lots of things to putter through and really helpful staff who can guide you to other things to see in the area.

Very interesting to see all the information about Fairbanks. Learned a lot in a short time. Highly recommend this center as it is well done and easily navigated.

I stopped by to get a map. I was very pleasantly surprised they had some interesting indoor exhibits depicting the local seasons.

There's also a cool log cabin outside. Don't think it's open to the general public, but rangers occasionally let people take a peek inside in conjunction with half-hour lectures. I lucked into hearing a 30 minute presentation on pioneer food.

Museum of the North has a deeper collection, but if I only had time to attend one of the venues, I would choose the visitor's center.

Helpful people and nice exhibit. Parked the car there and walked to antlers arch and golden heart square across main shopping area on 2nd street. 30 minute walk round trip from visitor center. Glad we didn’t spend longer in Fairbanks. Arrived 9pm the night before, stocked up for trip at grocery stores, did the walk and left before noon. Visitor center was clean with a great display of history.

My daughter and I spent a few hours here prior to our Holland America cruise. It’s well-designed and an interesting place to learn more Fairbanks and Alaska.

We stopped here and collected some information even you can get all information from internet. It's good place to stop by and there are nice people there to answer your questions with small exhibition. We got Aurora viewing certificate after they noticed that we succeed viewing the Aurora one day ago...

The place to go before heading off on adventures. There are pamphlets, maps, and people to provide whatever info you might need in order to explore Alaska. There’s also several exhibits inside and outside. Lots of info and knowledgeable people to help you out.

This was a great way to kill some time with the 5 year old niece. We went through the museum/exhibits with a scavenger hunt from the USFS; listened to animal sounds by the library area, and they were giving out free maps! Bring your parks/USFS passports to stamp.

This is an informational center. This should be your first stop if you are a tourist in the Fairbanks area and Alaska. You can get your National Parks passport stamps here. Free posters to take home. Lots of brochures. They also have an ATM and outgoing mail. Small museum.

It’s a nice place with plenty of parking. Good place to get your bearings. Gives a little overview about the area. It takes about 40 minutes to read all the exhibits. Worth a stop to check out.

Whether you have just arrived or been in Alaska for some time as I had, this centre has plenty to offer. It has bags of information about the whole of Alaska, road maps and suggested driving routes, activities, places to stay etc. the staff seemed very knowledgeable, not just about their local area but also about places and things to do elsewhere in Alaska. In addition, despite have visited many museums and cultural centres over recent months, this one still had a different angle which is a community focus rather than simply an historical focus. The displays and information were informative and well presented and there is also a small shop with local crafts for sale.

Stopped by and a staff member, Jared I believe, was very helpful in suggesting locations for us to visit since it was our first trip to the area. Also got a glimpse into local living over the seasons and throughout time in their exhibits.

From the moment you walk through the doors you can see the great effort made to provide a place of awareness about the people of Alaska. The dioramas were very informative and beautifully displayed and tell their story. What a beautiful, peaceful place.

Beautiful exposition about Alaska and its culture!
I am happy I didn’t skip this place

It is free and the employees were very welcoming!

Super complete information center, with an interesting exhibition, an unmissable film about Alaska, a store and a super interesting space for tourists. Be sure to visit, as well as its patio on the banks of the Chena River.

The full-scale diorama and great exhibits give a very good picture of life in Fairbanks through the seasons. As a local, I love it, but so do any visitors I take there. We're unique and this museum showcases it.

Great overview of area with numerous exhibits. Well done and in a beautiful location. Also has films and displays including an airplane

You must visit this place if you are interested in learning a little bit more about this side of the country. Really interesting.

Stopped by on our first day of our 8 days road trip and glad we did. They had a lot of tourist information for the entire state with maps and promotional brochures to pick up. They also have a small but very nice museum/exhibit on life in Alaska. Spent about 45 mins to an hour visiting the exhibit. The paper maps that we picked up came in handy as cellular service it not at always available and they provided tidbits of information as we were passing through the small towns. It’s worth a stop.

Great movies here too. Very friendly people that really care about making your visit the BEST!!! They really helped us do some planning too.

We enjoyed learning about the native peoples of the area and viewing the traditional dress and accessories used by them. This is a small cultural center but nicely appointed and worth a visit when you’re in Fairbanks,

Bob was great helping us look for tours. He gave us Aurora Borealis Certificates since we saw the lights on our first night here in Fairbanks. The movie was very informative.

Very educational and the art work was a real delight. Make sure you block out some time to interact with the exhibits.

The staff gave us lots of valuable information about the area. It helped us plan our visit in the Fairbanks area. Don’t miss their museum. So many nicely displayed artifacts and interpretive boards talking about the area. Two thumbs up.

Nice size Center, with great almost-life size dioramas of Alaskan Native life, as well as native handcrafts, and large topographical map of Alaska. Loved the Antler Arch outside in the Golden Heart Plaza (Park next to the Chena River)

Not only is there a lot of information available for local places to visit, there are displays and historical memorabilia to view which are interesting

We had just spent 2 weeks in the interior of Alaska with family that lives in the bush. We had one day in Fairbanks on our way home and our family took us here. Wow!!! I had a hard tike prying my husband away from the map area. I think he could have spend days there;) We missed the shows, so will have to incorporate that on our next visit. The gift shop is nice and has a good selection of books as well as art. There is no admission fee and they are open on Sundays. A must visit for anyone!

If you have some free time in Fairbanks this is a great stop. It's totally free and has a nice museum showing what life was like for Alaska's pioneers. There's also a National Parks station with an on duty ranger and passport stamps for "Gates of the Arctic NP."

My husband and I spent a wonderful afternoon there,learning about life in Alaska, native history and wildlife. We even got advice and maps to help plan a trip to the Arctic Circle. Very friendly, welcoming staff with a well of knowledge to share. We highly recommend it. We will be going back.

Only had a short time an Fairbanks, and glad we went here to learn about Alaskan History and the way of life. Great staff on hand to answer all of our questions.

We enjoyed reading and listening to the history of the area. Children would enjoy the exhibits too. They also have flyers on local activities, events and the bus routes.

Great exhibits within & watched a documentary in the theater. Lots to see & walk through. Very kid friendly as well Outside is an original cabin showing what the early days looked like.
Great place to stop for an hour or more.

This place has lots of info on what to do in Fairbanks. There are lots of volunteers to help you out as well. The visitor center has movies going on at various times. It also has two gift shops. There is an amazing area which showcases the history and life of Alaskans. You can make this your first stop as it has a lot of info/brochures on the tours and also places you can visit.

We came during September 2020 and had the whole place to ourselves! Great spot! Highly recommend this small museum for an hour and information on all things Fairbanks.

This is a great little gem in the heart of Fairbanks. It's free and loaded with information to enjoy. We (parents in our 50's and sons in their 20's) enjoyed the displays. Definitely worth a stop. And when you're done, walk outside and get a fun photo near the antler arch!

We came by on our first day in Fairbanks and spent about an hour working our way through the museum portion. It was a perfect introduction to the history of the area and gave us a great framework that we added to for the rest of our trip. Plus it's hard to beat the free admission!

The museum, which is free, offers a substantial amount of history and information about Alaska and the area. It was a highlight of our visit.

Charity was super. She knows everything about everywhere we asked about. She is in the right job. Thanks Charity for making our time in Fairbanks so memorable.

World class exhibits about life in Alaska - free entry! Really nice walk through, Park ranger available to help answer your questions. Lots of Maps and help with free cabins. Plan to spend 30-60 min there.

This is a nice stop. Good museum about native history of the area. They also have a helpful national park ranger to talk about the area as well as a Fairbanks Visitors Center staffed area. Stop in and look around if you are in the area. It's free and full of information.

The visitor center staff are excellent at making recommendations, showing locations on maps, and offering transportation solutions. Within minutes we went from uncertainty of what to do to a list of so many interesting things to check out a return visit might be necessary.
The cultural part of the center includes informative and well done videos, and engaging exhibits. So much to learn!
And everything was free!

Very nice museum with interesting displays. The information given was interesting and not overwhelming.

Beautifully done! Just enough information to grasp and learn, but no so much that you quickly forget! Great selection of pamphlets and maps. Museum staff welcoming!

Went by this place before we left Fairbanks.
Definitely worth a visit.
Some locals selling their native crafts.
If you are in the vicinity... pop in.
Free entry too.

This museum is focused more on the native people of Alaska, has some nice exhibits, plus a short video. Also the National Park Service has a counter hear and can answer a lot of questions about the national parks in the area.

Very informative and helpful. Staff spent time with us answering all our questions. Plan to go back to spend more time.

They focus on the local and indigenous knowledge about fishing hunting the seasons and sustainability — a great way to learn about things Fairbanks and the interior

Very interesting loved the little museum plenty of brochures to choose from wish the gift shop had been open

Do not miss! Great insights into nature, culture and history of Fairbanks! Great displays and interesting movies!

The Morris Thompson Cultural Center contains a nice series of displays about the area around Fairbanks. The visitor center has plenty of information about the local area. There's also a nice little gift shop, which has artwork made by local Athabascan artists. There's a nice park beside the cultural center with a walkway alongside the Chena River. The Antler Arch and the Lend Lease Monument are both located in the park.

A nice place to visit when you are in Fairbanks. Strangely, probably the least friendly staff of any place I visited during my two weeks in Alaska. Just not what I would expect at a Visitors Center. Probably just a bad day, but it did kind of put a damper on the visit to the Center. Other than that, the exhibits were tremendous, with lots of insight into the history and culture of Alaskan life throughout the years. The museum has exhibits honoring some of Alaska's wildlife, history, dog sledding, and more. Dioramas that provide insight into life in Alaska. Parking lot is huge and free to park. They do offer the usual brochures for places to visit in Alaska, but they are currently covered behind plastic, so you have to request brochures from the staff. This did not go well, and I wish I hadn't bothered. Almost all of the brochures are available online with a QR code for scanning. Outside the building is an Alaska outhouse and a small cabin pays tribute to days past in Alaska. On top of it all, there is a great gift shop in the building. The gift shop staff was friendly and helpful. I purchased a great Morris Thompson Visitors Center t-shirt. Great souvenir. Will visit again next time I'm in Fairbanks.

It's a little hard to nail down exactly what this place offers because it seems to offer a lot. There are several small shops inside as well as Alaska native exhibits, history of the area, films and speakers.
Its fine to wander through but could also be used as a way to access information about resources, tours etc. Very nice

This is a small, free museum. There are alot of artifacts but no markers to tell you what they are or their historical significance (if any). There was plenty of free parking on-site.

We were going to leave Fairbanks and had just a few hours on our hands. We walked from our hotel to the Visitors' Center. It is a fairly new building with a great museum that explained the history of Fairbanks and some of the significant personalities. Don't miss it!

The staff and museum were engaging and informative. My wife and I spent an hour or so at the Center as part of the Alaska Heritage and Sightseeing Tour, along with our guide, Stephanie.

Great start to our time in Fairbanks! Attendant Bob was a wealth of helpful information. The walk-through diorama was very interesting, as were the short films. Don't forget to collect your Aurora Borealis viewing certificate!

Provides free exhibits on native culture and small gift shop. Also will assist with visitor information. Worth a stop downtown.

Besides tourist info, there are exhibits that are surprisingly good. Helpful staff. Clean toilets. There is also a native handicraft gift shop that's really good.

First place we stopped, the lady on shift the day we went was very helpful, lots of brochures, really really nice free walk through exhibit

We stopped in here to appreciate what Fairbanks has to offer, and get some insights from the staff. It was very helpful to spend <1 hour and help map out our touring plans for next couple days.

This information center goes well beyond a place to pick up brochures on local attractions. The exhibits are very informative and the staff members are helpful. Make it your first stop.

This is a pretty large visitor's centre compared to Anchorage's. Staff are present to help you guide through your journey to Fairbanks, to Denali, or to points beyond. There is a board detailing the sunrise and sunset.

And also, their exhibit was very large, highlighting the interior Alaskan life in all four seasons. They also have a model cabin inside the exhibit too that you can actually get in, and that was cool!

Nice little museum with great information about living in Alaska. Kids enjoyed it too! Has an information area when you walk in and a gift shop. We took our time going through and playing the I Spy game they had for the kids. Antler Arch in the parking area was cool. Walked down the path by the antler arch a ways. Good way for the kids to get some energy out.

Exhibits and available printed materials were terrific. I had a chance to watch 2 of the short films and found them to be educational and fun. I would recommend that everyone visiting Fairbanks visit here. The staff are a wonderful source of information regarding local spots to visit. And as every Alaskan I've met - cheerful and obviously enjoying what they do.

This is a very nice visitor's center, with LOTS of information available, great displays, and 2 gift shops! Fron the center, it's a very short walk to the Antler Arch, by the river. This is a fun place to visit!

a good sized center. interesting presentation onmorristhompson and alska's history with his involvement and good presentation on cultural aspects

This museum or visitor center was nice. Very informative and the location is clean and new. It was nice to find something in the downtown area that had a little history about Fairbanks. Nice stop to go to

Beautiful center with an informative display of life in Alaska and extremely personable staff. Worth a stop if you're in downtown Fairbanks, for sure.

I like to visit this place every time I’m in Fairbanks. This time we enjoyed some of the movies on Coal Creek and the Aurora. The exhibits give a vivid picture of early life in Alaska. They have all kinds of wonderful information...recommend as a first stop in Fairbanks.

Nicely organized info center with exhibits of area artifacts as well as modern artistic creations. Two local men displayed their work in center lobby...one a native jewelry maker and other crafts implements, mostly cutting tools. Sunday info center closed but still worth a 45 minute stop.

We were directed here by our lovely tour guide, Lynley, from Alaska Wildlife Tours. We unfortunately weren’t able to do this at the beginning of our trip, which probably would be a better idea, but we actually enjoyed it even during the end of our trip. They had a good selection of info about Alaska’s history and culture and even had a section dedicated to empowering women! Loved that this resource is free for all but definitely donate if you have some cash to show support! Also a good place to get more info or tips on things to do/places to see, etc if you need extra help with that. Highly suggest this for all visitors :)

- Marian and Jonel

We visited around 11am. It was not too busy at that time. It is free to enter. We did not see any of the films in the theater. It is a wonderful stop. Well worth the time. Enough to keep you interested. Not an overwhelming amount of reading either. The couple of people we ran into from the center were very nice. I enjoyed my time there. We also looked around the outside grounds, and nearby park. I would visit again.

This is not your typical visitor's center. It has a large number of displays about the area. Areas seem like a beautiful museum more than a visitor's center. There are also knowledgeable locals available to give you advise or recommendations.

It's free. They've done really well with their exhibits of Alaskan life. Life-sized cabin you can go through...They have various movies to watch explaining life in northern Alaska, which were well-done, educational, interesting.

There isn't anything fancy in this museum, but I read every little posting and learned a lot. I especially loved the section about Alaskans who have made a difference for the state or the nation. Touching stories. It costs nothing to go (though I did give a donation), so why not check it out?

We participated in a talk by one of the rangers about the history of the log cabin outside and it was very informative

This is an excellent place to learn about the Alaskan Native culture. There are lots of things to see and learn

Stopped by because they were supposed to have park passport stamps. Boy, did they. We were able to get stamps for several parks and wildlife refuges. They also had a lot of travel info and maps available.
They show a few different movies throughout the day. We saw one about Denali. The exhibit area is excellent and depicts various aspects of life throughout the year. Also has history and wildlife exhibits. It took us an hour and a half to tour with a movie. Only wished the historic cabin out front had been open to tour.

Highly recommend visiting this center. Lots of information on Fairbanks. It also has wonderful and interesting indoor exhibits, and it's free!

A place came from culture and information very useful for your trip in Fairbanks! Very friendly staff and lots of material available to study different activities

Our visit was part of our tour and it was a great museum. Very educational about Alaska history. I especially enjoyed the dioramas. Bonus the museum is free.

this is a free museum. It is very small, but it is in my opinion very well organized and gives you a good taste of Alaska. I really liked!

My son and I decided to pay this place a visit and we are glad we did. It's kind of small but we looked at every display and read every placard and visited the AWESOME gift shop and we easily killed 2 hours. There is no admission charge, but there is a donation box, so we donated. We were there between shows, but there is a theater with different types of shows. The one that we didn't stick around for was about the Aurora borealis. The antler arch is nearby and I was sad to see graffiti on it. If you have time to see this gem, I recommend it.

Our visit to Fairbanks in July 2019 was our first trip to Alaska. Some acquaintances of a family member had lived in Fairbanks for +/- 10 years, and recommended a number of things to do in the Fairbanks area and interior. But they stressed that our FIRST stop should be the Morris Thompson Cultural Center — and they were sooo right! The MTCC is located in downtown Fairbanks, and was a nice 5-6 block walk from our hotel. Housed in a very new, wonderful museum-like facility, the MTCC offers an outstanding introduction to factors and influences (historical, natural, cultural, social, developmental, economic, etc.) that will shape your understanding of everything else “Alaska” that you will see/experience on subsequent tours and outings. We are so delighted that we had the knowledge of locals to direct us to many terrific sites, tours & experiences — and we value their counsel to visit the MTCC FIRST! Perhaps we can pass along the favor courtesy of this posting. 😊

It has a great demonstration of Alaska, and I really like how they present the real diary/note in public cabin. They have videos to show us how Alaska evolve and how things are going here.

It's a free visit, staffs are friendly, and they have lots of free information as well. I would recommend it.

Interesting place to spend an hour or so. Would highly recommend visiting. Nice people interesting exhibits- and all for free!!!!

It's a 'free' resource tho once you all the resources inside and out - we left a donation in the box. Definitely worth a visit to learn about the area.

Such a great place to first visit when you arrive in Fairbanks. Great info available on all of Alaska plus a nice museum display to Fairbanks. Definitely stop here while in Fairbanks!

This center is free of charge, but accepts contributions, and makes for a good first stop when visiting Fairbanks and the interior of the state. The displays are well done, depicting the seasons, climate, and the preparations that goes along with them. A bit on the huskies, the pipeline, the arts. I learned quite a few bits of information regarding the wildlife and the habitat. My husband and I were both glad we visited here. Recommended.

It is free and in downtown Fairbanks close to hotels. If you miss this, you can only blame yourself. Great overview of native culture. As a previous review said make this your FIRST stop

When I go to a visitors center, I normally like to be able to speak to a person who can help you with ideas and give tips on local attractions, what to see etc.
This place had the brochures, same as the hotel we were staying at.
They had some people in there but they were more for hiking and I think they may be more like a ranger department.
We didn't get to much help in the way of what to see and do which I didn't like.
The good part was the little display section they had, it was really well put together and very informative. This part was worth seeing.

Nice solid place to get more information about the area with very unique displays. There were Park Rangers available as well to get more information on area hiking and other outdoor activities.

Don’t forget to check out the antler arch out back!

Good place to start your trip and gather information. In the heart of downtown Fairbanks. Good for all ages to learn a bit.

Small set of interesting exhibits. Gift store and bathrooms. Good parking for strolling along the waterfront, seeing the antler arch, and checking out the small downtown area.

The gift shop had a good selection of native produced crafts. Very unique items. Very helpful staff on setting up other activities, northern lights, etc.

We visited on a super cold day and throughly enjoyed looking around in the warmth. They had a nice gift shop and lots of local information. Although it probably only took us 15 minutes or so to go through, they had a nice museum. I was presently surprised by this FREE gem.

This conveniently located museum (right downtown, along the river walk), is a "must see". The exhibits are well done, spanning Indigenous culture, early miners/settlers, and current lifestyles. And there is a ton of information available from the Visitor Center staff about other attractions and natural wonders in Central Alaska.

This is a nice facility and it’s free to enter and watch some educational videos and walk the self guided tour of Alaska history and facts. Not very exciting but it’s worth an hour visit before you walk the downtown area. The staff is nice and informative. It’s right by “antler arch”, so you can see that as well.
VictorB

During our recent visit to Fairbanks we stopped at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. We were very surprised by the displays and videos presented along with the very helpful visitor services. We were expecting the obligatory racks of travel literature but were very impressed with the dioramas about the history, nature and culture of the area. What we had planned to be a 15 minute stop turned into an hour plus enjoyable visit.

The staff is very friendly. The museum is a great way to experience a little more about the roots of Alaska.

We came in looking for information on the ice sculpture competition and noticed the self guided tour so we took it. Wow! This is packed with information and organized in a great way. We ended up spending 1 1/2 hours there learning all about the history of Alaska and its people. I'm not a museum person, and I loved it.

nice, free center with some interesting exhibits on local life and brochures/advice avoilable on what's around

You need to go through the visit center, all the maps etc available. Alot of history shared here. Displays and murals of the area. Easy to get to with lots of parking. Good starting point then off to your adventures

We visited on a weekend and the gift shop was closed. A very interesting exhibit was included so it was the worth the visit. This is an excellent place to get guide books and pamphlets on the area attractions and tours.

The Cultural Center has an outstanding collection of artifacts and displays on Alaska’s history and people. The staff members were extremely helpful in providing maps and advice.

We stopped in on a Friday afternoon. It is a fairly new building. We went through the small museum which was well done. Other than that, nothing else was open. We did get some brochures but we were not here very long.

The center is filled with helpful information for the area. The movies are really interesting, especially the Aurora movie which helps explain the phenomenon.

This should be your first stop in Fairbanks. Very educational, and the exhibition is also worth a visit. The employees are all very enthusiastic and are eager to share their knowledge.

I wish that I remembered the name of person who helped me. She was very knowledgeable and right on about her suggestions of what to do in Fairbanks and my other quirky questions like where can I see moose.

There was so much to learn. We were on a tour so we were limited in time. I could have stayed for hours.

I googled what to do in Fairbanks and Morris Thompson Cultural Center popped up. We did not have any expectations but it was only few minutes drive from our hotel. So, we went. It's a cozy space that worthy to visit. They have a knowledgeable staff working there and bunch of native artifacts with the displays that tells you about the history of Alaska.

This is free, more cultural center than the usual Chamber of Commerce stop, with a lot of historical and cultural information and exhibits on the town and Alaska's interior. Staff were available and helpful. A park service intern did a nice talk about the town's founding and toured us through a log cabin on the premises. Lots of literature.

Very informative and helpful visitors center/museum. Spent quite a bit of time there. Not much else to do in Fairbanks so definitely make sure you go to the center. Well worth your time.

They offered 4 different informational movies per day when we were there in July. All subjects would have been of interest. Our schedule was limited, so we didn’t get to view. P

Videos and other Alaskan memorabilia interesting to see. 3 vendors selling Alaskan jewelry. Not sure it was really Alaskan, but...

We were looking for something to do on our day off from outdoor activities so we headed over here. Unfortunately I’ve seen similar exhibits elsewhere in Los Angeles and Washington DC, so it didn’t have that new feeling of awe and wonder for me.
Staff is friendly.
The movie they run about the Aurora is interesting - runs about 45 minutes I think. I recommend seeing that if you’re going to be booking an Aurora tour.
Also, I think the building attracts what would be homeless people in warmer climates. I’m used to dealing with alcoholics, but my kids are not. One came in and was trying to pick a fight with him over the color of his jacket. Then he proceeded to try and befriend me and tell me about his kid who plays hockey. Just pay attention to who’s around you and your kids.
The gift shop with authentic things was a bit pricey.
I didn’t get to go into the other one because it closed an hour before the rest of the place- strange. Only a few visitors when we went.

This was a great place to start our Alaskan Adventure trip that we booked through Alaska Tour and Travel. This was a great history lesson, informative and interactive displays, we started here the day we landed in Alaska. We took an Uber/Lyft from our Riversedge Resort lodge, and walked around to the Ice museum afterwards.

This local museum has great displays of both local and Alaskan culture. Dioramas of animals and recreations of local housing are well done. Admission was free and this is a good place to spend time learning more about life in Alaska. Several local artisans have stalls in the lobby with a selection of handmade items for sale.

We were a bit jet lagged and new to Fairbanks, so we thought we should get up on our hind legs and do something. Little did we know that the cultural center would jar us awake with an absolutely fascinating recreation of what life was like in the region. It vividly made real how resourceful the different inhabitants were and are to survive in this challenging climate. Plan on taking your time, for there is a great deal to absorb.

We stopped in here because we had an hour to spend in town. The young man at the desk suggested the Ice Museum or the exhibit here at the Center. We chose the latter and are glad we did. The exhibits were very interesting and informative with the right amount of detail.

Make this your first stop when you get to Fairbanks. It is the most incredible welcome center I have been. We changed up our week after a stop here and couldn’t be happier.

What a wonderful place for learning about the cultural history of the indigenous people of Alaska. They provide the facts of the past, have artifacts to bring the history to life. And, it’s free.

The staffs are very friendly and knowledgeable. It is located near the highlights of Fairbank so you can park there and start your walk.

Great place to start your Fairbanks Vicinity Adventure. Helpful staff, plenty of information on area attractions, and beautiful displays as well as access to topographic maps. Actually planned our 'freestyle' visit to the area by following a "picture scavenger hunt" list at the center. PLUS beautiful bathrooms and plenty of hand sanitizer.

Was a nice stop. Here you can get alot of information about Alaska as a whole, and go at your own pace. Also will be able to get information on things to do and what not to miss. As many who come to Alaska do so once in a lifetime, I would say it is a must stop by. There are brochures you can get and people that you can talk to as well and the best part is that it is free.

Visitor Center with high quality exhibits, all free. Don't miss the Antler Arch just outside on the riverwalk.

It was our first stop in Fairbanks to get some local info.It was a great source for information. The staff was very knowledgable.

Stop here first. Great introduction to Fairbanks with staff that will help you plan your stay and several movies to watch - gold rush, aurora, etc.
museum very interesting with lots of animals. Fun for the whole family.

Lovely place; great picture opportunities; didn't really take time for the exhibits and gift shop, but I'm sure they were excellent. The staff tried very hard to give good directions in a city that was mostly under construction and filled with frustrating detours. Not the visitor center's fault---or indeed anyone's---that Fairbanks has a very limited time during each year to make repairs to winter-ravaged streets and highways. Be aware, though, that computer-generated maps may actually lead you astray, regardless of where you get them, if the detours actually add miles that don't show. This was our first stop in town, and it easy to find on the map supplied by our rental car company, which didn't give mileages anyway. The detours everywhere else were very frustrating because they threw you off where you wanted to go and never quite got around to showing you how to get back. The natives probably all know; the visitors were toast.

I picked up a ton of history I was not aware of about Alaska. Beautiful building and very well laid out. Worth a visit.

This museum covered all subjects I was interested in. Wonderful displays and history as well as movies

I was very impressed that they had really well done movies playing in their theaters throughout the day. And the walk through museum portion was very well done. They had typical things that you would find all over the great land of Alaska, including a snowmobile, fishing lodge model home, stuffed bear, Etc. I also had a good time looking through both of the gift shops. The workers here were very very well-informed.

This visitor’s center is a “must see”! It’s far more than a place to get travelers information, it’s a museum and wonderful National Park store. It has great displays, maps and they folks that work there are very friendly and helpful. You can also get your official certificates for the Aurora Borealis & Arctic Circle experience.

Nicely situated downtown. A visitor center but so much more. Great displays on local culture and the history of Fairbanks. Rotating 30minute videos are excellent and we found ourselves going back to catch ones we missed.

Right in the downtown - clearly the best place to spend time in downtown Fairbanks. Attractive gift shops. Various well-done exhibits, friendly staff, definitely good for an hour or a little more.

Interesting little museum worth the time to go through.
Sorta eclectic - layout and collection seemed a bit odd. Glad I went through it, but if I was rushed for time I would not think it was a priority.

An excellent visitors center with a small museum this is a place to go. Located on the banks of the river and nestled in a park this new building provides a great first stop for a trip to the interior. There are helpful docents and the Park Service ranger on station there is a valuable me source of information.

This place offers a history lesson as well as info on tourist attractions in the area. The place is really nice and clean. Staff friendly. A good place to stop when visiting:)

Very beautiful place to visit inside and outside. Well worth your time to go and spend an hour or so. There are videos that are shown throughout the day in the theater that are informative. Extremely clean.

The interactive exhibit at the Morris Cultural and Visitors Center makes it possible to see what Alaska looks like along the year. It also provides a view of its history and culture. It’s also worth visiting the souvenir store and native peoples site at the center.

We called into the information centre to get some information about tours out to Chena Hot Springs. Charity came and greeted us and was really forth coming in terms of recommending how we could get to the hot springs (see separate review of Interior Tours and Taxi's) and also recommend other great things to do whilst we were in town. We went back a couple of days later to collect our Aurora Certificate and we again saw Charity who remembered us. She really made us feel welcome in Fairbanks and the centre had lots of great info about what to do whilst in town.

Lovely FREE museum with very interesting and well appointed displays about living in Alaska, animals, flora, geology and history. Helpful personnel and shelves of brochures. Sorry the small theater is still closed. Great place to start your visit to Fairbanks.

Worth a visit! The information and history is extremely worth seeing. They also have a lot of information and pamphlets. Close to the downtown park area along the Chena River. Even in the winter it was enjoyable. Mind the moose - we were surprised yet respectful when we saw the Moose in the park.

Combining both a Visitors Center with a Cultural Center is such a simple and logical idea, and they have pulled it off in stellar fashion here. A beautiful contemporary building on the banks of the Chena River that runs through downtown is only a short walk from the small downtown, but the history they crammed in to this place is impressive. Worthy of spending an hour or so here to get a sense of the place, as well as its history, and get your bearings on what you want to do next

This was a great way to learn about multiple native cultures in Alaska. The displays and dioramas were very interesting. It was also a visitors center where you could get all kinds of literature and maps about things to do and places to go.

Loved the informative nature of the native people of this area. I loved the examples of beadwork and authentic dress that were included in the exhibit. This should be one of your first stops if you are in the Fairbanks area and it is close to public transportation if you chose not to rent a car. This was a great way to also learn about the area and things to do while visiting the area. It is a free exhibit but does a great job of highlighting the different seasons of life in that part of Alaska as well as some of the advocates of life in Northern Alaska. Well worth the visit. There is also a saving our language exhibit.
There is also the public lands information center housed within the building. The rangers were very nice and helpful in understanding some of the available exhibits and information. There is a gift shop but as I was there during Christmas it was closed the day I visited.

The Visitor Center has a lot of interesting exhibits and information that can plan help with the itinerary. Also they have daily shows about interesting topic. When we visited Alaska changes of viewing the Northern Lights were very sllim to none. We really enjoyed the film about the Aurora Borealis that was showed in the Visitor Center theater.

We got lots of help at the visitor center. Didn’t realize there was so much to do in Fairbanks. Definitely worth a visit.

To understand the state of Alaska better, it's best to come to the Visitors Center at the beginning of your trip. We came to visit in the dead of winter, when the temperature was hovering around zero & sometimes, way below. The center had a helpful & knowledgeable park ranger who answered all our questions about AK. They also had handouts about the different tourist related businesses in the area.

We enjoyed visiting the Visitors Center & recommend tourists to drop by. It's one of the free activities in Fairbanks.

This museum and visitors center was very informative and best of all it was free! It is a great place to start your visit to Fairbanks to get information on everything in the area.

Highly recommended. Very interesting. Very well made. Very informative. Moving. Big variety of information - development, nature, historical, personal narratives. Don’t leave Fairbanks without a quick visit.

We were on a tour and only had an hour to spend. Could have used more time to see all exhibits but enjoyed the areas viewed. The cabin with the knotty trees was a good presentation.

Interesting dioramas and displays explaining the native peoples history and way of life. We had a excellent guide that explained what we were seeing and could answer questions.

When visiting Fairbanks, make this your first stop. Very informative guides and nice museum. We were able to collect loads of information about activities and self-guided tours from this place. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Don't miss the Moose Antler Arch when you visit this center.

This is a great place to visit. There is a suggested donation. My son loved the jr ranger program. We learnt so much from the different exhibits. There is so much history and culture. There is a life size log cabin, flowers and an an outhouse to view as well. It took us about 45 min.

We usually skip museums but I am glad we did not - especially since this one is free and has a free parking!

There is everything here, from Native Alaskan culture, through American Culture to nature and sports - really entertaining, not overwhelming with reading boards etc. - some rooms are so realistically done that they look absolutely real!

A must while in Fairbanks for sure!

TIP: the Antler Arch is literally next to their parking lot - so you get 2 in 1!

Free museum with all kinds of information on things to do in the Fairbanks area. If you don't know what all you want to do in Fairbanks, make this your first stop.

Visited the Welcome Center at the suggestion of staff at another venue. Great decision. There is a significant amount of information about the local area along with informational displays by season. Additionally, numerous brochures and information booklets are available free of charge so there’s no reason to be bored in Fairbanks.

Very good exhibit on Alaska and lots of tourist info. It is free and thus a great place for everyone to start their stay in Fairbanks.

I would consider the Cultural and Visitors Center essential to your trip in Fairbanks! It's immaculately maintained with super helpful and friendly staff who can recommend activities, restaurants, and just about anything you need. The museum inside is stunning! I was completely in shock and awe by how creative and impressive it was. Lots of human and natural history here that is wild-appeal. They really do a great job. Great space for parking and warm inside, don't miss this place, plus, for all that and it's free?! Wonderful!

Not a huge place but a very nice museum and the staff was wonderful. Nice gift shop. Walk around to see the arch. Definitely worth a visit !

Well done visitors center with plenty of information available to help plan your visit. The collection of indigenous artifacts and historical films, etc., were really interesting and worth spending time to see.

Many booklets and brochures and information available. Gift shop and native gift shop. Some very nice exhibits. An antler arch is located outside--nice photo op. Can walk from the Westmark hotel.

Much better overall than University of Alaska museum .. Morris Thompson exhibits just as good and much more walkable .. free admission, too .. did not get into the gift shop here, as the counter staff was out to lunch with no timetable listed for when they would return (pretty sad sack way to run a railroad) ..

This place is beautiful and interesting both inside and out. There are a fair amount of exhibits inside at no charge. The gift shop seemed like more native arts and crafts...fine art rather than souvenirs. Nice stuff. The folks working there were very nice and patient with the visitors as they answered questions. One gentleman got us our Arctic Circle certificates and then asked if we'd seen the aurora. We had, and he got us certificates for that too! We didn't know they had those, so we appreciated it. He also showed us some places downtown on the map to visit, which was nicer than us just wandering around not knowing where to go. Much appreciated!

It was a great way to learn about the settlers and how one person can make a difference. They showed everything from early settlers to modern day. It's a lot to see but take your time and enjoy.

This museum doesn't excellent job of portraying how the natives of Alaska live and used to live. It is free and open to the public.

Our first stop on our Alaska trip/cruise was Fairbanks. The cultural center is a great place to visit to get maps, brocures, direction, etc on where and what to do. We watched a very good film on northern lights. Since we were only there a day they suggested Pioneer village. We decided to walk the 2 miles along the river. It is a free venue and relaxing to see.

Lol! They have a great gift shop with some unusual Alaskan items! We also enjoyed the gardens and the wood cabin. Lovely place to start your tour of Griffin Park and Fairbanks.

This Museum/Cultural Center/ Visitors Center has great exhibits including the Trapper's Cabin outside, info about the pipeline, Alaskan History and Culture, Dogsled racing, and Alaskan Wildlife. Admission is free and there are guides and Park Rangers who will gladly answer questions. Plan some time to visit

Take some time here to watch some videos and go through their displays. It's quite interesting. There was even a live show offered a few times a day.

So much to learn, great movie and staff available to answer any questions. Extremely clean restrooms.

This is a combination museum and visitor center. The museum has historic information, including much on native culture.

Enjoyed the layout of the exhibits - very informative and staff great at providing sightseeing tips for the area. Great to walk outside along the Chena River and under the Antler Arch.

I regret that I only had about 15 minutes to go through here, and will definitely be back. I was expecting a smaller visitor center, but this was almost a museum. Very easy to find, to park, and to explore.

Found this was a worthwhile place to stop for acquiring area information. Helpful attendants at all stations and pamphlets galore. Good & informative museum displays throughout building. Good acclimation stop.

This was a highlight of our brief stay in Fairbanks. The center has great exhibits on the animals, culture, and people of Alaska. Our daughter enjoyed the exhibits, and there are National Park rangers available to answer questions. She even earned a Jr Ranger pin while there. It doesn't take long to visit, but it is worth a quick stop. There is also tourist info available as well.

Make this your first stop in Fairbanks and look for Jared! Jared is a jewel!!! When we arrived at the visitor center, Jared greeted our party of seven and patiently answered our questions for about 45 minutes. (He was just as patient with other visitors, too, as we watched him interact with others.) We found him to be pleasant, insightful, and very thoughtful in his input. We ended up planning the remainder of our trip with his recommendations. He became an honorary member of our group because we would remind each other of what Jared told us. Because of him, we checked out the musk-ox research center, the ice sculpture competition that was just starting, Chena Lake to look for the northern lights, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. They were all great recommendations and our trip was much more enjoyable and well-planned with his input. He gave us Aurora Borealis Certificates, too; I felt like I was winning a prize.

The visitor center also has a free museum that is interesting to walk through. I learned about some of the animals that live in Alaska and the gold and gems found there. One of the exhibits showed the tremendous effort and feat of engineering to build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

We walked the river front path and found the visitors center. It was an unexpected find- there was no charge to go through the exhibits, interesting for Adults - lots of fun for kids to. The staff was informative and we stayed and watch a film about Alaska and some of the parks in the state. Clean bright ,informative staff.

excellent museum, many displays of Native culture. good movies. We really enjoyed visiting and it was on our "must see" list from the early days of planning our once in a lifetime trip to Alaska.

Heard a lot of great things about it. Plenty of info to pick up. Small gift shop, interesting little museum. Antler arch is outside.

This visitor center is full of great information to get yourself acclimated to the area. They also have a movie theater where you can relax during a busy day to learn more about Alaska.

This center is a tribute to Morris Thompson who was an influential leader in the Fairbanks area. There is a large selection of Indigenous artifacts and information about the culture of indigenous Alaskans.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Morris Thompson Center. The exhibits were very well done and multi-sensory. The 2 films we watched were unique, informative and interesting. Staff were extremely helpful and personable. We recommend making this your first stop in Fairbanks!

Great museum with displays that highlight the culture and history of Alaska. Admission is free. It is well done with amazing lifelike displays and plenty of native first people clothing and artifacts. It traces the gold rushes and statehood. I would highly recommend it to everyone of all ages≥

This should be your first stop in Fairbanks. It combines an information center with exhibits on the history and culture of the area. The staff were very helpful and I learned about a free shuttle to visit the attractions in the University area. I enjoyed the museum exhibits, which are an excellent introduction to the Fairbanks area.

We visited the center before and after our trip to the Arctic Circle. The center has many resources and suggestions for the area. Also, one can get their certificate stamped for visiting the Arctic Circle.

Spent an interesting afternoon at this informative center. Well worth a visit if you want to know more about Alaska.

Must stop to see. It’s an informative small museum type of place to learn about Alaska. Visited on a Sunday afternoon. Not very many people here. Staff was friendly.

Make this your first stop in Fairbanks. Best visitor center I’ve been to . Complete overview of area. Staff was very helpful with dining, entertainment and sightseeing suggestions. Amazing presentation of history of interior Alaska.

This is a wonderful place to learn about Alaska. I would go back. Someone always there to ansrew questions if you gave them or just to let explore is you want. I learned so much.

Really enjoyed this facility, the exhibits, and the films. Great time and good leaning experience about Alaska. would recommend to all who visit Fairbanks.

Bravo, Fairbanks. This was informative, beautiful, well-organized. I had only a few hours before an afternoon flight to see a bit of Fairbanks, and I think I invested wisely in my time here. The galleries really give a sense of what life in Interior Alaska is like, and the free admission can't be beaten. There was also a nice ranger talk for 30 minutes on Alaskan cuisine from a historical perspective.

This center is super nice. It has free on site parking, is handicapped accessible, has people to help you plus a mini museum and gift shop!! It is a great place to start your vacation at!! Loved all the exhibits in the museum part. Gift shop was nice as well.

We visited our first morning of our 8 day stay in Fairbanks. So glad we did. We learned so much about the history of the area and the people who first settled in the area. We watched a movie on the Northern Lights which was very helpful and informative. I would highly recommend visiting while in the Fairbanks area.

Very helpful and informative. A must stop as the museum and movies are beautiful and a great way to start your visit to Fairbanks

Great, free, place to get a good overview of the area and other information. Convenient (free) parking to the river trail

FREE but very interesting and informative visit. They show how the Alaskans have lived and survived throughout the years. They also have several staff that have a wealth of knowledge. You get to walk through on your own so you pace yourself and send as long as you like.

There was lots of information on Fairbanks. We listened to a free outdoor ranger talk that was very interesting and saw a huge vegetable garden.

This is a great place to begin your vacation in Fairbanks. Whether you want to visit Denali or learn about the first people's history and culture, the Cultural and Visitors center is the place to begin your journey.

We recently traveled to Fairbanks/North Pole with the only goal of seeing The Northern Lights. Of course, upon arrival, we realized that we'd need to find some things to do during our days in the area. We rolled into the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center on a Sunday afternoon and, within a few minutes of meeting Kai, we had identified several locations that we wanted to visit - including a walk-through of Pioneer Park and Creamer's Field (where we saw a moose!). It was apparent that Kai had a love for the local area and its history and activities - we so appreciated her warmth and hospitality! The Visitors Center provides wonderful displays of the history of Fairbanks and its people, which was a wonderful introduction for those of us who were visiting Alaska for the first time.

Wonderful display of Interior Alaska and Athabaskan Indian history told through the eyes of the late Morris Thompson, a businessman and Alaska Native political leader who sadly died long before his time in the crash of Alaska Airlines flight 261 in early 2000. This is the official visitors center for Fairbanks and Interior Alaska with lots of knowledgeable staff to help independent travelers find the best of their visit.

Great place to start your Fairbanks trip. Staff friendly and informative. Displays were great - gift shop is closed on the weekends

The guide books say 'make this your first stop' - good advice. Helpful staff could direct us to sources about northern lights. History and small museum. Local crafts (check out the shop down the hall) . We went back twice for more information.

We wanted to pick up a good map for when we were in Fairbanks but this was so much more. It is also a museum with educational exhibits about the area. The docent was very helpful in answering our questions. It was winter so all of the outdoor museums in Pioneer Park were closed. It was all well done.

I don’t even know where to begin. This. Was. Awesome. Please don’t come to Fairbanks without stopping here first. The museum is well organized, the staff is available (and willing!) to help you plan your time in Fairbanks. Such a wonderful experience. The gift shop was our favorite part. The woman working was literally the most friendly and beautiful person. We could have sat and chatted all day long. Don’t miss this experience!

This is the first place we visited for our Fairbanks trip. Very informative about Fairbanks but also provides a lot of maps and other relevant information.

The Cultural & Visitors Center is full of information about the Alaskan Frontier and its history. It is Visual and Audio and should not be missed when in Fairbanks. The center includes a gift shop, information center, restrooms and maps. It's located along the Chena River and has a walking path outside for public use.
This is a must see when in Fairbanks.

The people at this center are anxious for you to get some good information for your visit. I recommend getting to the center just after it opens so that you will be able to speak to the volunteers and employees. The information about the Gates of the Arctic made me realize I have only seen a small part of this great state and must come some more.

This is a MUST see! The major attraction area --- The Gallery of Alaska---features some unbelievable exhibits of prehistoric relics , large and small animals, native culture and traditions, and the overall natural history of the five different regions...all presented in an engaging and informative fashion. One of the best museums we have visited in 20 years.

We almost ended up skipping this location in favor of spending more time in the Museum of the North, but we were strongly encouraged to visit this too by other tourists we spoke with. I am so glad that we did because I preferred this of the two stops. The Center provides a great overview to Alaska through an impressively designed exhibit with interesting digestible facts. The stop took about 45 minutes and I loved every minute of it. I was a perfect introduction to Alaska that put things in context for the rest of our vacation.

Must do when visiting Fairbanks! Sadly we missed this museum our first day in town so we did not have time to catch the free films they show daily. It was still a great visit, they have excellent exhibits of Alaska Native Peoples and history of the state. Free admission plus films. Easy scenic walk along the Chena River path to the museum and to view the Moose Antler Arch.

This has tons of informational brochures. The exhibits were excellent learning about the early history of Fairbanks and the native indigenous people.

Other place that you should visit, a lot of historical details good place for kids, adults and families

This exceptional visitor info center and museum should be your starting point for your time in Fairbanks. We learned so much here about things and attractions that were not on our radar - 100% worth the time we spent here (2 hours including the museum and shopping).

Best tip: Aurora hunting like a local starts with the Aurora forecast map and the National weather service (not local TV weather). Also directed us to the best places to see Aurora, and all the advice we got here was SPOT ON.

The museum was a great place to start to see the roots of Fairbanks and the influences of the Athapaskan culture that permeate this area today. Beautiful modern interactive exhibits are engaging for all ages.

FREE MAPS FOR THE MAP NERDS - Not street maps but feature maps and BLM maps - the cool professional stuff. I love maps - can you tell? Also a National Park passport stamp station - a happy discovery.

The gift shop sales support the center, and they source a lot of merchandise from local or AK artists, including Indigenous artists. We shopped for our family’s Christmas here - and came away with one of a kind treasures for our fam stuck at home.

Make sure you walk along the Cheana River an pass under the moose antler arch. Turn left and visit the Lend-Lease memorial nearby. Fascinating WWII history.

This is a free entrance museum, interesting for adults and children has lots of interesting facts from this part of Alaska. Enjoy

Wow!
Our first stop in Alaska; on a two week trip.
So much information here.
Great exhibits. Learned so much.
Watched two movies, one about Denali.
The original homestead was beautifully restored and lots of information from the staff on life in the early days of Fairbanks.

We wanted to learn a little about the city of Fairbanks and it’s people. The trip to the Cultural Center was nice and informative. Even with a pandemic going on we were still able to tour the center and gift shop.

The Center provided a wonderful collection that guided a visitor on the Alaskan history and culture. You get a sense of what it means to be an Alaskan.

We were traveling to Fairbanks Thanksgiving week so we're uncertain as to what would be open when. The Explore Fairbanks team was helpful in all our questions on attractions and in understanding the websites / data available for locating viewable Aurora. They even had a list of all local restaurants and there Wednesday - Friday Thanksgiving open hours.

We watched an interesting film and enjoyed the exhibits. Our daughter also earned a Junior Ranger badge from National Park staff.

Fantastic visitor center. Modern, interesting, very dynamic, informative well done, clean and totally Covid Safe. Great place to start a visit to Fairbanks. Excellent gift shop too. Also, Antler Arch is right outside the building too. Both must sees in Fairbanks.

We stopped in to see the exhibits and try to get a topo map for where we were headed on our rafting trip.
The topo map supply needs to be replenished but the exhibits were great and the staff very helpful.

Our family of 10 (6 adults and 4 children) were just wandering around the outside of the Visitors Centre not planning to go in when we encountered a friendly indigenous gentleman who explained why we absolutely had to check out the inside. And boy, was he right! In addition to the museum, native cultural history with scavenger hunt sheets for the kids, and a huge gift shop there was an opportunity to experience -40 degree temperatures. Entrance is free; there is a charge to obtain a photo from the minus 40 experience!

As seasoned travelers, we tend to discount the value of most information centers. They tend to be either too commercial or light on useful information. Not so here. The citizens of Fairbanks have done a wonderful job here, helping explain the local history and points of interest, matched with some interesting exhibits. Our only regret was not making this our first stop upon arriving in Fairbanks. It would have explained a lot of what we had already seen during our exploration of this remote part of the U.S.

Interesting place to visit and learn about Fairbanks. Its free! It has great info about the different things in the area and history of the people.

Loved this place! Highly recommend as a first stop. They were super helpful in providing information about the area and there is a national park station in it where kids can get their junior ranger badges!

We enjoyed our couple of hours at the center. Excellent and helpful staff partnered with incredible exhibits for everyone!

I found this place by accident and was really glad I did. It was a wealth of information about traveling in both the interior and to the north. Nation Park service has staff there as well as stated parks reps Lots of native cultural information also.

This museum takes 1-2 hours and has a small gift shop. It gives a good over view of the animals, life style, and native cultures in life like exhibits. It's self guided so you can go at your own pace, but there are employees who will help you with questions and concerns you may have.

Tucked away on the outskirts of Fairbanks, this museum was an excellent way to end our week in Alaska's interior. We met fellow travelers at the circular map in a back rotunda and shared adventures.

Lots of interesting things to see - it's free so a nice way to spend a couple hours. Great documentary in the theater about the pipeline that we all enjoyed. Helpful staff!

Our guide for the center was Dixie and she was so engaging and informative. This cultural center truly opens the door to Alaska's past and where it is today.

We found this center to be a valuable resource for information regarding local and Alaskan history. There is a great display in the center and allow yourself adequate time to enjoy and appreciate the information. We had returned the following morning as we missed the Antler Arch out back to take pictures. Don't forget to walk around the outside of the center.

You will not believe that this is a welcome center. It's definitely more like a museum. The rich history, and beautiful displays rival most paid cultural centers. Piggy back off the Museum of the North and you will gain a rich appreciation for the history of this gorgeous state. A must for anyone visiting.