Page 29 - eatg

A chief support in the economy of Fairbanks
through the years has been the University of Alaska.
Congress designated land in the Tanana Valley for a
land-grant institution in 1915. Six faculty members
and six students originally comprised the agricultural
college. The statewide administration for colleges and
universities is still located in Fairbanks, as this was
the main institution of higher learning in Alaska for See Video
decades.
With over 9,000 students, the University is a
modern campus with something for all ages, not just
the academically minded. UAF is the state’s research
facility, nationally and internationally recognized as
a leader in Arctic research and education. It is the
home of the Geophysical Institute, the Institute of Pioneer Park
Artic Biology, the School of Fisheries and Ocean photo by:
Sciences and the Alaska Native Language Center. The VC Travel Guide
university also operates the nation’s largest volcano
observational network and a rocket range. It boasts
the number one ranked museum in the state, walking
tours, and botanical garden. Pick up a map when you
arrive on campus to find the following activities and
sites.
The University’s impressive Museum of the North
wing highlights the state’s largest gold display, a
woolly mammoth and mummified steppe bison,
Alaska Native art and artifacts. The Museum’s 1.4
million artifacts and specimens represent millions of
years of biological diversity and more than 11,000
years of cultural tradition in the North. Hear the
voices of the sun, the moon, earthquakes and the
Aurora by visiting the Place Where You Go to Listen,
an ever-changing sound and light environment. The
Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery showcases 2.000
years of Alaskan art from the Museum’s archaeology,
ethnology and fine arts collections. The Arnold Espe
Auditorium hosts a variety of multimedia programs.
The Museum gift shop sells an impressive array of
jewelry, books, posters, and native art.
To view the wide array of flowers and plants that
grow in the northern climate, head to the Georgeson
Botanical Garden for a self-guided tour. Admission
is $1 and the diversity of flora will delight viewers
of all ages.
The Robert G. White Large Animal Research
Station (LARS) is just down the road from the
University. Part of the Institute of Arctic Biology
at UAF, LARS provides a great opportunity to see
caribou, musk oxen, and reindeer.
From LARS one can continue on to visit the only
University-owned sounding rocket range in the world!
Just look for the rocket on the right side of the road,
30 miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway.
Pioneer Park
Probably the best place for a family to play
in Fairbanks is Pioneer Park. Previously called
“Alaskaland,” Pioneer Park is a 44-acre historic theme
park with fun and adventures enough for everyone.
You can begin your adventure with a train ride around
the park on the Crooked Creek and Whiskey Island
Railroad. From there, check out the many museums
like the Pioneer Air Museum, the Native Village
Museum, and the Sternwheeler Nenana, which is a
National Historic Landmark.
Travelers of all ages will enjoy viewing the 29
pioneer cabins and buildings of the gold rush town,
which include the original 1904 Presbyterian Church,
James Judge Wickersham’s house, the Palace Saloon
and Theatre and a variety of stores and eateries like
Kaethe’s Gold Cabin and Grizzly’s Tent Camp Food.
The Wickersham House, located at Pioneer Park,
celebrated its centennial in 2004. James Wickersham,
a prolific historical figure, was the first judge to sit
in the Interior of Alaska in June 1900. He also led
the first expedition up Denali in 1903 with Olyman

131