Anchorage Shopping: Alaska Art, Alaska Gifts

Take A Piece of Alaska Home

In his speech to persuade Congress to purchase Alaska in 1860, William Henry Seward spoke of its riches: gold, timber, jade, furs, fish. Many of today's most popular art objects and souvenirs are made of the very materials Seward talked about nearly 150 years ago. The unique crafts produced in Alaska come from the earth and capture the spirit of this wild, untamed country. Here's what you'll want to bring home:

Oomingmak Musk Ox Co-op

Combed from the undercoat of the musk ox, this fiber is rarer than cashmere, eight times warmer than wool, and light as a summer breeze. Knitters from Alaska's remote villages make tunics and scarves on display at Oomingmak Musk Ox Producer's Co-op. Learn more about Oomingmak Musk Ox »»

Open	Directions	Contact
• 10am - 6pm daily (summer hours) • 10am - 6pm (winter hours; Mon- Sat; Sun closed)	Downtown, H St. between 6th and 7th Aves.	Ph: 907-272-9225 or 888-360-9665

Anchorage Market & Festival

Visit the bustling downtown Anchorage Market & Festival for a fun day of local music, food & crafts-all made or grown in Alaska (272-5634). Learn more about the Anchorage Market & Festival »»

Open	Directions	Contact
• 10am - 6pm (Sat & Sun; Mid May - Mid Sept)	Saturday: Downtown, 3rd Ave between C and E Streets.	Ph: 907-272-5634

Arts & Crafts

Paintings and prints capture the heart and soul of Alaska; check to see whether it's an original printmaker's edition or a replica. Weavers practice ancient techniques to create baskets made of birch, grass, and baleen. Ivory and bone, from whales, walrus, and mammoth, make for gorgeous carvings and sculptures. Soapstone is another favorite for sculpture; Alaskan artists have put their own twists on the form. Scrimshaw is a scene or portrait etched on a whale tooth or bone, or on baleen, found on some whales in place of teeth. Stephan Fine Arts' two locations are some of our favorite outlets for Alaska arts and crafts.

Open	Directions	Contact
• Main Gallery: 10am - 10pm (Mon - Sat); 1pm - 6pm (Sun); Winter hours vary with light/demand • Captain Cook: 10am - 9pm (Mon - Sat); 11am - 5pm (Sun); Year round	The main gallery is downtown at 600 W. 6th Ave., between F and G. The gallery in the Hotel Captain Cook is a few blocks away at 4th Ave. and K St.	• Main Gallery: 907-278-9555 or 907-274-5009. • Captain Cook: 907-274-6676 or 800-556-3390

Furs

Nothing is more Alaskan than fur. Trade in furs attracted Russians here, and it still thrives. Whether it's fox, wolf, or sable, nothing is as warm or sensuous. Founded in 1922, David Green Master Furrier has Alaska two locations and offers extraordinary fashions and unmatched quality.

Open	Directions	Contact
• 9am - 6pm (Mon - Fri) • 9am - 5:30 (Sat) • 12pm - 4pm (Sun)	Downtown between A and B Streets on 4th Ave.	907-277-9595

Gold

Shining flakes panned from Alaska's streams have been made into elegant and distinctive necklaces and other jewelry. Find these keepsakes, as well as polished Alaskan coins and medallions, at the Alaska Mint, home of the world's northern most coin press.

Open	Directions	Contact
• 8am - 10pm (Mon - Fri); • 9am - 5pm (Sat) • 10am - 5pm (Sun; extended summer hours) • Normally open til 7pm on weekdays	Downtown, corner of 4th Ave. and E St.	Ph: 907-278-8414 or 800-770-6468

5th Avenue Jewelers

Owners Doug and Heather Robuck have been residents of AK for over 39 years and have been selling gold since 1967. Their collections of handmade gold-in-quartz jewelry, a rare combination mined in Alaska, are crafted into rings, necklaces, and broaches. They also have an extensive collection of natural, unaltered gold nuggets.

Open	Directions	Contact
• 8am - 7pm daily • Winter hours vary	Downtown, corner of 5th Ave. and D St.	Ph: 888-983-2052 or 907-258-3635

Seafood & Sausage Gifts

Taste Alaska at its best with fresh caught or smoked fish from one of 10th & M Seafoods' two locations, or Alaska Sausage & Seafood, which also sells sausages with reindeer meat & other Alaskan specialties. Both stores can smoke, can or freeze your own catches for the trip home.

10th & M Seafoods

Open	Directions	Contact
• 8am - 6pm (Mon - Fri) • 9am - 6pm (Sat) • 12pm - 6pm (Sun)	Downtown, corner of 10th Ave. and M St. For 301 Muldoon Rd. location, take 15th Ave. east, until it turns into Debarr Rd. Turn left on Muldoon and head north til Duben Ave.	M St.: 907-272-3474; Muldoon: 907-337-8831; 800-770-2722

Alaska Sausage and Seafood

Open	Directions	Contact
• Processing: 8am - 6pm (Mon - Fri); 9:30am - 3pm (Sat) • Retail: 9:30am - 6pm (Mon - Fri); 9:30am - 3pm (Sat)	Take C St. south from downtown. Turn right on Northern Lights Blvd and left on Arctic Blvd. Head south to 2914 Arctic, between 29th and 30th Aves.	Ph: 907-562-3636 or 800-798-3636

Jams, Jellies & Food

Alaska Wild Berry Products hires local pickers to scour the foothills of Southcentral for blueberries, highbush cranberries, and raspberries. Their creations are delicious.

Open	Directions	Contact
• Main store: 10am - 11pm daily (June 1 thru Labor Day); 10am - 10pm daily (winter hr) • 5th Ave. Mall: 10am - 9pm (Mon - Fri); 10am - 8pm (Sat); 11am - 6pm (Sun); year-round	Main store: Take C St. to Int'l Airport Rd. and turn left. Cross Old Seward Hwy and it will be on your right. If you cross the New Seward, you've gone too far. 5th Ave. Mall: Downtown on 5th Ave. between C and D Streets.	Main store: 907-562-8858; 5th Ave. Mall: 907-278-8858

Ulu Knives

Eskimos invented this ancient curved blade which rocks back and forth, filleting salmon and trout. Today, the Ulu Factory makes high quality ulus that are practical in the kitchen, as well as custom-made birch wood salad grabbers. Watch skilled craftsmen carry on this tradition at the Factory near Ship Creek.

Open	Directions	Contact
• 8am - 7pm (Memorial Day - Labor Day) • 8am - 5pm (winter hours)	Take 2nd Ave. north from downtown. Follow 2nd down the hill to Ship Creek Ave. Turn right on Ship Creek and left into the parking lot at 211 West Ship Creek. Free shuttle available from downtown hotels (3rd - 5th Aves.). Runs every half hour from 8am - 5pm.	Ph: 907-276-3119 or 800-488-5592

All Things Iditarod

Synonymous with Alaska is the Iditarod Dog Sled Race, and there's one store in town that has everything from snuggly dog booties to official race patches, the Iditarod Trail Store. Find the memorabilia outlet of the Last Great Race.

Open	Directions	Contact
• 10am - 9pm (Mon - Fri) • 10am - 8pm (Sat) • 11am - 6pm (Sun) • Holiday hours may vary	Downtown at 5th Ave. and C St. in the 5th Ave. Mall	Ph: 907-276-2350 or 800-545-6874

Souvenirs

No matter what kind of Alaskan remembrance you're looking for, you're guaranteed to find it at Trapper Jack's Trading Post. With more than 7,000 square feet of souvenirs, you'll find everything from T-shirts and native Alaskan handmade crafts to gold-nuggets jewelry and whalebone carvings.

Open	Directions	Contact
7am - 11pm daily	Downtown, corner of 4th Ave. and G St.	Ph: 907-272-6110

Shopping Mecca

Browse five floors of shops & services at Alaska's most popular shopping center, the Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall. Anchored by JC Penny and Nordstrom, this mall also houses local shops such as Alaska Wildberry Products and the Iditarod Trail Store.

Open	Directions	Contact
• 10am - 9pm (Mon - Fri) • 10am - 8pm (Sat) • 11am - 6pm (Sun)	Downtown, 5th Ave. and C St.	Ph: 907-258-5535

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Anchorage Shopping

Anchorage Shopping: Alaska Art & Alaska Gifts