Mat-Su Valley Museums & Cultural Centers
Discover the rich heritage and vibrant culture of Mat-Su Valley through its captivating museums and cultural centers. Get a glimpse into the lives of gold rush pioneers and learn about Alaska’s early transportation technology. From pioneer artifacts to contemporary masterpieces, each institution offers a unique perspective on the region’s past and present.
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Museums, Cultural Centers
Located on the world-famous Iditarod Trail and housed in one of the two remaining buildings from Knik’s original townsite, the Knik Museum features the Sled Dog Musher’s Hall of Fame on the second floor. The museum building was previously used as a pool hall and roadhouse, and now contains a collection of clothing, dishes, furniture and artifacts from Knik’s earlier days. Operated by the Wasilla-Knik-Willow Creek Historical… ...more
Learn about this rural town’s native, gold mining, and aviation history in this museum housed in a little red school house, as well as a number of smaller, old railroad buildings. You’ll find out about ice roads and horses wearing snow shoes, how airplanes took over from tractors, as well as information about bear traps, native artifacts, and how folks survived the harsh winters of the Susitna Valley. Also, see some of the original trappers’… ...more
Housed in a one-room log cabin, this museum and visitor center packs a lot into its small space. Learn about Ahtna Athabascan natives, explore mining and trapping history, and check out the history of the fascinating Colony project — a New Deal program that brought 204 farm families to Alaska. You can also pick up tour books and maps, or ask the knowledgeable staff about area attractions. The museum’s permanent collection spans the development… ...more
Get a glimpe into the lives of Alaska’s earliest pioneers amidst artifacts, maps, pictures and stories depicting the rugged life of local gold miners, fur trappers, homesteaders and other adventurers. The museum highlights the history of Trapper Creek, Cache Creek Mining District and Petersville Road. The Trapper Creek area was settled in 1959 by a caravan of people who traveled from Michigan. Commonly referred to as the “59ers,” those who… ...more
The house is an original “Colony Farm House” built expressly for the New Deal resettlement project sponsored in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration. Visitors will learn the history of the Colony project, often first hand, from descendants of the original colonists who staff the house and serve as tour guides. The house is furnished ca. 1935 – 45, displaying some original furnishings supplied by Sears and Roebuck for the… ...more
Dedicated to the technology that opened the Last Frontier, this museum is a gearhead’s dream. And it’s pretty darned interesting even if you aren’t into trains, planes or heavy machinery. Set on 20 acres, you can wander through old train cars, around commercial fishing boats and cars and explore old farm and oil machinery. Or head inside and learn about Alaska Pioneering women, gold mining and aviation. Only four miles from downtown Wasilla,… ...more
Transport yourself to the Alaska of the past in this museum and historic town site. Check out mining digs as you travel down stairs painted like an old mine shaft. Then learn about the hard-rock gold mining in Hatcher Pass during the 1930s. View artifacts from Athabascans, learn about dog mushing, and walk through a historic dentist’s office. The main museum building, once a community center for basketball games and church services, now tells… ...more