stories
stories
HomeMoneyLifestyleNewsSportsEntertainmentTravelScienceLocal

Highest-rated specialty museums in Alaska by visitors

·Stacker

Sergey Ryzhov // Shutterstock
Sergey Ryzhov // Shutterstock
Add Stacker as Preferred Source

In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Alaska on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

You may also like: The Brine Boom: Pickles are popping off in grocery aisles in Alaska

#29. Corrington's Alaskan Ivory & Museum

Tripadvisor

2 / 30

#29. Corrington's Alaskan Ivory & Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (63 reviews)
- City: Skagway
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Northwest Arctic Heritage Center

Tripadvisor

3 / 30

#28. Northwest Arctic Heritage Center

- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- City: Kotzebue
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Kodiak History Museum

Tripadvisor

4 / 30

#27. Kodiak History Museum

- Rating: 4.1/5 (68 reviews)
- City: Kodiak Kodiak Island
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry

- Rating: 4.2/5 (60 reviews)
- City: Wasilla
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Soldotna Historical Society & Museum

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Soldotna Historical Society & Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (58 reviews)
- City: Soldotna
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. Indian Valley Mine, National Historic Site

Tripadvisor

13 / 30

#18. Indian Valley Mine, National Historic Site

- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- City: Indian Anchorage
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum

Tripadvisor

16 / 30

#15. Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (112 reviews)
- City: Valdez
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Sealaska Heritage - Walter Soboleff Building

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. Sealaska Heritage - Walter Soboleff Building

- Rating: 4.3/5 (158 reviews)
- City: Juneau
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Red Onion Saloon Brothel Museum

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Red Onion Saloon Brothel Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (981 reviews)
- City: Skagway
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center

Tripadvisor

28 / 30

#3. Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center

- Rating: 4.7/5 (1,865 reviews)
- City: Fairbanks
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Trending stories