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All the United States Alaska Fairbanks

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Fairbanks

15 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Fairbanks, Alaska

Updated August 23, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Fairbanks

Aurora Ice Museum

Fairbanks, Alaska

Aurora Ice Museum

Mind-blowing carvings and fantasy ice scenes grace the largest year-round ice environment in the world.
The Tunnel

Fairbanks, Alaska

Permafrost Tunnel

This frozen tunnel in central Alaska is both an engineering feat and a valuable climate classroom.
The Aurora Express Bed & Breakfast.

Fairbanks, Alaska

Aurora Express Bed & Breakfast

One woman's dream became a train hotel in her backyard.

Fairbanks, Alaska

Blue Babe

North America's first frozen mummified remains of an ice age steppe bison, the 36,000 year-old mummy named "Blue Babe."
Poker Flat Research Range

Fairbanks, Alaska

Poker Flat Research Range

Research missiles and rainbow auroras at the world's largest land-based rocket range.
The sculpture.

Fairbanks, Alaska

'Polaris'

The sculpture's largest spire points directly toward the North Star.
Fairbanks Antler Arch

Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks Antler Arch

A morbid gateway to an Alaska town prides itself on the hunting history it represents.
Engineers Tradition Stone Plaque.

Fairbanks, Alaska

Engineers Tradition Stone

A sarcastic monument threatens to curse any "idiot" who dares remove it.
See All 15 Things To Do in Fairbanks
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Places Where Alaska Bursts Into Color

Picture Alaska. You might see in your mind's eye the granite and stark white snowcaps of Denali National Park, or the dark seas that surround 6,000-plus miles of coastline, or the muted olive of its tundra in the summer. But as anyone who's been there knows, the country's largest, most sparsely populated state can absolutely burst with color, from the luminous green of the Northern Lights, to the deep aqua of its glaciers, to the flourish of wildflowers fed by its long summer days. Here are some places to see the full spectrum of The Last Frontier.

View Itinerary
At Glacier Gardens, the tree canopies are flowers in bloom.

Explore Fairbanks, Alaska

A
15
Monuments 3
Science 2
Automotive History 2
Gold Rush 2
Roads 2
Engineering 2
Cars 2
Natural History 2
War History 2
Gold 2
History 2
World War Ii 2

Fairbanks Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. jbartlett2000
    4
  2. FridaBird
    1
  3. debthomson
    1
  4. ExploringTheObscure
    1
  5. bryanwoerner
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Fairbanks.

Places Edited

  1. Bluejeanlace
    3
  2. Rachel
    3
  3. jphillips5105
    3
  4. Martin
    2
  5. Molly McBride Jacobson
    2
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Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. britkrueg
    12
  2. Erik
    11
  3. 85wombats
    11
  4. aleksandra32
    11
  5. alecjr
    11
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Visit a place in Fairbanks.

Recent Fairbanks Activity

  • hawkeyesam2000

    wants to go to Aurora Ice Museum

    about 17 hours ago
  • hawkeyesam2000

    wants to go to Permafrost Tunnel

    about 17 hours ago
  • hawkeyesam2000

    wants to go to Aurora Express Bed & Breakfast

    about 17 hours ago
  • hawkeyesam2000

    wants to go to Xaasaa Cheege Ts'eniin (Upward Sun River Mouth Child)

    about 17 hours ago
  • sevenhokie

    has been to Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

    about 16 hours ago

Stories About Fairbanks

Built in 1905 from random porter cart parts, barstools, and a marine engine, The Sheldon was the first and only automobile manufactured in Alaska.

This 1905 Motorcar is the Only Automobile Manufactured in Alaska

The Sheldon is a one-of-a-kind testament to the ingenuity—and unrequited love—of its creator.
by Bailey Berg
September 2, 2021
Blue Babe on display at University of Alaska Museum of the North.

The Dinner Party That Served Up 50,000-Year-Old Bison Stew

When life gives you frozen bison, make dinner.
by Paula Mejia
August 21, 2019

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