The Alaska Native Heritage Center or ANHC in Anchorage, immerses visitors in Alaska’s indigenous cultures. Since 1999, over a million people have explored the traditions, art, and lifeways of the state’s 11 major cultural groups.
The Alaska Native Heritage Center offers indoor exhibits, outdoor villages, live shows, and interactive demos. What you see depends on the time of year. In summer, visitors can enjoy dances and Native games and explore life-sized traditional homes of various indigenous groups.
We visited during their winter season, and while the summer programs hadn’t started, we enjoyed an equally valuable self-guided tour. In this guide, we share how to reach the center from Anchorage and what to expect from a visit.
Where Is The Alaska Native Heritage Center
The ANHC is in Anchorage, approximately 10 miles northeast of downtown. Situated on 26 wooded acres, the center is nestled in the traditional territory of the Dena’ina Athabascan Tribe, known as Dena’ina Ełnena. The address is 8800 Heritage Center Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504.
The center offers ample parking for those driving. For visitors staying in downtown Anchorage, transportation to the center is convenient. A large welcome sign at the entrance greets visitors in 20 native languages.
How To Reach The ANHC
The Alaska Native Heritage Center is conveniently accessible through multiple transportation options. However, some cruise lines include it on their cruise and land tour itineraries.
Taxi/Rideshare – Taxi and rideshare offer flexible transportation options. They provide door-to-door convenience without the need to follow fixed schedules or routes. Uber and Lyft, popular rideshare apps, operate in Anchorage, and pricing varies depending on availability.
Complimentary Shuttle – The ANHC offers a complimentary shuttle service from downtown Anchorage during the summer tourism season. Note that the shuttle runs from June 1 to September 14, not when the center first opens.
The shuttle picks up passengers at the Anchorage Visitor Center, and the trip takes 10 minutes. Here’s the schedule for the shuttle:
| Downtown departure | ANHC departure |
|---|---|
| 9 AM | 9:20 AM |
| 10 AM | 10:20 AM |
| 11 AM | 11:20 AM |
| 12 PM | 12:20 PM |
| 2 PM | 1:20 PM |
| 3 PM | 2:20 PM |
| 3:20 PM | |
| 4:20 PM |
City Bus – Anchorage’s public transportation system serves the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Several bus routes connect downtown Anchorage to the Heritage Center area. Fares are typically around USD 2 per ride; with day passes offered for multiple trips.
Bus schedules can be found on the Municipality of Anchorage’s transit website. We suggest checking the current schedule before planning your visit, as routes and times may change seasonally
Renting A Car – Renting a car provides flexibility for visiting the ANHC and exploring other Anchorage attractions. We rented a car through Turo to drive to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
The drive was quick via Glenn Highway. We used GPS to get there, but the directions took us to the employees’ entrance, not the main gate.
Overview of the Alaska Native Heritage Center
The Alaska Native Heritage Center preserves and celebrates the diverse Indigenous cultures of the state. We found it a great place to learn about Alaska’s Native peoples.
It reminded me of the Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks, which visits Chena Village. The Athabascan village showed how the native people lived.
The Anchorage Center is open year-round. The village, Ch’k’iqadi Gallery, and Café Di’Eshchin keep the same hours during peak visitation.
The outdoor village area includes six life-sized traditional dwellings around Lake Tiulana. Each dwelling authentically represents different Alaska Native groups: Athabascan, Iñupiaq/St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Yup’ik/Cup’ik, Aleut, Alutiiq, and Eyak/Tlingit/Haida/Tsimshian.
These structures are built using traditional materials and techniques whenever possible. We entered these dwellings and experienced firsthand how Alaska Natives historically lived in harmony with their environments.
During the summer, groups would follow a route to hear talks at each village. We visited in the off-season when only self-guided tours were available.
While there was no one to explain each exhibit, the informational plaques were informative. They included a map showing where the Native groups lived.
Mission And Values
The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) operates with a clear mission. It aims to preserve and strengthen the traditions, languages, and art of Alaska’s Native peoples.
Since its opening more than 25 years ago, it has become a vital educational resource that bridges cultural understanding between Native and non-Native communities.
The center was created to showcase all Alaska Native cultures in one place. The indoor exhibits and outdoor dwellings serve two purposes. It aims to teach its younger members the ancient traditions and educate visitors about the native cultures of Alaska.
Alaska Native Village Sites
The outdoor village sites offer visitors an authentic glimpse into traditional Alaska Native dwellings and lifestyles. During the summer, demonstrations and talks immerse visitors in the village’s unique way of life.
Each site represents one of the major cultural groups, showcasing distinct architectural styles, artifacts, and living practices that have sustained these communities for thousands of years.
Village Homes
The six village sites feature meticulously reconstructed traditional dwellings from Alaska’s diverse Native cultures. The Iñupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yupik semi-subterranean houses demonstrate ingenious adaptation to Arctic conditions.
Despite no heat source, we were amazed that these structures were relatively warm during our chilly May visit. With the addition of extra people, these dwellings would feel cozy in winter.
The reconstructed dwelling features two tunnels. The contemporary one (lengthy and tall) provides easy access for visitors. The one at the back shows the smaller tunnel traditionally used. We had to crouch and almost crawl to use this entrance.
The Athabascan people’s structures include summer fish camps and winter houses, showing seasonal adaptation strategies. Their earlier dwellings typically feature birch bark coverings and are designed for mobility. Their later homes resembled traditional log cabins.
They built food caches, which are tall structures off the ground to keep food and pelts. Usually built of spruce logs, these cabins were constructed on stilts to keep food safe from bears, rats, and hungry sled dogs.
The Yup’ik and Cup’ik cultures are represented by their qasgiq (men’s house) and ena (family dwelling), both utilizing sod construction techniques. Interestingly, they adapted the doorway to coincide with the seasons.
The Unangax̂ and Alutiiq barabaras display unique half-subterranean designs with grass-thatched roofs. Building them this way provided insulation from the harsh winter climate.
Clan Houses
We have viewed many clan houses in southeast Alaska, and they all follow the same guidelines when it comes to construction. Alaska Natives’ clan houses feature a square design with impressive totem poles, elaborate woodworking, and a central fire pit.
The massive communal structures could house up to 50 people and feature distinctive carved house posts and beams. Doorways are usually small and oval to keep the structure warm.
While the clan house at the Alaska Native Heritage Center is plain on the outside, the inside has beautifully carved house posts. Symbols on these usually identify the clan, historical events, or spiritual beliefs.
Traditional Artifacts
Each village site contained authentic tools and implements that Alaska Natives used daily. Hunting equipment like harpoons, bows, and fishing gear demonstrate the ingenuity behind subsistence practices. We viewed kayaks, canoes, animal hides, and pieces of clothing.
By the lake, a 41′ whale skeleton tells the importance of grey whales to the community. A plaque explains that the people of Southeast Alaska would honor and give thanks each time a whale was killed.
Household items display remarkable craftsmanship, and many featured spiritual symbols. While their bentwood bowls, woven grass baskets, and wooden utensils looked simple, they served their purpose.
Dena’ina Athabascan people used a pyramid drying rack to preserve salmon, and one was on display. Hunting and fishing took place in the warmer months. Drying or smoking meat was essential to have a food supply in the winter months.
Clothing exhibits include seal gut parkas, fur boots, and ceremonial regalia. Every part of the animal was used in some way for clothing, tools, or food.
Historical Demonstrations
The ANHC is open daily during the summer and makes a great Anchorage activity. Visitors can enjoy live demonstrations. Expect to see master carvers using traditional techniques passed down through generations.
Beading and sewing demonstrations showcase the intricate work of creating clothing and decorative items. As a sewer, I especially liked the garments that combined different skins and pelts.
Food preparation demonstrations reveal traditional fish, game, and plant food processing methods. These presentations often include discussions about the seasonal harvesting calendar and food preservation techniques.
Dancing and drumming performances bring the village sites to life with storytelling through movement and music. These cultural expressions connect visitors to the continuing vibrancy of Alaska Native traditions in contemporary life.
Exhibits And Collections
The Alaska Native Heritage Center houses impressive exhibits and diverse collections in its indoor space. The collection reflects Alaska’s rich cultural heritage of its Indigenous peoples. At the entrance, the cavernous room features a few canoes suspended from the ceiling.
Permanent Exhibits
The Hall of Cultures forms the cornerstone of the Center’s permanent exhibits, showcasing artifacts and displays representing all major cultural groups of Alaska.
Visitors can explore traditional tools, clothing, artwork, and ceremonial items that highlight the unique aspects of each culture. The exhibits feature detailed information about subsistence practices, spiritual beliefs, and social structures.
The outdoor villages and displays are also part of the permanent exhibits. These bring the stories of the different Alaska Native groups to life. For those doing a self-guided tour, you can explore clockwise or anticlockwise. If walking clockwise, you visit the healing garden or talking circle first and finish with the Athabascan log cabins.
Temporary And Rotating Exhibitions
The Center regularly adds new temporary exhibitions. Recent additions include special exhibits on Native art forms, historical events, and modern challenges facing Alaska Native communities.
Guest curators, often Alaska Native artists and cultural bearers, frequently contribute their expertise to create authentic, meaningful exhibitions. These rotating displays ensure that even repeat visitors discover something new with each visit.
The Ch’k’iqadi Gallery showcases changing collections of traditional and contemporary artwork created by Alaska Native artists. I was impressed with the clothing pieces, meticulously created by Indigenous artists.
Performances And Events
The ANHC offers a rich tapestry of performances and events throughout the summer. These are often highlights for visitors.
Cultural Dances
Traditional dance performances represent one of the most popular attractions at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. These performances occur daily during the summer, from 9am to 5pm.
Dance groups from various Alaska Native cultures demonstrate their unique styles, regalia, and movements passed down through generations.
These performances take place in the Gathering Place near the building’s entrance. Dancers often wear traditional attire adorned with meaningful symbols and decorations specific to their cultural group.
The cultural sessions are typically accompanied by traditional drumming and singing. We found these storytelling products very enriching.
Storytelling Sessions
Storytelling forms a cornerstone of Alaska Native heritage preservation at the center. Expert storytellers share traditional tales passed down orally through countless generations.
Stories often feature important cultural teachings about relationships with the land, animals, and community values. Visitors can experience these sessions indoors and at the authentic village sites.
Many stories explain natural phenomena, teach moral lessons, or preserve historical events from an Alaska Native perspective. These interactive sessions encourage questions and create meaningful connections between visitors and Alaska Native traditions.
Alaska Native Heritage Center: With Or Without A Tour
Visiting during their summer program provides a more enriching experience and a better understanding of the native Alaskan culture. Sometimes, as in the case of our visit, we were in Anchorage three days before their summer program started.
During the winter, they don’t charge admission but ask for a USD 10 pp donation, which we gladly gave. While we didn’t experience the whole program, a self-guided tour was informative with the help of detailed write-ups. Overall, it was well worth a visit, and we enjoyed our walk with a handful of others.
