Field trips are a great way to reboot a bad homeschooling week, get out of the house when everyone has cabin fever, and learn about your local area. Before heading out, check out Jeanne's tips for improving homeschool field trips.
Our listing of Alaska field trips for homeschoolers is ordered alphabetically by city. If you would like to submit a Alaska field trip destination, you may do so using the red button above.
Alaska Botanical GardenAnchorage
Where northern horticulture and native plants are showcased throughout a 110 acre spruce and birch woodland.
Alaska Law Enforcement MuseumAnchorage
View the complete history of Alaska law enforcement at the Alaska Trooper Museum.
Alaska Aviation Heritage MuseumAnchorage
The World’s Largest Seaplane Base
- Four hangars of exhibitions and vintage aircraft
- Cecil Higgins Restoration Hangar – Watch volunteers at work restoring a WWII Curtiss P-40
- Seybert Tower – View seaplanes from the flight deck and hear the Ted Stevens International live radio feed from the Lake Hood tower
Anchorage MuseumAnchorage
The largest museum in Alaska, the Anchorage Museum is a community-based institution with exhibits and programs on the art, history and cultures of Alaska. Over 20 exhibitions are presented each year to more than 200,000 visitors. The Museum also presents a full calendar of public programs and art classes. We invite you to explore the many features of the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center.
Alaska Native Heritage CenterAnchorage
A renowned cultural center and museum where people can come to expand their understanding of Alaska's first people. Our cultural center is designed to enhance self-esteem among Native people and to encourage cross-cultural exchanges among all people.
H2Oasis Water ParkAnchorage
H20asis, Alaskas Indoor Waterpark! Ride the Master Blaster, 6 Water Cannons, Wave Pool, 575-foot-long Lazy River, and Children's Lagoon. Starting Tuesday, September 2nd, 2024, H2Oasis will be closed for an extended maintenance shutdown, lasting several months. Check website for updated information.
Alaska ZooAnchorage
Learn about animals and conservation through interactive programs.
Inupiat Heritage CenterBarrow
The Inupiat Heritage Center tells the story of the Inupiat people.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife RefugeBethel
The refuge headquarters houses a visitor center that depicts not only the wildlife that inhabit the region, but a historical perspective on the use of the USFWS.refuge by the Yup'ik Eskimo population in the area. There is a small museum that exhibits wildlife, interprets the uniqueness of tundra and includes a relief map showcasing the expanse and ecological diversity of the refuge.
Cordova Historical MuseumCordova
A highlight of the City’s Cordova Center, the Cordova Museum features local artists, locally-inspired works, rotating exhibits, and displays portions of the Cordova Historical Society’s vast collection of artifacts from the region.
Big Delta State Historical ParkDelta Junction
One of the greatest aspects of coming to an area in Alaska is learning about its tremendous history. At Big Delta State Historical Park you get to take a walk back into time. This site was an important crossroad for travelers, traders, and the military during the early days of the 20th century. The Delta Historical Society maintains a museum in a sod-roofed cabin at Big Delta State Historical Park. The artifacts in the museum, dating from 1900 to 1950, were collected from local people. Artifacts include blacksmith tools, horse tack, dog harnesses and sleds, many household items and much more. There is also a display of historic photographs.
Denali National Park & PreserveDenali Park
Features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers. Denali's more than 6 million acres also encompass a complete sub-arctic eco-system with large mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, and moose.
Aleutian World War II National Historic AreaDutch Harbor
The Aleutian World War II National Historic Area and Visitor Center in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, preserves the historic Fort Schwatka on Mount Ballyhoo. US Servicemen fought the Japanese here. At the same time, the local Unangan people were sent away from the area to internment camps a thousand miles away.
Eagle Historical Society & museumEagle
"Exhibits in six restored historic buildings dating from the end of the 19th century: James Wickersham's first Courthouse, U.S. Custom House, the Improved Order of Red Men Lodge and three Fort Egbert buildings, all with period furnishings. Displays with photographs of the Gold Rush town, military fort, and commercial center with judicial, communication, transportation, construction, agriculture, mining, pioneer activities and social organizations, schools, military, customs, and Han Indian exhibits. All are located in the Eagle Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark."
Georgeson Botanical GardenFairbanks
"Georgeson Botanical Garden is a nationally recognized botanical garden known for its abundance of herbs, ornamental trees, vegetables and flowers that flourish within 100 miles of the Arctic Circle. The farthest-north botanical garden, Georgeson is well-known for its work with peonies—which bloom in June and July—as well as its research, education and outreach about high-latitude horticulture. The garden is a popular summer destination for residents and tourists and hosts a wealth of special events."
Pioneer Air MuseumFairbanks
Alaska's air history is rich and exciting. The Great Land's frontiers were being explored just as the early pilots and explorers were testing the frontiers of flight. It was an inspiring time. Housed in the beautiful gold dome, designed by Buckminster Fuller, the museum's rare & unique collection of over 500 photographs chronicle early flight and the brave men and women who ventured into the unknown.
University of Alaska Museum of the NorthFairbanks
Alaska's best introduction to the state are the museum exhibits that show the diverse wildlife, people and land.
Pioneer ParkFairbanks
Pioneer Park (formerly Alaskaland) is a 44-acre Historical Theme Park located in the heart of Fairbanks, Alaska - between Airport Way and the Chena River bike path. There is no admission fee to enter Pioneer Park. Feel free to tour the Park and experience a self-guided tour of our artifacts, buildings, and grounds! You can also enjoy the playground and Bear Art Gallery at no cost! Some museums and activities charge a nominal fee. (Formerly Alaskaland.)Attractions: Harding Car, Civic Center, Gold Rush Town, Riverboat Nenana (Information center), Pioneer Hall, Railroad Station, Native Village, Fishwheel , Boat dock, Wilderness Trails, Mining Valley/Salmon Bake, Hard Rock Mine, Tunnel, Waterfall/sluice, Moose Creek Pond, Square Dance Hall, Aviation Museum
Crow Creek MineGirdwood
Crow Creek Mine, was one of the largest producing hydraulic placer gold mines in South Central Alaska and today is Alaska's most popular "recreational" gold panning area.
Sheldon Museum and Cultural CenterHaines
"Explore the rich history, culture, and art of the Chilkat Valley at the nationally accredited Haines Sheldon Museum! In the main gallery, learn how the Tlingit stronghold of Jilkáat Aani transformed into a booming multi-ethnic community. The museum houses over 4,000 artifacts from Chilkat Blankets to the Eldred Rock lighthouse lens; 12,000 cataloged photographs and slides of images from the 19th century until today; over 2,000 books about our area; and countless documents including mining company ledgers, journals, pamphlets, letters, ship’s logs, maps and research papers."
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle PreserveHaines
The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was created by the State of Alaska in June of 1982. The preserve was established to protect and perpetuate the world's largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their critical habitat. It also sustains and protects the natural salmon runs and allows for traditional uses; provided such uses do not adversely affect preserve resources. The Preserve consists of 48,000 acres of river bottom land of the Chilkat, Kleheni, and Tsirku Rivers. The boundaries were designated to include only areas important to eagle habitation.
Pratt MuseumHomer
The Pratt Museum offers fields trips for students of all ages. Our field trip experiences vary depending on time limitations, interests, and group size. There are two options for field trips to the Pratt Museum at this time – self-guided and guided. All field trips require one (1) chaperone per five (5) elementary or middle school students and one (1) chaperone per 10 high school students. We do not charge an admission fee for teachers and chaperones. Guided Tour Topics
- Marine Gallery Exploration (all ages)
- Forest Ecology Trail Walk (all ages)
- People of Kachemak Bay (all ages)
- History of Homesteading on the Kenai Peninsula (3rd grade and up)
- Mammals of Kachemak Bay (4th grade and up)
- Birds of Kachemak Bay (2nd grade and up)
- SPECIAL EXHIBITS GALLERY: Ask us about our current and upcoming special exhibits
Wickersham State Historic SiteJuneau
House of Wickersham - Home of Alaska's Pioneer Judge, James Wickersham Built in 1898 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Step back in time thorough the doors of the House of Wickersham, the first large Victorian home built on "Chicken Ridge", the "Nob Hill" of Juneau, Alaska. Sip tea from an elegant bone china cup and drink in the history of Alaska's territorial days as seen through the life of the man responsible for "Home Rule", the Alaska Railroad, the University of Alaska and Mount McKinley National Park (now known as Denali National Park).
Alaska State MuseumJuneau
The Alaska State Museum identifies, collects, preserves, and exhibits Alaska's material and natural history and provides public access to the services and collections of the museum. The Alaska State Museum interprets and disseminates knowledge of the history of the state, its people, and its resources and supports others in these efforts. The museum also assists and advises in the growth, development, and excellence of other museums within Alaska.
Kenai Visitors and Cultural CenterKenai
The museum features Athabascan, Aleut and Russian cultural exhibits, homesteading, mining, commercial fishing, and oil industry history displays, and a natural history room with mammal, bird and fish exhibits.
Challenger Learning Center of AlaskaKenai
The mission of the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska is to inspire students to look beyond the ordinary, imagine the unattainable and answer those impossible questions through the pursuit of higher education in science, technology, engineering and math.
Totem Bight State Historical ParkKetchikan
The Story of Totem Bight - With the growth of non-Native settlements in Southeast Alaska in the early 1900's, and the decline of a barter economy, Natives moved to communities where work was available. The villages and totem poles they left behind were soon overgrown by forests and eroded by weather. In 1938, the U.S. Forest Services began a program aimed at salvaging and reconstructing these large cedar monuments. By using Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) funds to hire skilled carvers from among the older Natives, two things took place: young artisans learned the art of carving totem poles, and totems which had been left to rot in the woods were either repaired or duplicated. By the time World War II slowed down the CCC project, the community house and 15 poles were in place.
Baranov MuseumKodiak
Explore Kodiak's rich history, from Alutiiq culture and the Russian colonial period to the early American era, WWII and the present day. The Baranov Museum is located within Kodiak's 200-year-old National Historic Landmark building known as the Russian American Magazin, or the Erskine House.
Kodiak Military History MuseumKodiak
The Kodiak Military History Museum is located in the Ready Ammunition bunker at Miller Point in Fort Abercrombie. This building is made of several feet of thick concrete and is covered with soil. It was completed on 30 December 1943 by Navy SeaBees of CB-43. Located adjacent to the building are the remains of two eight-inch gun mounts. Portions of the gun barrels are displayed. Some parts of the guns are to be found quite some distance from the original positions as they were destroyed by an explosive charge around Thanksgiving 1948 when the Army caretakers left the area. Radios and electronics, newspapers, typewriters, fire control equipment, mess gear, aircraft parts, uniforms, and more!
Alutiiq MuseumKodiak
The past meets the present at the Alutiiq Museum, where you can explore 7,500 years of Alutiiq/Sugpiaq heritage. See ancestral artifacts, discover history, and learn how Alutiiq traditions continue.
Fort Abercrombie State Historical ParkKodiak
Few other units of the Alaska State Park System that are comparable in size possess the cultural and natural resources that are found in Fort Abercrombie. The historic ruins of a World War II coastal defense installation, coupled with the steep surf-pounded cliffs, deep spruce forests, wildflower-laden meadows, and a lake containing trout, offer the public a unique opportunity to learn of the events of World War II while enjoying the natural beauty of the park.
Ninilchik State Recreation AreaNinilchik
Ninilchik, whose name means "peaceful settlement by a river", is located on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula, about 40 miles south of Soldotna. It was settled in the early 1800s by Russian colonists. They subsided on fishing, hunting, trapping and gardening. When Alaska was sold to the United States, many of these settlers decided to stay on. Some of the old buildings still exist in the Ninilchik village and many descendants of the old families still live here. Today, Ninilchik has become a popular staging area for world-class salmon and halibut fishing. Mt. Iliamna and Mt. Redoubt, both active volcanoes, greet visitors to the area. While you are in Ninilchik, be sure to experience the historical Ninilchik Village and the Russian Orthodox Church. Make sure you visit the Kenai Peninsula State Fair, which is held in Ninilchik every August.
Independence Mine State Historical ParkPalmer
Gold was the magnet that drew thousands of adventurers to the last frontier. Gold was discovered just southeast of Anchorage in 1886. From there prospectors spread into the Susitna and Matanuska river basins, testing the creeks in the nearby mountains. Begin your tour of the Independence Mine State Historical Park at the Mine Mangers's House, which houses the Visitor Center and museum. Inside you'll see displays about mining, natural history and the Independenc Mine story. Take a self-guided interpretive tour through the mine camp. Sign up for a guided tour that takes you inside some of the mining camp's historic buildings. Pan for gold.
Clausen MuseumPetersburg
The museum’s collection includes 5,000 artifacts, 45,000 photographs and negatives, and 200 archival collections that span the history and prehistory of Petersburg and the surrounding area. Photographs and fishing industry-related items are among the collection’s strengths. Other represented areas include Tlingit artifacts and art, logging and woodworking tools, domestic items, natural resource displays, an extensive rock collection, and artifacts documenting early 20th-century businesses and societies. In partnership with the Rasmuson Foundation Art Acquisition Fund, the museum also has an ever-expanding collection of regional, contemporary artworks.
Caines Head State Recreation AreaSeward
Caines Head State Recreation Area is the scenic site of an abandoned World War II fort. Early in World War II, as the territory of Alaska was attacked and occupied by Imperial Japanese ground forces, Caines Head and other Resurrection Bay vantages became strategic spots for defending the Port of Seward. The port was the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad, a critical supply line for the war effort and for Alaskans.
Alaska SeaLife CenterSeward
The Alaska SeaLife Center is both a public aquarium and fully supported cold-water research facility. The Research Department offers programs for pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), eiders, sea otters and salmon.
Baranof Castle State Historic SiteSitka
Commonly referred to as Castle Hill, this park is one of the most historically significant sites in Alaska. Tlingit natives originally inhabited this area and built a strategic fortification at this site. Between 1804-1867 Russians occupied this site. In 1867, on top of Castle Hill, Alaska was officially transferred from Russia to the United States. Today, Castle Hill is a state historic site and also designated as a National Historic Landmark. A fully accessible walkway leads visitors to the top of the hill and provides outstanding views of downtown Sitka and waterfront. Interpretive panels provide opportunities to learn more about the history of this site. This park is located in downtown Sitka.
Old Sitka State Historic SiteSitka
In the early 1800s, Russians built a settlement at this site along Starrigavan Bay. Today, the site is designated as Old Sitka State Historic Site. This site has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, and interpretive panels provide information about the history of this site. The Forest & Muskegs trail is a 1.25-mile barrier-free trail (maximum 12% grade) with a self-guiding brochure that has information about the natural and cultural history of this area. The Mosquito Cove trail (1.5 miles long) provides an opportunity to hike along Starrigavan Bay and Mosquito Cove in the coastal spruce and hemlock forest.
Sitka Historical Society and MuseumSitka
Known as the only museum in Sitka that contains elements of all of Sitka's history, the Sitka Historical Museum is packed with displays, photographs, and artifacts from Sitka's Tlingit, Russian, and American history. This is a great first stop for travelers to orient themselves to Sitka.
Sitka National Historical ParkSitka
Sitka National Historical Park preserves the site of a battle between invading Russian traders and Indigenous Kiks.ádi Tlingit. Totem poles from Tlingit and Haida areas line the park’s scenic coastal trail, and the restored Russian Bishop’s House is a rare reminder of Russia’s colonial legacy in North America.
Alaska Raptor CenterSitka
Alaska Raptor Center operates as a bald eagle hospital and educational center, as well as one of the state's premier visitor attractions.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical ParkSkagway
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is made up of over 20 historical buildings. Today, four of them are museums that are open to the public. Each museum shares a different aspect of gold rush life from saloons to families to tourism. Additionally, the Skagway Museum is run by the City of Skagway and covers town history from gold rush to present day.
Trapper Creek MuseumTrapper Creek
A settler's log cabin housing a wonderful collection of artifacts, stories and pictures depicting the life of Alaska's homesteaders, gold rush miners and trapping pioneers.
Museum of the AleutiansUnalaska
The Museum of the Aleutians is a cultural history institution for the Aleutian Islands and the community of Unalaska. Through actively growing Unangax̂, Russian-American, WWII, and local art collections, the museum provides stimulating permanent and changing exhibits, as well as a home to researchers, visitors, and community members.
Valdez MuseumValdez
The Valdez Museum on Egan Drive is located in the heart of downtown Valdez. It displays the rich history of Valdez, the Copper River Basin and Prince William Sound, Alaska through exhibits about our community’s past that tell the stories of early exploration, Native Culture, Gold Rush, founding of Valdez, the Richardson Highway, history of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the history of Alaska Bush Pilots. Temporary art and history exhibits in the Egan Commons typically display the work of local artists that reflects the culture and history of our region. The Valdez Museum on Hazelet is located near the ferry dock on the edge of downtown and features the Remembering Old Valdez Exhibit, a 1:20 scale model of the Old Town Valdez as it appeared just before the massive 1964 Earthquake. The model is very precise and contains details down to flower boxes and bicycles. Accompanying the model are exhibits about the Earthquake, current seismic activity in our area, tsunami interactive, and everyday implements from the 50s and 60s.
Wasilla Museum & Historic Town SiteWasilla
Step into history in the town site where eight structures await you. Discover more about the people and history of Wasilla. Tours available of buildings by appointment May - August. Walking Brochure available at the Museum Visitor Center. Formerly known as the Dorothy Page Museum & Historic Town Site.
