Museums, Parks & Farms
There are several museums and points of interest which can fill several half days. Wasilla is the home of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Iditarod Sled Dog Race
The
Iditarod Headquarters (907-376-5155) is
less than ten minutes from the Agate Inn.
Learn about the Iditarod history, watch race
videos on a large screen TV, check out the
souvenirs, and take a real live sled dog
ride. Several miles further down Knik Road,
visit the Knik Museum and Mushers Hall of
Fame (907-376-7758). Knik Road travels
along Cook Inlet. Along the way, watch for
Beluga and Killer Whales which occasionally
follow the salmon upstream.
Dorothy Page Museum
Downtown Wasilla holds the Dorothy Page Museum and Town Site Park. The museum has an excellent collection of memorabilia from natives and early settlers. Tour through the old Wasilla town site buildings. Afterwards, on a hot day a swim in Wasilla Lake is refreshing for those young at heart.
Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry
On
the northern edge of Wasilla, the
Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry
(907-376-1211) is an interesting place to
visit. There are seven acres of Alaskan
aircraft, farm implements, railroad cars,
fire trucks, antique autos, fishing vessels
and the Whitney Section House. Inside the
8,500 square foot Don Sheldon Building walk
through a large collection of aviation
photos, aircraft, etc. Admission is about
$3.00 per person.
Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (907-745-4212) is five minutes from the Inn. The Center is open for tours on Fridays at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Visit the center and learn how earthquakes are monitored and Tsunamis are predicted.
Eklutna Historical Park
Eklutna
Historical Park (907-688-6026), is a
Native Alaska village with one of the oldest
Russian Orthodox Churches (St. Nicholas) in
this part of Alaska. The colorful Spirit
houses in the cemetery are intriguing. There
are half hour tours of the museum, church
and spirit houses.
Alaska Museum of Natural History
The Alaska Museum of Natural History is constantly putting together new exhibits - check their website for updates.
The Musk Ox Farm
The Musk Ox Farm (907-745-4151) is a non-profit project that promotes musk ox husbandry and use of qiviut as a basis for an Arctic textile industry which provides economic and subsistence communities throughout Arctic Alaska.
Other Local Farms
The
Llama Farm (907-376-7676), and
Reindeer Farm (907-745-4000) are located
within fifteen minutes from the Agate Inn.
In conjunction with viewing the animals,
stop at the downtown Palmer Visitors
Center and walk through the Alaska
garden display, and Colony museum. The
Alaska State Fair (800-850-FAIR) just
south of Palmer has wonderful gardens and a
relocated Colony village.
Our
24 hours of daylight during the summer helps
generate some fabulous flowers and
vegetables, including the giant vegetables
our Valley is famous for. Visit the
impressive vegetable display at the State
Fair the end of August.
There are also numerous u-pick farms and farms open to public tour, including Pyrah's Pioneer Peak Farm (907-745-4511) and the State Dept. of Agriculture's Plant Materials Center on Bodenburg Loop.