Fairbanks: Recreation

Sightseeing

Fairbanks is rich in frontier history. One of the main attractions is Pioneer Park, a 44-acre historic theme park on the banks of the Chena River. The Park features a Gold Rush Town with authentic historic buildings, a Native Village with Indian and Eskimo architecture and artifacts, and the riverboat Nenana in drydock. The Kitty Hensley House, home of one of Fairbanks's early citizens, has been restored and is open to the public in Gold Rush Town. A narrow gauge railroad train meanders through the park, and a mini golf course, a mining operation, three museums, and an art gallery are also part of the fun. The Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts is located at Pioneer Park.

There are 20 National Historic Register buildings within the Fairbanks area, including Creamer's Dairy Wildlife Refuge; these sites are a living testament to the area's rich cultural history. Several churches and buildings in the city are of architectural interest. Muskoxen, caribou and reindeer can be seen at the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks which offers tours of its facility from June through September.

Hot springs, gold dredges, gold camps, and engineering projects such as the first water system in permafrost ground and the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline are attractions in the outlying areas. The art of extracting gold from the frozen Alaskan ground is on display at Gold Dredge No. 8, which also has a dining hall and offers an opportunity to pan for gold. The Ester Gold Camp, a popular family attraction, features a 1900s gold camp site and town, a dining hall buffet dinner, a Saloon Show and a view of the Northern Lights set to music. The El Dorado Gold Mine offers two-hour guided tours through a permafrost tunnel, a walking tour of a mining camp, and a chance to pan for gold.

A recommended day trip is a visit to Denali National Park, 120 miles south of Fairbanks. Within its boundaries is North America's tallest mountain, Mt. McKinley (also known locally as Denali). Wildlife such as moose, grizzly bear, mountain sheep, and caribou can be seen in their natural habitat. During the summer months colorful carpets of wild-flowers add to the beauty of the park.

The Georgeson Botanical Garden, on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, offers tours in the summer months. The sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery paddles the Chena River for a three-and-a-half hour cruise and makes stops to visit Iditarod kennels, a traditional Athabascan fish camp and an Old Chena Indian Village.

Fairbanks visitors can take advantage of one or more tour packages to explore the area's beauty, wildlife, and opportunities for outdoor fun. Choices for guided tours are plentiful and varied and can include tours by horseback, canoe, raft, boat, plane, car, snowmobile, dogsled, jet boat, or even hot air balloon. Day-long and multi-day trips are available to a number of destinations for individuals and groups.

The Aurora Borealis is one natural wonder that visitors shouldn't miss when visiting the area. Recommended viewing is from September to April, with February, March, September, and October as the very best months (the midnight sun makes viewing difficult in the summer months). There are a variety of options for viewing the Northern Lights, with special guided tours of the Aurora Circle and lodges catering to Aurora viewers.

Arts and Culture

As the cultural center of the Interior, Fairbanks is home to the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, the Arctic Chamber Orchestra, Fairbanks Art Association, Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre, and the Fairbanks Drama Association & Fairbanks Children's Theatre. Musical comedy revues and light opera productions are staged by the Fairbanks Light Opera Theater, the Center Stage, and the Palace Saloon.

The city has several museums relating to the natural and cultural history of the area. The University of Alaska Museum of the North is one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in the state and is the only natural and cultural museum in Alaska. Blue Babe, the Ice Age's only restored steppe bison mummy, Alaska's largest public display of gold and Alaskan native artifacts are on exhibit. Scheduled to open in September 2005 is an addition which will display the museum's art collection, and house office space and lab space for processing animals and performing DNA testing. Fairbanks Community Museum chronicles the history of Fairbanks from its founding in 1901 to the present with a focus on the Gold Rush era and mining. In the same building is the Dog Mushing Museum which exhibits sleds, clothing, harnesses, trophies, and cold weather expedition gear. Life-size ice sculptures are on view at the Fairbanks Ice Museum which preserves year-round some of the sculptures carved during the World Ice Art Championships held annually in March.

The Alaska Public Lands Information Center provides both exhibits and recreation information on state and federal land in Alaska for those planning a trip to the "back country." Information on camping grounds, hiking trails, scenic drives, and fishing spots is available. Several art galleries are also located in Fairbanks, including the Alaska House Art Gallery and Tundra Walker Studio.

Festivals and Holidays

The North American Championship Preliminary Sled Dog Races are held in December and January. In February the Yukon Quest International Dog Sled Race is a 1,000-mile run on gold rush trails. The Tesoro Iron Dog Gold Rush Classic, also in February, is the world's longest snowmobile race. In February or early March the Ice Alaska/Winter Carnival showcases the World Ice Art Championships, an 11-day international ice carving competition. Folk, celtic, bluegrass, orchestral, and gospel music are all on stage at the Fairbanks Folk Festivals held in February and June. March is the month for the Open North American Sled Dog Championships, which attracts top sprint mushers from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan, as well as the Junior North American Sled Dog Championships. Native people from all over the state gather to share their dancing, singing, storytelling, and traditional arts and crafts at the Annual Festival of Native Arts.

June is a busy month, with the Midnight Sun Baseball Game during the summer solstice when the sun never sets and the Yukon 800, a marathon riverboat race. Music, theater, story telling, creative writing, visual arts, dance, and ice skating are on display at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks during the last two weeks in July. Also in July, Golden Days celebrates the rich gold-mining history of Fairbanks; a hairy chest, legs, and beard contest is one highlight of the five-day festival. In the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, another July event, Native people from all over the Arctic compete in games of strength and endurance; among other highlights are storytelling and Native dances.

The Tanana Valley State Fair is held in August, followed by Oktoberfest. The Athabascan Old-Time Fiddling Festival in November celebrates a musical format that is a composite of French Canadian and Scottish-Arcadian styles fused with Native tunes. Fairbanks celebrates the Winter Solstice each weekend in December with Santa, live music, and family activities downtown.

Sports for the Spectator

The Fairbanks area supports a baseball team, the Alaska Goldpanners, college players from the lower 48 who play their games at Growden Field. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks basketball and ice hockey teams host games on the University of Alaska campus and in the Carlson Center in town.

Dog mushing is the official sport of the state of Alaska, and Fairbanks is the site of mushing competitions throughout the winter. Mushing demonstrations can be seen in summer, but serious racing requires cool temperatures and snow. The Fairbanks Curling Club hosts competitions with teams from throughout Alaska, Canada, and the United States. The Greater Fairbanks Racing Association sponsors summer stock and sprint car racing nearly every weekend starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day at the Mitchell Raceway. The Sundawgs Rugby Football Club plays rugby during the Golden Days festival in July. Fairbank's junior ice hockey team is the Ice Dogs, a North American Hockey League team.

Sports for the Participant

Running is a popular activity in Fairbanks. The Equinox Marathon, said to be the second most challenging marathon in the U.S., is a 26-mile race to the top of Ester Dome. The Midnight Sun Run is held in conjunction with the celebration of the summer solstice, and the Chena River 5K Run is held in May.

Many city and area parks offer facilities for a variety of year-round indoor and outdoor recreational activities. Among the most popular pursuits are downhill and cross-country skiing, fishing, canoeing, goldpanning, hiking, hockey, hunting, ice skating, jogging, nature walks, tennis, swimming, volleyball, and racquetball. Smooth paved trails along the Chena River are ideal for biking and rollerblading. Fairbanks boasts three golf courses including the northernmost golf course, where during the mid-summer, golfers can play golf 24 hours a day. Winter is a favorite time for swimming in nearby hot springs. A skate board park and volleyball courts are located at Growden Park. Birch Hill Park, a few minutes north of Fairbanks, is a 460-acre park with hiking and running trails, mountain biking, and bird watching in the summer.

Shopping and Dining

Fairbanks has a number of shopping malls and neighborhood stores. Specialty shops feature Alaska native arts and crafts and jewelry fashioned from ivory, jade, and hematite, as well as handmade fur garments. Visitors can watch the manufacture of Alaskan birch bowls at the Great Alaskan Bowl Company where they are also for sale. Santa Claus House, located 13 miles from Fairbanks in the city of North Pole, has become a landmark, drawing visitors from throughout the world to shop for Alaskan gifts, jewelry, and clothing. Local farmers and craft makers display their wares at the Farmers' Market, open Wednesdays and Saturdays from May through the end of summer next to the Tanana Valley Fair Grounds. The city's main commercial district extends along Airport Way, between University Ave. and Cushman St. where most of the fast-food chains and malls can be found. Many bars, restaurants and businesses that cater to the university crowd are located along University Ave. and College Rd.

Dozens of restaurants in Fairbanks provide a wide range of cuisine in casual and elegant settings. Area restaurants specialize in fish from inland waters to more casual fare including miners's stew served in the dining halls of the local gold mines. Visitors can also enjoy Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, and Mexican specialties. Salmon, halibut and cod are the specialties at the Alaska Salmon Bake, one of the more popular venues with its Palace Theater and Saloon in Gold Rush Town. Located in Pioneer Park, it features evening entertainment in the summer with its "Golden Heart Revue."

Visitor Information: Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, 550 First Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701-4790; telephone (907)456-5774; toll-free (800)327-5774; fax (907)452-4190

Fairbanks: History

Discovery of Gold Brings Prospectors, Settlers

Fairbanks was founded accidentally in 1901 by CaptainE. T. Barnette. On his way to set up a trading post on the Tanana River, Barnette was instead stranded on the Chena River when the riverboat in which he was traveling was forced to turn back. As he was making plans to move his supplies to a more profitable location, gold was discovered about 12 miles away, near Fox. An Italian prospector, Felix Pedro, is credited with having made the discovery on July 22, 1902. Every year on that date, Fairbanks commemorates the gold strike with the Golden Days celebration.

During the ensuing gold rush, Barnette's trading post became the center of activity for prospectors who swarmed into the area. A settlement grew up and was named for Senator Charles Fairbanks of Indiana who served as vice president under Theodore Roosevelt from 1905-1909; the town was incorporated in 1903. Barnette was elected the first mayor of Fairbanks. He is credited with establishing telephone service, fire protection, sanitation ordinances, electricity and steam heat, but he soon fell into disfavor as a result of his involvement in a bank failure that caused many citizens to lose their savings.

Oil and Military Buildup Replace Gold as Economic Pillars

By 1910 the population of Fairbanks grew to 3,541 people, although more than 6,000 miners lived and worked their claims north of town. During World War I, however, gold activity declined and the population of the town decreased. The start of the construction of the Alaska Railroad brought another boom period, so that by 1930 the population was restored to about half of its previous level.

In 1922 the Alaska Territorial legislature accepted lands granted by the United States Congress, creating the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, which grew into the University of Alaska Fairbanks. During World War II the Alaska Highway was constructed as part of the military buildup, and Fairbanks experienced yet another boom period when thousands of military personnel were located at nearby Eielson Air Force Base and Ladd Field (now Fort Wainwright). Military personnel in the area grew from 10 in 1940 to 5,419 in 1950. Following the war, the Fairbanks population again declined, but during the following decade the community experienced gradual growth.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough was established on January 1, 1964, by an act of the Alaska State Legislature. The Borough includes the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole and encompasses 7,361 square miles (4.7 million acres), making it the fourth largest borough in the state.

In August 1967, just weeks before the expected winter freeze-up, the city was swept by a flood that inundated 95 percent of its residences and left the city under eight feet of water. Fairbanks recovered from the extensive damage, and with the discovery in 1968 of oil on the north slope of the Brooks Mountain Range, the city entered a new era of expansion.

Construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline triggered one of the city's largest booms, and the population is estimated to have reached 70,000 persons in 1977. With the completion of the pipeline construction, the community's economy went into a serious decline, but it soon recovered with the injection of state revenues in the early 1980s. By the mid-1980s, however, crude oil prices had dropped and Alaska slipped into a severe recession, with Fairbanks experiencing the most abrupt decline in the state. Since then the local economy has recovered somewhat, but high unemployment rates continued into the new millennium.

Today, Fairbanks is a popular tourist destination; visitors are attracted to its boundless opportunities for outdoor adventure and its pioneer spirit still reflected in its gold mines, saloons and frontier towns.

Historical Information: Fairbanks Historic Preservation Foundation, telephone (907)456-8848; Tanana Yukon Historical Society, telephone (907)455-8947

Fairbanks: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents (Fairbanks North Star Borough)

1980: 53,983

1990: 77,720

2000: 82,840

2003 estimate: 85,978

Percent change, 1990–2000: 6.6%

U.S. rank in 1980: Not reported

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: Not reported

City Residents

1980: 22,645

1990: 30,843

2000: 30,224

2003 estimate: 30,970

Percent change, 1990–2000: - 2.4%

U.S. rank in 1990: 878th

U.S. rank in 2000: Not reported (State rank: 3rd)

Density: 948.7 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 20,150

Black or African American: 3,370

American Indian and Alaska Native: 2,994

Asian: 821

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander: 164

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 1,854

Other: 740

Percent of residents born in state: 30.4% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 2,908

Population 5 to 9 years old: 2,503

Population 10 to 14 years old: 2,233

Population 15 to 19 years old: 2,283

Population 20 to 24 years old: 3,423

Population 25 to 34 years old: 5,588

Population 35 to 44 years old: 4,340

Population 45 to 54 years old: 3,262

Population 55 to 59 years old: 989

Population 60 to 64 years old: 709

Population 65 to 74 years old: 1,086

Population 75 to 84 years old: 700

Population 85 years and older: 200

Median age: 27.6 years

Births (2003, Fairbanks North Star Borough) Total number: 1,565

Deaths (2002, Fairbanks North Star Borough) Total number: 283

Money Income (1999)

Per capita income: $19,814

Median household income: $40,577

Total number of households: 11,075

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 822

$10,000 to $14,999: 820

$15,000 to $24,999: 1,468

$25,000 to $34,999: 1,615

$35,000 to $49,999: 2,052

$50,000 to $74,999: 2,167

$75,000 to $99,999: 1,086

$100,000 to $149,999: 802

$150,000 to $199,999: 206

$200,000 or more: 94

Percent of families below poverty level: 7.4% (41.8% of which were female householder families with related children under 5)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: Not reported

Fairbanks: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

The major daily newspaper in Fairbanks is the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, published in the morning. The Northstar Weekly is distributed in Fairbanks, North Pole and surrounding communities. The University of Alaska Fairbanks publishes the Sun Star Newspaper.

Television and Radio

Five television stations broadcast in Fairbanks; cable is available. Seventeen AM and FM radio stations broadcast in the Fairbanks metropolitan area, providing a variety of music, news, and information programming.

Media Information: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 200 North Cushman St., Fairbanks, AK 99707; telephone (907)456-6661

Fairbanks Online

City of Fairbanks website. Available www.ci.fairbanks.ak.us

Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau. Available www.explorefairbanks.com

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Available www.newsminer.com

Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation. Available www.investfairbanks.com

Fairbanks North Star Borough Home Page. Available www.co.fairbanks.ak.us

Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Available www.northstar.k12.ak.us

Fairbanks North Star Public Library. Available www.co.fairbanks.ak.us

Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. Available www.fairbankschamber.org

State of Alaska. Available www.state.ak.us

University of Alaska Fairbanks. Available www.uaf.edu

Selected Bibliography

Anders, Joyce J., Anders of Two Rivers (Fairbanks, Alaska: Jenny M. Publishers, 1997)

Blunk, R. Glendon, Yearning Wild: Exploring the Last Frontier and the Landscape of the Heart (Montpelier,Vermont: Invisible Cities Press, 2002)

Cole, Dermot, Amazing Pipeline Stories (Epicenter Press, 1997) Cole, Dermot, Fairbanks: A Gold Rush Town that Beat the Odds (Epicenter Press, 1999)

Fejes, Claire, Cold Starry Night: An Alaskan Memoir (Fairbanks, Alaska: Epicenter Press, 1996)

Fairbanks: Convention Facilities

More than 12 hotels and more than 65 bed-and-breakfast properties in Fairbanks offer a combined total of 2,000 guest accommodations and a wide variety of meeting space. The largest meeting and exhibition facility is the Carlson Center, which features a 35,000-square-foot arena and several meeting rooms, for a combined total of 50,000 square feet of space that can accommodate more than 1,200 meeting participants, 200 trade show exhibits, or 4,000 people for a concert or sports event. The Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts at Pioneer Park houses a 384-seat theater, art gallery, exhibit areas, meeting rooms and all-purpose hall. Also at Pioneer Park is the Birch Hill Cross Country Ski Center which has a 2,400 square foot assembly room. The Chief Peter John Tribal Hall (capacity 750 people) and Mushers Hall are downtown banquet and meeting facilities. The University of Alaska Museum of the North and the Tanana Valley State Fair also provide many options for meeting spaces for any type of function.

Hotel properties with meeting and conference facilities include the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, Westmark Fairbanks Hotel and Conference Center, Wedgewood Resort, Pike's Waterfront Lodge, Regency Fairbanks Hotel, and Sophie Station Hotel. Chena Hot Springs Resort, located 56 miles outside of Fairbanks, offers meeting space that can accommodate more than 100 people.

Convention Information: Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, 550 First Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701; telephone (907)457-3282; toll-free (800) 327-5774, fax (907)452-4190; email info@explorefairbanks.com

Fairbanks

The City in Brief

Founded: 1901 (incorporated 1903)

Head Official: Mayor Steve M. Thompson (since 2001)

City Population

1980: 22,645

1990: 30,843

2000: 30,224

2003 estimate: 30,970

Percent change, 1990–2000: - 2.4%

U.S. rank in 1990: 878th

U.S. rank in 2000: Not reported (State rank: 3rd)

Metropolitan Area Population (Fairbanks North Star Borough)

1980: 53,983

1990: 77,720

2000: 82,840

Percent change, 1990–2000: 6.6%

U.S. rank in 1980: Not reported

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: Not reported

Area: 32.67 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 432 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 30.4° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 11.5 inches with 67.8 inches of snowfall

Major Economic Sectors: Government, services

Unemployment Rate: 7.6% (January 2005)

Per Capita Income: $19,814 (1999)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: Not reported

Major Colleges and Universities: University of Alaska Fairbanks

Daily Newspaper: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks: Transportation

Approaching the City

The Fairbanks International Airport is served by Alaska Airlines, Alaska Central Express, Cargolux Airlines International and Lufthansa. Alaska Airlines has regularly scheduled daily flights to Anchorage and Seattle. Direct connections to major cities and international connections are made through Anchorage International Airport. Airport shuttle service into Fairbanks is available.

Principal routes into Fairbanks are the Alaska Highway, running southeast to northwest, which connects the city with the lower 48 states through Canada, and the George Parks Highway, leading south to Anchorage. Fairbanks is also connected with Anchorage via the Richardson Highway. The Dalton Highway connects Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay near the Arctic Ocean.

The Alaska Railroad, which links Fairbanks to Anchorage, Denali Park, and Seward on the Kenai Peninsula, has Fairbanks for its northern terminus.

Traveling in the City

Chartered bus tours operate throughout the tourist season in Fairbanks. The Metropolitan Area Commuter System (MACS) operates four bus routes and the Van Tran paratransit services. Alaska Cab provides taxi service in Fairbanks.

Fairbanks: Geography and Climate

Fairbanks is located in the Tanana Valley in the Interior of Alaska, 358 miles north of Anchorage and 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Significant changes in solar heat during the year produce a wide variation of temperatures from winter to summer. During the summer months (June and July) the sun is above the horizon 18 to nearly 21 hours per day and temperatures are often in the high 80s. From November to March, daylight ranges from 10 to less than 4 hours daily, and temperatures can drop to -60 degrees Fahrenheit. During the winter, ice fog can occur if the temperature drops below -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Fairbanks rarely experiences windy conditions.

Area: 32.67 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 432 feet above sea level

Average Temperatures: January, -10.2° F; August, 55.4° F; annual average, 30.4° F

Annual Average Precipitation: 11.5 inches with 67.8 inches of snowfall

Fairbanks: Introduction

Fairbanks is the second-largest city in Alaska, the northern-most city in the United States, and one of only a few communities in the entire world where a concentration of people is living at such an extreme northern latitude. Despite being the trade, transportation, and cultural center of the Alaskan Interior, Fairbanks has maintained much of its frontier character. Mining camps, swinging-door saloons, and unpaved roads mingle with modern hotels and restaurants, a symphony orchestra, and an internationally known research university. Fairbanks has almost continuous daylight from the middle of May through the end of July; on June 21st, the longest day of the year, Fairbanks has more than 20 hours of sunlight. The most distinctive feature of the city, however, is its weather: with long winter nights, snow covering the ground six months of the year, Fairbanks is quintessentially Alaska.

Fairbanks city (1990 pop. 30,843), Fairbanks North Star Borough, E central Alaska, on the Chena River near its confluence with the Tanana; inc. 1903. Fairbanks is the only sizable urban center in the vast Alaskan interior. Government, mining, tourism, oil pipeline services, and lumbering are important to its economy. Gold was discovered there, in an area sparsely inhabited by Athabascan peoples, in 1902; Fairbanks boomed briefly, then grew as the Alaska RR opened the region. Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base are now central to area development. Nearby is the Univ. of Alaska. Dogsled racing draws visitors, and the city has art galleries, theaters, a symphony, museums, and other cultural institutions.

Fairbanks: Health Care

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, the only civilian hospital in the region, serves 98,000 people in an area covering some 250,000 square miles. Operated by the Banner Health System, Fairbanks Memorial is a modern 142-bed facility that has been expanded and remodeled several times since its opening in 1972. Recent additions to the hospital include a newly expanded laboratory, Mental Health wing and Cancer Treatment Center. Memorial Hospital's sister hospital in Denali Center is a 110-bed facility.

Bassett Army Hospital at Fort Wainwright serves military personnel and retirees. Clinics in the area are the Tanana Valley Clinic, the Fairbanks Clinic, and a public health center.

Fairbanks: Municipal Government

Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB), similar to a county, is governed by an 11-member assembly and an elected mayor who is the chief executive officer. The mayor serves for three years as the executive and administrative officer of the city; elected council members serve for staggered three-year terms. Administration for the public school system is the responsibility of the FNSB.

Head Official: Mayor Steve M. Thompson (since 2001; current term expires 2007)

Total Number of City Employees: 468 (2005)

City Information: City of Fairbanks, 800 Cushman, Fairbanks, AK 99701; telephone (907)459-6793; fax (907) 459-6787

Fairbanks, Alaska/USA Founded in 1902 and named after Senator Charles W. Fairbanks (1852–1918), later Vice President (1905–9). Fairbanks led a commission in 1903 to settle a dispute with Canada over the boundary between British Columbia and the Alaskan panhandle.

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