Page 133 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

University. Part of the Institute of Arctic Biology
at UAF, LARS provides a great opportunity to see
caribou, musk oxen and reindeer.
From LARS one can continue on to visit the only
University-owned sounding rocket range in the world!
Just look for the rocket on the right side of the road,
30 miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway.
Pioneer Park
Probably the best place for a family to play
in Fairbanks is Pioneer Park. Previously called
“Alaskaland,” Pioneer Park is a 44-acre historic theme
park with fun and adventures enough for everyone.
You can begin your adventure with a train ride around
the park on the Crooked Creek and Whiskey Island
Railroad. From there, check out the many museums
like the Pioneer Air Museum, the Native Village
Museum and the Sternwheeler Nenana, which is a
National Historic Landmark. Pioneer Park
Travelers of all ages will enjoy viewing the 29 photo by:
pioneer cabins and buildings of the gold rush town, VC Travel Guide
which include the original 1904 Presbyterian Church,
James Judge Wickersham’s house, the Palace Saloon public about the past, present and future of aviation
and Theatre and a variety of stores and eateries like in the last frontier. Stories in the museum about early
Kaethe’s Gold Cabin and Grizzly’s Tent Camp Food. aviation pioneers continue to grow as contemporary
The Wickersham House, located at Pioneer Park, pioneers achieve greater heights today.
celebrated its centennial in 2004. James Wickersham, Ladd Field
a prolific historical figure, was the first judge to sit History buffs and families will enjoy a tour of Ladd
in the Interior of Alaska in June 1900. He also led Field, known today as Fort Wainwright. Ladd was
the first expedition up Denali in 1903 with Olyman the first US Army Airfield in Alaska. The World War
Cheah of the Tena band of Indians. In 1904, the II facilities were designed to fulfill three purposes:
Wickershams began building their home, which can cold weather experimental station, air depot for repair
still be seen complete with authentic furnishings, and testing of aircraft and the principle base in Alaska
photographic displays and other exhibits. 1n 1908, for the Air Transport Command. Today it is an Army
Judge Wickersham was elected as Alaska’s delegate installation with modern barracks, family housing,
to Congress. medical center and other structures. Private tours can
After exploring museums and the Bear Art Gallery, be arranged by calling (907) 353-6682.
you can play mini-golf, rent a kayak or bike, enjoy a Other Attractions
show at the Theatre and Saloon and dine on traditional If you happen to be in Fairbanks in March, don’t
Alaskan cuisine at the Alaska Salmon Bake outdoor miss the creativity and beauty of the World Ice Art
restaurant. Championships. Carvers from all over the world travel
With so much to do and see at Pioneer Park, plan to to Fairbanks to produce these sparkling, temporary
spend several hours experiencing Fairbanks’s favorite creations. The ice used for carving is harvested from
playground. RV parking is available. Most attractions local ponds in 5-ton blocks and is renowned for its
are open from noon until 8 PM in the summer and the clarity, density and slight glacial blue tint. It is so
Park itself has extended hours. clear, that one can read a newspaper through a four-
Pioneer Air Museum foot block of ice. Ice Sculpting has been added to the
Located in the center of Pioneer Park, the Pioneer
Air Museum is housed in the beautiful Gold Dome, a
large tetrahedron structure designed by Buckminster
Fuller. In an inspiring time, early pilots were testing
the frontiers of flight as Alaska’s great land mass was
being explored on foot. The Museum houses over
a dozen authentic aircraft and the memorabilia of
Alaska’s rich and exciting aviation heritage, dating as
far back as 1913.
The personal records of daring pilots and a unique
collection of over 700 photographs chronicle the
experiences of Alaska’s brave men and women.
There is a 1938 military search and rescue plane,
a flight simulator, a 1966 US Army Bell UH1-1H
“Huey” helicopter, and one of the largest piston
engine displays ever assembled. A diorama of the
LADD Army Airfield Hanger shows Russian Lend-
Lease aircraft from the 1940s, with some of the over
7900 planes involved in that cooperative program.
The museum has preserved the remains of Colonel
Carl Ben Eielson’s Hamilton aircraft, returned to
Fairbanks after 60 years in the Siberian Arctic. The
steel memorial crosses which marked the 1935 crash
site that claimed the lives of Will Rogers and Wiley
Post near Barrow, Alaska are also on display.
The Air Museum is owned and operated by the
Interior and Arctic Alaska Aeronautical Foundation
(IAAAF), an organization dedicated to preserving
the aviation history of Alaska and educating the

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