Aurora Ice Museum
Aurora Ice Museum is a Museum at Milepost 56.5 Chena Hot Springs Road, Fairbanks, AK 99712, United States
The Aurora Ice Museum is a building made entirely of ice, at the Chena Hot Springs Resort east of Fairbanks, Alaska. It is the largest year-round ice structure in the world. Kept frozen through even the warmest summer by geothermally powered chillers, an ironic touch at a hot springs, it is filled with intricate sculptures carved by championship ice artists, among them jousting knights, a chess set and a chandelier. Visitors are handed parkas at the door before stepping into the cold. At the heart of it stands an ice bar, where an appletini is served in a glass carved from ice. Despite the name, the museum is about ice rather than the sky. It borrows the aurora because the two go hand in hand here: Chena, at around 65°N and far from any city glow, is one of the most reliable places in Alaska to see the northern lights, and many visitors take in the ice by day and the aurora by night.
Where to find Aurora Ice Museum?
64°53'17"N, 147°28'19"W
Aurora hunting in Fairbanks?
The aurora season here runs from August to April, with the best chances of seeing the Northern Lights in September, October, February and March. Explore Aurora Ice Museum by day, then head outside after dark to look for the aurora.
What do people think of Aurora Ice Museum?
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A bit expensive for such a short visit but it's really very pretty and original, especially the cocktail in a glass made of ice.
Un peu cher pour une visite si courte mais c'est vraiment très joli et original, Surtout le cocktail dans un verre en glace.
Jean-Pierre R24 September 2015
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Big tourist trap!! It's just a small museum with a few ice sculpture. Don't bother!
Meilissa28 February 2015
Other places to try near Aurora Ice Museum
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Alyeska Pipeline Viewpoint
Scenic Lookout
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Gold Dredge #8
History Museum
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Humble Roots Beer Project
Brewery
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Chena River
River
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Chowder House
Soup Spot
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