Anchorage Historical Buildings (Self Guided), Anchorage

As a perfect basecamp for exploring much of what Alaska has to offer, Anchorage is the font of the state’s history. The Downtown’s convenient grid pattern – compact enough to be walked by curious visitors ready to explore the 49th state's largest and most important city – was set up at the same time as the construction started on the Government Hill neighborhood in 1915.

Many of the buildings from that era have survived the destructive 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and today stand as a reminder of the sacrifices that Anchorage’s founding fathers had made to give a future to their budding brainchild. Among them is the 4th Avenue Theatre, the Art Nouveau gem which is one of the city’s most beloved landmarks and Alaska’s most popular entertainment venue.

Strolling through town, you wouldn't want to miss the historic Old City Hall – a two-story cast concrete edifice from 1936; or the Anchorage Hotel – first built in 1916, among whose guests at one time was Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States; or the city’s first building – the wood-frame Oscar Anderson House, offering a glimpse of Anchorage's earliest roots: the interior style and daily life of Alaskans back in the early 1900s.

Other noteworthy structures include many of the adorable circa-1915 cottages that line 4th Avenue, and the Alaska Railroad's Anchorage Depot built in 1942.

If you want to hear more stories of Anchorage's earliest days and visit these and other relevant locations, as if led by the local Alaskan who knows each and every corner and (almost) every secret of this captivating city, take our self-guided walk!