Alaska’s railroad heritage is told in three very different places. The Anchorage Museum holds a photographic archive of the Alaska Railroad, the museum at Wasilla covers transportation more broadly, and the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum at Fairbanks keeps an operating collection in the interior.
Each listing below links to a full guide with the history, what to look for and how to reach the operator.
Railroad museums & sites in Alaska — 3
Anchorage Museum — Alaska Railroad Archive
The Anchorage Museum’s Alaska Railroad Collection preserves photographs and historical material documenting the line and the communities along it. Although the railway is the principal subject, the images also capture aspects of everyday life in Alaska, giving the collection value beyond transport history alone. It belongs in an archival and research category rather than a train-yard museum list. Readers should arrange access and reproduction inquiries with the museum’s resource center instead of expecting all material to be on permanent display.
Read the guide →Museum of Alaska (formerly Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry)
Formerly the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, this Wasilla museum places railroads within the wider story of travel and work in Alaska. Outdoor railway equipment is displayed alongside other forms of transportation and industrial machinery. The collection explores how engines and railcars supported mining, military activity and settlement, making it especially useful for understanding why railways mattered in a landscape where distance, winter and limited roads shaped daily life.
Read the guide →Tanana Valley Railroad Museum
The Tanana Valley Railroad Museum preserves the story of the narrow-gauge railway that served the Fairbanks region’s early mining economy. Its best-known exhibit is Engine No. 1, restored by the Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad after a lengthy volunteer effort. The locomotive provides a tangible connection with early Interior Alaska transportation. Museum opening and actual steam operation are different things, so visitors hoping to see it running should check the event schedule.
Read the guide →Ride a train in Alaska
Museums are for walking around; these operators run trains you can ride.
- White Pass & Yukon Route — Skagway: narrow-gauge scenic railway
Keep exploring
- All heritage sites — flagship sites and state guides
- Alaska & Hawaii — the trains you can ride in the region
- Railroad museums in Hawaii