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When we were in Fairbanks in early June last year, it was a shocking 80+ F degrees (27 C). So the idea of stepping out of the sun and into the Fairbanks Ice Museum was very appealing!
The Fairbanks Ice Museum is housed in an old movie theater in downtown Fairbanks. It’s a funny little place, with old-timey Alaska charm. And, yes, it’s a little tired and hokey.
If you are expecting to spend hours wandering a magical forest of elaborate ice sculptures, you will be disappointed. The museum is small, dimly lit, and stocked with aging ice sculptures—but also a few gems.
But if you enjoy quirky attractions and enjoy it for what it is, I think it’s still worth a stop. I liked that we were the only ones in there, and that they let you interact with (i.e. sit on) a lot of the sculptures. And if you time it right, you’ll get to watch the in-house ice sculptor ply his craft.
It’s good casual fun.
There are two main activities at the Ice Museum: the ice sculptures (aka Ice Museum) and the Aurora Show. You can go to either one, or both! They are ticketed separately. Read on to learn more about both options.
Ice Museum
The ice museum is smaller than it you think it will be. And maybe a little cheesier. As I mentioned, the best part about the ice museum is that it is interactive.
The first fun activity is an ice slide right at the entrance. Just hop on the little red sled and hold on for dear life as you zip down the slide. It takes all of two seconds. A carpet at the bottom will slow you right down. You can slide down as many times as you want! It’s no roller coaster, but it’s silly fun.
Once you’ve had your fill of slide thrills, you are free to wander around admiring the various ice creatures frozen in action. You can climb on some of animals—you’ll know you can if you see a blanket or fur on top. Have a seat in the ice throne, have your picture taken through an ice frame, and admire the incredibly clear ice on the polar bear.
Some of the sculptures are starting to lose their shape a little (I mean, don’t we all at a certain age…). But there is still plenty of talent to admire.
If you hit the timing right (usually on the hour), you can watch local ice sculptor An, Zhe wield a chainsaw (behind protective plexiglass) to make some quick ice art (tips are appreciated).
Aurora Show
The Aurora Experience film would probably be torture for the TikTok generation. It’s so slooow. And looong. But it’s an absolute work of art, and I’m glad I saw it.
The Aurora film reminds me of the kind of show my grandparents would have taken me to—they always enjoyed a good “travelogue”. I know that doesn’t sound like a huge selling point. But hear me out.
If you view the film in the context of when it was made, and the technology at the time, it was truly revolutionary. We are so spoiled now with a whole film studio in our pockets.
The Aurora Experience is the culmination of years of work by local photographer Roy Zimmerman. He was the first person to capture the auroras in panorama, developing a unique camera setup and stitching three horizontal 35mm shots together (starting in the 1960’s). He then took it one step further and created a “photo symphony” of these still images set to classical music. This is basically what you see in the Aurora Experience film.
It’s very zen if you let it soak in.
If nothing else, just appreciate the immense amount of work that went into his creations…and the technology that it makes it so easy for you to do today.
If you haven’t seen the aurora borealis yet, this might just be the next best thing.
You aren’t allowed to take photos or videos during the film, but The World At Night (TWAN) website will give you a good idea of what to expect.
If you do want to see the film, make sure to time your visit to catch one of the two showings per day. When we were there in June 2024, it was showing at 9am and 8pm.
You can see the film and visit the ice museum on different days, even with the combo ticket.
Fairbanks Ice Museum Tickets
You can buy tickets for the Ice Museum and Aurora Show separately or get a combo ticket. They are pretty chill (haha) at the ticket office, so I bet if you just buy one and then change your mind and want to do the other activity, they would let you just add on the additional cost to make it a combo.
As of Summer 2025, for adults the film is $10, the ice sculptures are $15, and the combo ticket is $22. Kids under 5 are free!
People complain that the tickets are a little pricy for what is on offer but, hey, it’s Alaska—everything costs a lot here. Besides, I can’t imagine their electricity bill in summer, keeping everything super chilly.
Final Thoughts
Do yourself a favor and support this fun little quirky museum on your visit to downtown Fairbanks. It might be the only chance you ever get to see real-life ice sculptures and the people who make them. I think they’d do better if they added in some fresh ice sculptures, but that’s probably harder than it sounds.
But bring a jacket and bundle up—they keep it cold enough to remind you how far north you are.
And if you find yourself really getting into bundling up to look at ice sculptures, head to the Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Hot Springs next! They really take it up a notch.
