Fairbanks began as a gold-mining town. The gold case displays small to fist-sized nuggets recovered from streams, as well as gold worked into artistic objects. This is the largest display of gold nuggets in the state.

The Native people of the Interior are the Athabaskans, who have survived as a recognizable group in Alaska for more than 10,000 years. Although animals were the primary source of food, clothes, and tools, the Athabaskans also used forest products to make many of their household utensils.

View the video and discover the science, history, and beauty of the northern lights. Experience the all sky camera and the experiments that show how and why we perceive the aurora.

The building of the Alaska Highway during World War II was the realization of a 19th-century dream. The Alaska Highway exhibit shows how the 97th Army Corps of Engineers, an all-Black regiment, built the Richardson Highway, Tok Cutoff, and the Alcan Highway from Delta to the Canadian border.