Quality of Life in a River Community

From Pioneer Park to Airport Way

"Fairbanks was founded on the banks of the

water, grew on the banks of the water...

  Fairbanks was - and is - a river town."

"Steamboats on the Chena"

by Basil Hedrick and Susan Savage.

Paddlers Cove

Paddler's Cove Outfitters Retail Store & Alaska Outdoor Rentals & Guides will be operating on our Summer Schedule (11:00AM to

7:00PM Daily) all summer till September 6th.

Located at 1101 Peger Road On the Chena River at Pioneer Park

For local excursions: "Just Come on down" no reservations. First come/ first serve and plenty of boats on hand.

Pioneer Park In late 1960/early 1961, the Pioneers of Alaska

requested public land from the State of Alaska. The plan for the land was to create a tourist attraction that showed historical Alaska exhibits.

 

On May 1, 1968, Mayor Red Boucher of Fairbanks signed a letter to the Prime Minister of Ottawa, Canada, stating, “Alaskaland” is the new name for the 40-acre Exposition resulting from the A-67 Centennial Site in Fairbanks last year.

In July 2002, the park was officially renamed from Alaskaland back to Pioneer Park in order to remove the persona of a “Disneyland” theme park experience.

Pioneer Park

Restaurants• Alaskan Salmon Bake• Bulgolgi House• Frosty Paws• Gold Rush Ice Cream Parlour• Mama Grizzly's Grill• More Than Just Cupcakes• Souvlaki• The Bag Ladies of Fairbanks

Shops• Betsy's Photography• Bush Babies• CHARMS by CJ• Fairbanks Arts Association• Just Originals• Little Willow• Oh So Wonderful

Museums• Alaska Native Museum• Kitty Hensley House• Pioneer Air Museum• Pioneer Museum• Riverboat Nenana• Tanana Valley Railroad Museum• Wickersham House

Arts In The Park• Bear Gallery• Gazebo Nights (June-August)• TIPS

Attractions• Alaska Outdoor Rentals & Guides• Bear Gallery• Big Stampede Show• Crooked Creek Railroad• Lucky Fox Gold Mine• Mini-Golf Fairbanks• Red & Roela's Carousel• Square Dance Hall• The Palace Theater

Carlson Center

A 6,443-seat multi-purpose arena home to local teams and leagues as well as graduation ceremonies for the University and High Schools.

Opened in 1990, the venue is named after John A. Carlson (1920-1988), who served as FNSB mayor from 1968 to 1982.

It serves as Interior Alaska's largest event facility and only facility in the Interior with tradeshow decorating capabilities. It is host to many events ranging from concerts and tradeshows to small meetings, conventions, and receptions. The Carlson Center also has its own catering department.

The facility is located on the banks of the Chena River, near Growden Memorial Park. It is owned by the Fairbanks North Star Borough and managed by SMG of Alaska, Inc.

It was one of two CCHA arenas that had Olympic-sized ice (200 feet long by 100 feet (30 m) wide).

Curling Club

The Fairbanks Curling Club was founded in 1905 and is one of the oldest sporting organizations in the state. The first curling in Fairbanks was done directly on the Chena River, and the original curling club stood closer to downtown Fairbanks. This facility was built in 1962, which is commemorated in the address (1962 2nd Avenue).

Curling was an instant hit with Alaskans when introduced by our neighbors in Canada as a fun winter pastime. There are currently 250 members in the Fairbanks Curling Club (an organization run entirely by volunteers). Teams from Fairbanks still match up against Canadians at annual bonspiels on both sides of the border.

The curling season runs from the first week of October to the first week of April. Spectators are invited to watch an average of twelve teams in league play, starting at 7:00PM on weeknights. The Fairbanks Curling Club also hosts major events on weekends throughout the season, including Yukon Title in November and International Bonspiel in the spring.

Dog Park

1998 A survey was conducted to determine which groups needed space in the planned park. The Dog Park ranked Number One among user groups, both because there are a large number of potential Dog Park users, and because the Dog Park would be a year-round use facility.

2002 In April, state non-profit status was obtained. In July, we had our formal organizational meeting; officers were elected and by-laws approved. In August, a contract to clearcut some South Davis Park acreage was awarded; about three Dog Park acres were included.

Riverfront Theatre

Hap Ryder was a legend in Fairbanks theater circles and was one of the driving forces in Alaska theater. To honor him, the board of directors of the Fairbanks Drama Association, which calls the newly-minted Hap Ryder Riverfront Theatre home, voted to rename the theater in his honor. Ryder directed more than 50 shows and appeared in nearly 30 productions there and was one of the original founding members of the drama group. Ryder died in 2007.

Ice Alaska (north shore)

Founded in April 1990, the Ice Alaska organization is truly volunteer driven. It is powered by over 90 committees, a nine member board of directors, and over 300 volunteers.

The 2014 event hosted over 100 ice artists, representing 9 countries and, many areas of the United States. In past years, artists from 45 countries have competed in the BP World Ice Art Championships.

Competition sculptures and exhibition pieces, and the ever-expanding playful ice attractions in the Kids Park.

Spurce Tree Montessori

The mission of Spruce Tree Montessori School is to instill a lifetime love of learning through accredited elementary programming in an inspiring environment using the Montessori philosophy. Spruce Tree will promote the Montessori philosophy throughout the Fairbanks community in an effort to further inform the general public of its benefits.

Waste Water Treatment Fairbanks is fortunate to have an abundant supply of fresh water. The

Golden Heart Utilities Water Treatment Plant treats this water to provide high quality water to the greater Fairbanks community. The plant produces nearly 1.3 billion gallons of water annually.

Water is pumped from four wells along the Chena River and treated to remove iron and manganese, which affects taste, and causes mild discoloration and staining.

Since construction of the Fairbanks Water Treatment Plant in 1953, materials removed from the water during the treatment process have been discharged into the Chena River under a permit issued by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

Power Plant

Incorporated in 1946 in Fairbanks, Alaska, Golden Valley Electric Association took shape when a small group of locals became interested in bringing electric service to rural areas and furthering the agricultural industry in Interior Alaska. These pioneers applied to the Rural Electrification Administration, which granted a loan to form a not-for-profit rural electric cooperative.

Power Plant and District Heat System operates in the core area of the City of Fairbanks. The plant began operating in 1952 and was purchased from the Municipal Utility System in 1998. The plant produces steam heat and hot water heat for approximately 180 district heat customers. The plant is capable of providing 30 megawatts of wholesale electrical power generation to the local electric cooperative, Golden Valley Electric Association.

Chena River Pedestrian Path (South Shore) The Chena River Bicycle/Pedestrian Path Centennial Bridge

to Steese Bridge.

The project was funded by the State of Alaska, Department of Transportation to provide a pedestrian and bike path along the Chena River in Fairbanks as well as a “seat wall” at a monument designed to commemorate the pilots that participated in the “WW II Lend-Lease” Program

Maintained annually by Festival Fairbanks & the Fairbanks Gardening Club

Saint Matthews Church

St. Matthews is one of the three oldest churches in Fairbanks, located on First Avenue, across the street from the Chena River, in Fairbanks,Alaska.   The original church building burned in 1947, but the great wooden altar and other carvings were saved, and were replaced with the present St. Matthew's Church building.  

First services in the new church were held Christmas Eve, 1948. It's congregation numbers about 1200, over half of which are Alaskan Native.  The Lord's Prayer is prayed nearly every Sunday (if a speaker is present) in the Gwitch'in, the Athabaskan language, as well as in English.  

Masonic Temple

Freemasonry arrived in Fairbanks soon after the city’s founding, and although the local chapter (Tanana Lodge) did not receive its charter until 1908, it is certain that the men who started the lodge were active Masons long before the local chapter was officially recognized.

The building that would become the Fairbanks Masonic Temple was constructed in 1906 as the Tanana Commercial Company store, but two years later the Masonic Lodge purchased the structure.

Old Library

Fairbanks' first public library is a direct result of Episcopal Church efforts to provide reading materials for residents of Alaska’s frontier settlements.

Hudson Stuck, Episcopal Archdeacon of the Yukon, wrote in 1904 that there were few places in Fairbanks for men to go in the evening, “...save the saloons with their lewd pictures, their gambling tables and their general blackguardism.”

Elks Lodge (north shore)

Come visit us at 1003 Pioneer Road, Fairbanks, Alaska. We are the Farthest North Elks Lodge, situated on the northern bank of the Chena River.

The Lodge meets on the third Tuesday at 7pm. Initiations are normally on the third Tuesday. Trustees meet on the second Tuesday at 6:00pm, followed by the House Committee meeting.

The Club opens daily at 10 am.

Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday, 11:30-2pm.

Wednesday night dinner is 5:30-8pm.

Friday night dinner is 6-9pm.

Hot dogs and Pizza are available at the bar during Thursday and Saturday Poker.

Come try our Indoor Golf!

FNSB Building (north shore)

The Fairbanks North Star Borough boundaries are a land area slightly smaller than that of the state of New Jersey.

As of 2010 the population was 97,581

Big I THE BIG I is actually a third incarnation of what started as the

notorious and legendary Nevada Bar. The Nevada had opened its doors on April 15th, 1958 and was very popular with an eclectic crowd of true Alaskan pioneers, miners, trappers, sourdoughs and businessmen--many of the iconic shakers and movers of the Interior in what was still the Territory of Alaska.

it reincarnated into The Big International Bar, or as it was always called, "The Big I"which had closed after the Great Flood of 1967. The Bar was owned by John J. "Jack" Sexton and from 1974 managed andeventually jointly owned by the lovable and locally famous character, Bert J. "Hap" Ryder until John Jackovich bought it in 2006.

Immaculate Conception Church Immaculate Conception Church located on Cushman Street

near the bridge, was listed on the Register of Historical Sites, April 3, 1976. Credit for this recognition goes especially to Matilda Stepovich, wife of Michael Stepovich, and Father Lawrence Nevue, S.J. A debt of gratitude is also owing to Father Francis Mueller, S.J., Professor Paul H. McCarthy, Mr. Lee Linck, and Mr. Lawrence S. Gordon.

Now it remains with the good parishioners and all interested donors to maintain the site as the Federal Government requires.

The “little church” was built by the Father Francis Monroe, S.J., in 1904. Its first location was at Dunkel Street near Front Street, situated across the Chena River from its present site and some four hundred feet upstream.

Golden Heart Plaza

Golden Heart Plaza was completed in 1987 and blossoms with colorful flowers in the summer months where many of the celebrations in Fairbanks, Alaska take place. During the winter, the plaza is adorned in twinkling lights which look amazing against the blanket of snow.

The statue in the middle of the fountain is known as "Unknown First Family" and was created by Malcolm Alexander. It has been dedicated to all the Families of the past, the present and the future as well as the courageous and brave spirit of the people of Alaska's interior.

The statue stands 18 feet high with water spouting from the base near the feet of the Inuit family and then cascades over the rockery into the pool surrounding the statue.

Tourists enjoy the scenic fountain in the center of Golden Heart Plaza, located in the heart of downtown Fairbanks along the banks of the Chena River

MTCVC Since 1998, the Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau and

the Alaska Public Lands Information Center talked of sharing a new facility that would inspire residents and visitors to get out and explore Interior and Arctic Alaska.

At the same time, Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) dreamed of having a cultural center to preserve Athabascan languages, carry-on traditional knowledge through Elder teachings, and instill confidence and pride in Alaska Native youth. It was Alaska’s Congressional delegation, led by Senator Ted Stevens, who suggested these three entities work together to plan and build a joint facility

While visiting the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center you will experience the grandeur of Interior Alaska. Located on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, this extraordinary community centerpiece celebrates who we are and how we live. It educates residents and visitors about our natural and cultural history, and we hope it motivates you to go out and explore all that Fairbanks and the Interior has to offer.

Tanana Chiefs Conference

Keep walking, and you’ll pass the Chena Bingo Hall, David Salmon Tribal Hall, and Chief Peter John Tribal Building, which make up the headquarters for Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC). TCC is a nonprofit organization made up of representatives from member tribes that acts as a service provider for native communities throughout the Interior. They have health clinics and programs that address public safety, education, and employment. Their services cover an area just slightly smaller than the size of Texas.

The Tanana Chiefs Conference region covers an area of 235,000 square miles, an area equal to about 37 percent of the state of Alaska, and just slightly smaller than the state of Texas. The total population of the region is 86,130 of which 10,623 are Natives. About one-half of the entire Native population resides in Fairbanks, which is the only urban area in the region.

Historic Moments

Fairbanks was established as a trading post by Captain E.T. Barnette, in the late summer of 1902. His chartered vessel, “La Velle Young”, had come some twelve miles up the Chena River, a tributary of the Tanana River, when the water became shallow hindering further progress of the vessel. So the captain hurriedly unloaded his cargo and set to work building cabins from trees felled on the spot. So the town came to be…..

In 1904, Felix Pedro discovered Gold ~ and many years later, Golden Days week long celebration would be hosted on the banks of the Chena.

Future Momentum

Downtown Association's Vision Fairbanks Plan

Festival Fairbanks’ North Shore Riverwalk