Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center

09/11/2026

Second Friday sale is on! Look at these incredible pieces of art. From 10-4 at Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center!

09/11/2026

Today! Friday the 11th from 10-4. We've got artists setting up now, and there's some beautiful work. As always. Come on down to MTCVC in downtown Fairbanks and see the offerings!

Second Friday is tomorrow, September 11th.

You know what that means - Second Friday sale at Denakkanaaga, and their artists only bring the good stuff!

Come browse beautifully made Alaska Native art, crafts and gifts from talented local artists and artisans. The quality is wonderful, the people are delightful and you never know what treasure you’ll find.

Stop on by between 10 AM–4 PM at the Denakkanaaga suite here at MTCVC. Budget accordingly!

09/10/2026

Second Friday is tomorrow, September 11th.

You know what that means - Second Friday sale at Denakkanaaga, and their artists only bring the good stuff!

Come browse beautifully made Alaska Native art, crafts and gifts from talented local artists and artisans. The quality is wonderful, the people are delightful and you never know what treasure you’ll find.

Stop on by between 10 AM–4 PM at the Denakkanaaga suite here at MTCVC. Budget accordingly!

08/27/2026

We still have FREE maps!

Response has been great, but the agency who gave us maps to give away gave us a lot of maps!

Perfect for art, school projects, research, crafts, or creative décor.

Choose from DEW Line maps, aerial photography maps, mine exploration maps, and more.

Stop by the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center and take some home. We’re open seven days a week.

08/25/2026

It’s National Parks Week!

We’re lucky to have some truly spectacular National Park Service neighbors here in Interior Alaska. To the north, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve and Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve. To the south the renowned Denali National Park & Preserve.

Here at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center we’re lucky to work alongside the wonderful staff of the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center. They bring an incredible depth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and genuine love for Alaska’s public lands to our visitors every day. And they’re great coworkers!

Celebrate the parks, the wild places they protect, and the people who help all of us understand and enjoy them today and every day!



Photo: A Ranger shows the Gould Cabin, a National Register of Historic Places entry located here at Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. Photo courtesy of NPS.

08/20/2026

Join Explore Fairbanks as they host Dr. Akasofu for a special aurora presentation on August 21st!

To help celebrate the start of the Aurora Season, renowned aurora researcher Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu will give a presentation entitled “What is the Aurora? Why Does it Dance All Over the Sky?” on Friday, August 21st, at 6pm at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center (MTCVC).

Dr. Akasofu’s groundbreaking research in the 1960’s helped explain how auroras develop while his outreach helped establish the city as one of the world’s premier aurora-viewing destinations. A longtime University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist, he introduced the concept of the auroral substorm and brought international recognition to Fairbanks as a center for space and Arctic research. He also helped connect Fairbanks with Japanese travelers, welcoming visitors and sharing the science behind the northern lights. He was inducted into the Explore Fairbanks Tourism Hall of Fame in 2024.

Photo Credits: Dr. Akasofu - University of Alaska Fairbanks; The Aurora Borealis shines above Bear Lake - United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang

08/19/2026

Happy National Aviation Day!

Aviation has shaped Alaska’s past, connects our communities today, and will remain essential to our future.

Visit the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center to see the Flying Bishop’s historic plane, learn about Alaska’s aviation story, and celebrate the next generation of aviators through the National Park Service and UAF Summer Sessions' Aviation Camp we’re proud to host for young people every summer. The camp is able to partner with US Wildland Fire Service (Alaska Fire Service), Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, Civil Air Patrol, and Fort Wainwright to offer a variety of experiences to the participants.

We’re also grateful for the visitors from across Alaska and around the planet who are able to make their way to the Interior (and through our doors!) thanks to aviation.

08/19/2026

Our neighbors in Tok are dealing with the Mukluk Fire, and Alaskans look out for each other. People across the Interior are doing what they (we) can to help.

Please help in ways that actually help. Unless you absolutely must be in the area, stay away—firefighters, emergency crews and evacuees need clear roads and access.

And no drones. At all. A drone in the fire’s airspace means every firefighting aircraft must be grounded. Imagine learning that aircraft could not drop water or retardant near your home because someone wanted drone footage. How would you feel about that person? Don’t be that person.

Official Mukluk Fire updates can be found here: https://akfireinfo.com/tag/mukluk-fire/

Here in Fairbanks many are coming together to send support. Our neighbors up the street at the Farthest North Girl Scout Council are collecting snacks and cases of water at their office located at 431 Old Steese Highway, Suite 100, and will get them to Tok. The office is staffed from 9-2 Monday through Thursday, and 9-12 on Friday. They are planning to make their delivery on Friday, so you have time to get things ready.

Be safe and fire aware out there, and remember the wise words of Smokey Bear - only you can prevent wildfires.

Photo: E. Hjortstorp Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry & Fire Protection - DFFP

08/17/2026

Free Alaska Maps Looking for Good Homes!

We have stacks of paper maps of Alaska, along with a few maps of Mexico, available free to a good home in the Trip Planning area at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center.

Think of it as a treasure hunt!

Stop by, dig through the stacks, and take home anything that catches your eye. Use them for trip planning, classrooms, art projects, research, decorating, daydreaming, or whatever else you can dream up.

Please just be considerate of the space and help us keep the stacks reasonably tidy while you explore. They’re here until they are gone, so don’t miss out on this opportunity.

You’re not just finding treasure, you might even find a treasure map…

We’re open 8-6 every day until we go to Aurora Season hours in September.