Resolution Park in downtown Anchorage features views of Cook Inlet, Port of Anchorage, Mount Sustina and even Mount McKinley. You will also find a monument of Captain Cook, commemorating the 200th anniversary of his exploration of Alaska. Another feature in downtown Anchorage is one of the famous Whaling Walls by the marine life artist Wyland. The mural attracts visitors and residents with depictions of marine animals native to Alaska.
The turreted Wendler Building kicks off the annual Iditarod sled dog race and features a bronzed statue of Balto the dog. In 1925, Balto led a team of dogs on the Iditarod trail to transport a treatment for diphtheria to the town of Nome, inspiring the tradition of the race. The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau Log Cabin in downtown Anchorage adds charm to the center of the town. The Holy Family Cathedral (holyfamilycathedral.org), relocated to Anchorage from Knik in the 1920s, received a visit from Pope John Paul II in 1981.
Delaney Park, known as "The Park Strip," provides visitors with a display of the natural beauty of Anchorage. The long, rectangular stretch of land served as an airplane runway during the 1920s, but in 2011 flashes color with the Centennial Rose Garden. Guest of Delaney Park will also find an antique train engine and memorials for World War II veterans and Martin Luther King, Jr. For another outdoor experience, visit Portage Glacier, which is just 45 miles south of downtown Anchorage.
Explore the rich history of Anchorage through the city's various museums. The Alaska Native Heritage Center (alaskanative.net) presents locals and visitors with information on cultural practices of native Alaskans. The Alaska Natural History Museum (alaskamuseum.org) allows visitors to study natural elements of Alaska, such as rocks, minerals and fossils. The Oscar Anderson House Museum (anchoragehistoricproperties.org), one of the first family residences built in Anchorage, still displays some of the family's original belongings.
