What is the Anchorage Depot?
This still-active train station marks the point in history when the Alaska Railroad transitioned from survival to growth!
What Makes It Historical?
After the Klondike Gold Rush sent thousands hustling into the wilds of Alaska and Canada, the gold rushers quickly realized they wanted a way to get back to port efficiently, so the federal government—before Alaska was even a state—pitched in and had a railroad constructed between Seward and Fairbanks by 1923. It was the only federally owned railway in U.S. history, and it set up headquarters in Anchorage by 1917!
Anchorage at large was part tent city, part company town in the beginning, built out in a grid from the original depot. The building today, though, didn’t come around until September 15, 1942. It was built by the J.B. Warrack Company in the Moderne style for $261,000 (just over $5 million today). This was part of a huge influx of military funds into Anchorage in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the years following World War II, when the railroad hauled both freight to build Cold War military bases and tourists up north to see Denali! Today, folks can view Locomotive Number 1 (originally surplus from Panamá) out front, and can still ride the Alaska Railroad out of the historic Anchorage Depot, as far north as Fairbanks and as far south as Seward!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Buy a ticket for a train ride!
- Become a member of the Cook Inlet Historical Society!
- Donate to the Alaska Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
411 W 1st Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
In summer, the ticket counter is open daily from 5:30 AM until 1:00 PM, while in winter, it’s open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, as well as Saturdays and the first Thursday of the month from 7:00 AM until 2:00 PM!
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