Pioneer Park
Encyclopedia
Pioneer Park is a 44-acre (109-ha) city park in Fairbanks, Alaska
, United States
, run by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Parks and Recreation. It opened in 1967 as Alaska 67 Centennial Exposition to celebrate the centennial of the Alaska Purchase
. After being given first to the state and then to the city, Mayor Red Boucher renamed the site Alaskaland. It was then changed to its present name in 2001 out of concern that the park could be mistaken for being primarily a theme park
. The subject is still a topic of slight contention with locals.
There is no admission fee to enter the park, though many of the museums and attractions do charge an entrance fee. Concessions are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, though the park is open year round and some events are held in the off-season. Free wi-fi
is available.
The park is located along the Chena River and is accessible from Peger and Airport Roads. A waterfront path connects the park to the Carlson Center
, Growden Park and downtown Fairbanks.
The park commemorates early Alaskan history
, and includes:
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, run by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Department of Parks and Recreation. It opened in 1967 as Alaska 67 Centennial Exposition to celebrate the centennial of the Alaska Purchase
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...
. After being given first to the state and then to the city, Mayor Red Boucher renamed the site Alaskaland. It was then changed to its present name in 2001 out of concern that the park could be mistaken for being primarily a theme park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. The subject is still a topic of slight contention with locals.
There is no admission fee to enter the park, though many of the museums and attractions do charge an entrance fee. Concessions are open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, though the park is open year round and some events are held in the off-season. Free wi-fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
is available.
The park is located along the Chena River and is accessible from Peger and Airport Roads. A waterfront path connects the park to the Carlson Center
Carlson Center
The John A. Carlson Community Activity Center is a 6,443-seat multi-purpose arena in Fairbanks, Alaska. It is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks ice hockey team of the CCHA, the Fairbanks Grizzlies of the Indoor Football League, and is also the site used for the university's...
, Growden Park and downtown Fairbanks.
The park commemorates early Alaskan history
History of Alaska
The history of Alaska dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period , when Asiatic groups crossed the Bering land bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups...
, and includes:
- "Gold Rush Town" – 35 restored buildings from early Fairbanks, including the first church in Fairbanks and a house owned by JudgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
James D. Wickersham. Most now house gift shops and other merchants. - SS Nenana – a sternwheelerPaddle steamerA paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
that carried passengers and cargo on the Chena RiverChena RiverThe Chena River is a 100-mile-long river in the Interior region of the U.S. state of Alaska. It flows generally west from the White Mountains to the Tanana River near the city of Fairbanks, which is built on both sides of the river...
from 1933 to 1954. At 230 feet (70 m) it is the second-longest wooden-hulled ship still in existence. Now a museum. - Denali Observation car ("Harding Car") – the rail car used by PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Warren G. HardingWarren G. HardingWarren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
during a visit to Alaska in 1923 to formally complete the Alaska RailroadAlaska RailroadThe Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...
. - Replica Alaska Native village featuring artifacts
- Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts – theater, art gallery, and meeting hall
- Pioneer Hall – designed to resemble an early-20th-century meeting hall. Includes the Pioneer Museum, which features Gold Rush memorabilia and the "Big Stampede" mural presentation
- Pioneer Air Museum – aviation memorabilia and 14 aircraft; begun through the efforts of aviationAviationAviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Randy AcordRandy AcordRandall Keith "Randy" Acord was a historian of American aviation who in 1992 founded the Alaska Air Pioneer Museum at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, Alaska.... - Crooked Creek and Whiskey Island Railroad – operating narrow-gauge railroad which circumnavigates the park
- Tanana Valley Railroad Museum – features restored 1899 TVRR Engine No. 1, oldest working steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
in Alaska, and still operated on occasion by volunteers - Mining Valley – contains working replica of a gold rushGold rushA gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
-era sluice gateSluiceA sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill... - Replica of the wheelhouse of SS Lavelle Young, the steamer used by Fairbanks founder E.T. BarnetteE.T. BarnetteElbridge Truman Barnette , Yukon riverboat captain, banker, and swindler, founded the city of Fairbanks, Alaska and served as its first mayor.-Biography:...
to reach the site of the settlement - Mini Golf Fairbankshttp://www.minigolffairbanks.com is America's Northernmost 36 hole Mini Golf Course
- Fairbanks Arts AssociationFairbanks Arts AssociationThe Fairbanks Arts Association, is a non-profit organization established in 1966 to promote excellence in contemporary and traditional Alaskan arts in Interior Alaska. It is the oldest community arts council in Alaska as well as serving as the official arts organization for both the Fairbanks...
- a non-profit organization set up to promote excellence in contemporary and traditional arts in Interior Alaska.