Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum
Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum
5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
109 reviews
Excellent
86
Very good
21
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Robert D
Brooklyn, New York4,257 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
The Whitneys operated a gift shop for many years. They commissioned native artists to produce items for them to sell. The museum is a collection of these items. They had stuffed animals on display as well as many native Alaska items. It is an interesting museum.
Written July 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CRAIG C
Utah438 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
The locals suggested this museum that is located at the college. The bonus is this is free admission to this great collection of art/wildlife. While the middle is full of taxidermied animals, the exhibits around the room are interesting. You have to see the unique native art work that includes your basic weaved basic to small dog sleds made from ivory.
Written June 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VillagerRick
The Villages, FL1,013 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We stumbled upon this gem while looking for something else. This is the best museum in town. The free to visit facility is totally worth an hour or two. Very well presented.
Written July 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol R
Worcester, UK347 contributions
Jul 2019
This museum is very different, having all the animals in life size form inside. It really gives you a feel for the true size of the animals. It is also very child friendly ad touchy feely for the children.
Written August 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DKinTX
Dallas, TX54 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
Such an interesting collection of artifacts wonderfully displayed. This is one of the more beautiful and well organized museums we've been in. The animal displays were some of the best we've seen in Alaska.
Written October 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deana S
35 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
This is a great little museum with wonderful displays. Best part is it's also free and better than the paid museum in town. #BobtheMoose
Written June 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IHC1980
Vancouver, WA11 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
The museum has done a great job of displaying many interesting artifacts from all over the state. They had both native and non-native displays.
Written August 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TNKaz
Kingston, TN390 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
This museum, at the Prince William Sound Community College, is really superb! I think it is the best display of trophy class mounted animals that I have ever seen. Polar and grizzly bears, moose, caribou, musk ox and others are included in the display of big game animals. We really enjoyed this museum of Alaskan life, culture, and wildlife, which includes one of the largest private collections of Native Alaskan art and artifacts in the world. This is worth visiting! And it is FREE, although donations are appreciated.
Written September 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SubarcticHomebody
Anchorage, AK343 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We live in Alaska and are regular museum visitors whenever we visit towns in our state: Fairbanks, Seward, Anchorage, and Valdez. We stopped in here one Thursday afternoon. Admission was free, with a donation requested. The museum is administered by the Prince William Sound Community College and is housed in a building connected to it's campus. This museum has only one large gallery and houses the collection of long-time Alaskan Maxine Whitney, who accumulated these items traveling about the state purchasing art and artifacts for sale in her gift shop.
The interpretive displays contain an interesting discussion of what makes something art and whether art created for the commercial or tourist market is somehow tainted by the commercial motivation. There is also interesting information about the trade schools that taught young Alaska Natives to carve and weave. A free interpretive booklet detailing the life and collection of Maxine Whitney and her husband, Jesse, and giving more information about some of the items in the collection is available at the entrance.
I was particularly impressed by the collection of ivory carvings. There were many from different artists around the state and they were grouped by theme. Particularly unusual was a set of airplanes commissioned by Maxine Whitney to commemorate the history of flight in Alaska.
This collection and display is not particularly child friendly, but there is a scavenger hunt, word find and coloring page at the back of the interpretive booklet. I wish the docents staffing the front entry had mentioned this to me when we entered. Other parents may want to know.
The interpretive displays contain an interesting discussion of what makes something art and whether art created for the commercial or tourist market is somehow tainted by the commercial motivation. There is also interesting information about the trade schools that taught young Alaska Natives to carve and weave. A free interpretive booklet detailing the life and collection of Maxine Whitney and her husband, Jesse, and giving more information about some of the items in the collection is available at the entrance.
I was particularly impressed by the collection of ivory carvings. There were many from different artists around the state and they were grouped by theme. Particularly unusual was a set of airplanes commissioned by Maxine Whitney to commemorate the history of flight in Alaska.
This collection and display is not particularly child friendly, but there is a scavenger hunt, word find and coloring page at the back of the interpretive booklet. I wish the docents staffing the front entry had mentioned this to me when we entered. Other parents may want to know.
Written July 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AmericanOdyssey
Valdez, AK176 contributions
Jan 2013 • Couples
The Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum is connected to Prince William Sound Community College. This little museum has a great collection of Alaskan artifacts, and is free to the public (but donations are welcome).
The nice thing about this museum is the collection is just large enough to you a good introduction to Alaska. I am not much of the museum guy. However, this one is just right. I can enjoy it, and not feel like I have been stuck indoors all day.
The nice thing about this museum is the collection is just large enough to you a good introduction to Alaska. I am not much of the museum guy. However, this one is just right. I can enjoy it, and not feel like I have been stuck indoors all day.
Written April 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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