Tours

Bear and Moose Encounters, and more

AWCC offers up-close and personal experiences. Book early and enjoy Moose Encounters, Bear Encounters, and Walk on the Wild Side Tours.

General Admission

Admission tickets to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center do not sell out. Tickets can be purchased upon arrival the day of your visit.

2024 General Admission Prices

General Admission: $25 per person (ages 13 and up)
Youth: $20 per person (ages 4 to 12)
Child: Free (3 and under)
Military: $22 per person (active US military with ID)
Alaska: $22 per person (Valid Alaska ID required. Year Round.)
Alaska Youth: $18 per person (ages 4 to 12. Valid Alaska ID required. Year Round.)

Experience Alaska’s wildlife via AWCC’s scenic 1.5-mile loop, accessible by foot, by bike, or by car, while learning about our resident wildlife via interpretive signs at each animal habitat. AWCC encourages you to visit the center with your walking shoes and camera in hand for an educational Alaskan experience to remember. The sanctuary maintains over 200 acres of spacious habitats for resident animals to feel at home displaying their natural wild behavior as education ambassadors for their species. It is common for visitors to see brown bears swimming, moose strutting, wood bison roaming, muskox playing, wolves posing, porcupines climbing, and more!

Walk on the Wild Side Tour

Enjoy a tour where your personal guide walks you through the Center, offering history and stories of resident wildlife – and you’ll get to feed an animal! Reserve your tour online today!

Person feeding a porcupine
Person feeding a porcupine

Reservations must be booked in advance.

Season: Offered year-round
Time:
2PM – 3:30PM
Purchase Tickets: 
Click here to reserve your tour online today! Day of tickets must be purchased over the phone or at the Center by 12 pm.

2024 Rate: $125.00 per person (price includes admission)
2025 Rate: $140.00 per person (price includes admission)
Dress appropriately: AWCC does not provide rain gear, boots, hats, or gloves.
Capacity: Space is limited to 10 guests.
Restrictions: Ages 10 and over only. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Face masks are only required if guests have flu, cold, or other respiratory compromised symptoms. AWCC will provide the face mask if required.
Bonus:
receive a 20% discount on a Bear Encounter if you have booked a Walk on the Wild Side (WOW) Tour for the same day. Email events@alaskawildlife.org with your WOW confirmation number for booking details. Based on availability. Age restrictions apply.

Please read our cancellation policy

Moose Encounter

Moose Encounters allow visitors to get up close and personal with our resident moose. Visitors are able to feed the moose browse right out of their hand while our staff shares information about their diet, behavior, and wild counterparts.

Season: June 1 – September 15
When: Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sun only.
Time: 10:30AM – 11:00AM rain or shine*

Rate: $30 per person, does not include admission.
Purchase Tickets: Reservations required. Book Online HERE. Book early to ensure your spot this summer.
Location: Earthquake Deck (first right after the entrance)
All ages welcome. (Tickets required.)
Capacity: Limited to 35 people.
Restrictions: Face masks are only required if guests have flu, cold, or other respiratory compromised symptoms. AWCC will provide the face mask if required.

Please read our cancellation policy.

AWCC provides means of hand sanitation before/after the encounter.
Come to the Earthquake Deck between 10:30 am and 11:00 am to feed a moose and snap a picture! Moose Encounters allow visitors to get up close and personal with our resident moose. Visitors are able to feed the moose browse right out of their hand while our staff shares information about their diet, behavior, and wild counterparts. If you have any questions please email info@alaskawildlife.org.

Kobuk the Black Bear Encounter

Get an up-close and personal experience with Kobuk the Black Bear this summer!

A bear licks a bowl with dandelions in the foreground

Participate in AWCC’s quality animal care practices by working with AWCC staff to make dietary and/or engaging enrichment items for Kobuk the black bear. Participants will then place enrichment items inside Kobuk’s habitat and watch him enjoy! ​

Enrichment examples include puzzle feeders filled with produce and decorated with peanut butter; biodegradable tubes decorated, scented, and filled with treats; decorated boxes filled with animal hair and kibble; grass clippings sprayed with perfume for fun scent enrichment which Kobuk likes to roll in, and antlers painted in syrup and sunflower seeds. All these fun “crafty” enrichment projects will be made by you, then you get to hide them in Kobuk’s habitat and watch him seek them out and engage with your enrichment craft.

This 45-minute program is offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (rain or shine) at 2:45 pm from June 18 to August 31. Space is limited to 4 people. Must be 12 years and older. [Disclosure: there will be no physical touching of bears.]

Season: June 18 – August 31
When: Tues, Thurs, and Sat only
Time: 2:45 pm – 3:30 pm rain or shine
Rate: $175 per person (includes admission)
Purchase Tickets: Book Online HERE
Book early to ensure your spot this summer.
Check-In Location: From the main parking lot, walk toward the Be Wild Gift Shop. Take the stairs on the right side of the building to the picnic tables under the covered patio. Look for the table that has a reserved sign for the Kobuk Encounter. Please check-in no later than 2:40PM.
Restrictions: Ages 12 years and older only!  Ages 12 – 17 must be accompanied by a ticketed adult.
Capacity: Space is limited to 4 guests.

Day of tickets must be purchased over the phone (907-783-0058 x 8) or at the Center by 11 am.

Please read our cancellation policy

Bear Encounter

Get an up-close and personal experience with AWCC’s resident brown bears this summer!

Participate in their daily training and feeding all while learning about bear behavior and diet. This 30-minute program is offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (rain or shine) at 3:45 pm from June 1 to August 15. Space is limited to 10 people. Must be 12 years and older. [Disclosure: there will be no physical touching of bears.]

Your tour will begin promptly at 3:45 pm, please check-in at the ticket booth to get your admission ticket and then check-in at 3:30 pm for the Bear Encounter at the Bears Bathroom.

Day of tickets must be purchased over the phone or at the Center by 11 am.

Season: June 1 – August 15
When: Mon, Wed and Fri only
Time: 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm rain or shine
Rate: $175 per person (includes admission)
Purchase Tickets: Book Online HERE Book early to ensure your spot this summer.
Location: Check-in at the BEARS Bathroom at 3:30 pm
Restrictions: Ages 12 years and older only!  Ages 12 – 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Capacity: Space is limited to 10 guests.
Bonus:
receive a 20% discount on a Bear Encounter if you have booked a Walk on the Wild Side (WOW) Tour for the same day. Email events@alaskawildlife.org with your WOW confirmation number for booking details. Based on availability. Age restrictions apply.

Please read our cancellation policy

Virtual Tours

Can’t make it to AWCC in person? Join us for a virtual tour! During a virtual tour, you will be engaged by a walking tour of AWCC or a show and tell with one of our animal ambassadors.

A person take a photo of themselves feeding a porcupine

Season: Year-Round. Availability increases October – May.
When: Flexible Schedule, based on availability
Price: $100 for 30 Minutes, $200 for 1-hour
Reservations required. Email education@alaskawildlife.org to book
Location: AWCC using virtual conferencing platform

Great for all ages!

Can’t make it to AWCC in person? Join us for a virtual tour! During a virtual tour, you will be engaged by a walking tour of AWCC or a show and tell with one of our animal ambassadors. You will learn fun new information about Alaskan wildlife and have an opportunity to ask our naturalist staff questions in real time. If along the way there is a unique opportunity for insight into operations or care at AWCC, we will pause to take a closer look. Virtual tours are great for birthdays, family reunions, and more! Purchase a virtual tour gift certificate through our online store.

AWCC has special Holiday Hours! Come celebrate the season with the wildlife. In addition to our normal operations, we will be open on December 26, December 31, and January 2. Walk on the Wild Side Tours are open for booking which include an animal encounter and feeding. Kick-sleds are also available!