Discover College: The Starry Sky and Alaska Science

College connects scientific topics with engaging experiences: at the planetarium, the focus is on the night sky, while campus art, planetary models, and insights into Alaska add to the experience. This offers an interesting choice as you plan your trip: Would you like to enjoy a compact theater program, explore architecture and art, or discover topics outdoors? These different formats give College a distinctive appeal for travelers who like to discover more than a single attraction.

Experience the night sky at the planetarium

The Walt & Marita Babula Planetarium is an immersive theater at the UA Museum of the North on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. There, you can explore the night sky over Alaska, the aurora, and the universe. Each show combines a fulldome film with a live tour of the night sky and beyond; the program lasts 45 minutes. This makes the planetarium a clearly defined experience that brings film and a guided tour together. If you are planning with others, you can factor this time commitment into your day and consider whether the theater format matches your interests.

The museum’s architecture also draws on natural phenomena: its contemporary design is inspired by glacial crevasses, alpine ridges, the aurora, and ice breakup on the Yukon River.

Campus art and outdoor discoveries

The “Geo-Odyssey” mural can be found on the Elvey Building. Alaska artist Keith Appel created it on the front of the building in 1993. Another distinctive campus sight is the Black Brant IX rocket in the green space opposite the front of the Geophysical Institute. The institute also offers a free outdoor tour, which includes a rocket, satellite dishes, and the Planet Walk. So, alongside the immersive theater, campus art and science-focused outdoor exhibits offer different ways to experience the campus.

The UAF Planet Walk follows the celestial bodies from Mercury to Neptune using scale representations. The sequence makes the solar system an engaging topic to explore along the way. A self-guided walking audio tour of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Troth Yeddha’ Campus is also available on Spotify. This is a different format from the outdoor tour: you can choose between a guided tour and a self-guided one, with no specific duration required.

Alaska topics from gardening to wildfires

Not all discoveries revolve around space. The Charles Georgeson Botanical Garden’s mission combines education and research in subarctic horticulture. The Wildfire Walk shares knowledge about wildfires in Alaska, as well as their study and management. Together, these topics offer a different emphasis from the planetarium and planetary models: they draw attention to plants, fire, and wildfire management in Alaska. This broadens the campus focus to include topics in natural and environmental research.

Choose a vacation rental to match your interests

When looking for a vacation rental in College, you can start by deciding what kind of discovery you want from your trip. The planetarium offers a 45-minute program combining a fulldome film and a live tour; the self-guided audio tour and the outdoor tour are different formats. Art, architecture, horticulture, and wildfire research each offer their own focus. If you are planning with family or friends, looking at these differences together can help you organize your plans: Will the night sky and space, campus art, or nature-related topics be the main focus?

Discover more destinations: Fairbanks, North Pole.

See the broader travel guide: Fairbanks North Star Borough.