Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center from Anchorage (tours + pre-cruise or post-cruise activity! Whittier or Seward) Things to do from Anchorage Alaska

Hi there!

Seeing animals out in the true wild in Alaska can be a little bit of luck.

If you want a guaranteed sighting of Alaska’s animals, then you might consider going to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center!

It’s a nice walk around to see animals with the backdrop of beautiful Alaska landscape!

Being a conservation center, there are fences so the animals don’t go too far, but it still felt that it was out in nature.

You can either stay in your car and drive around slowly and look for the animals from your car.

Or you can park your car at the parking lot and then walk around to try to get a closer look! (The better option!)

You’ll either need a car to go or join a tour.

If your Alaska cruise starts or ends in Whittier, there are shuttles between Anchorage and Whittier that include a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

Similarly, if your Alaska cruise starts or ends in Seward, there are shuttles between Anchorage and Seward that include a stop here.

I went to the Alaska wildlife center when I was staying in Anchorage before my cruise from Whittier.

More below about tips for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, including what animals are there!

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Tips for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

• Map: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
• What animals will you see?
• Naturalist educational program
• How much time do you need?
• Cost
• Seward Highway stop
• Whittier cruise port to Anchorage shuttle with wildlife center
• Seward cruise port to Anchorage shuttle with wildlife center
• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center reviews
  • google maps
  • tripadvisor

Map: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

👆 Map: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center along the Seward Highway. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is along the way if you are going between Anchorage and Whittier cruise port or if you are going between Anchorage and Seward cruise port. Explore the map.

What animals will you see?

According to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, most of the animals that you will see arrived at the wildlife park either orphaned or injured.

You’ll see the types of animals that live in the wild in Alaska including bears, moose, elk, bison, and more!

You can walk around to see the different animals.

Walk around to see if the bears are out! I also saw a bear high up in a tree.

👆 Guaranteed bear sighting. 😅

Walk around to see if you can spot a moose outside… or see it inside!

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Look for coyotes, bison, and muskox!

👆 Spot the muskox!

Look for reindeer!

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You can read more about the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center here.

Naturalist educational programs

There are various talks held at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

If you’ll be driving yourself, then time your arrival with one or more of the educational programs!

Take a look at the naturalist program guide here.

How much time do you need?

You’ll want to give yourself at least an hour to walk around the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and it’s possible to spend more time walking around and visiting all the animals!

You can spend all day at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center if you go to all the naturalist programs!

If you just want to do a drive through, you can do that in 15 minutes, but it’s better to get out of the car!

I got there less than 1.5 hours before closing time and while it was enough to fully walk around, I feel like it could be easy to spend 2-3 hours there too!

👆 It’s a beautiful walk around the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center!

👆 You can take your time to see if you can spot any beluga whales!

Cost of Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

The cost to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is $20 per person. See current fees.

Seward Highway stop

If you are driving yourself from Anchorage to Seward or Anchorage to Homer, you’ll be driving along the Seward Highway.

And the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center can make for a perfect stop along the way!

It’s located directly along the Seward Highway.

Or, you can make the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center your destination on the Seward Highway!

From Anchorage, it’s about a 1 hour drive to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. (map)

From Seward, it’s about a 1.5 hour drive. (map)

From Homer, it’s about a 3 hour 15 minute drive. (map)

Whittier to Anchorage shuttle with wildlife center

If you’re doing a one-way cruise that ends in Whittier, then you’ll need to organize transportation to get from Whittier to Anchorage.

One of the options is to book a direct shuttle from Whittier cruise port to Anchorage. You can book this through your cruise line or independently through a tour company: ACT’s Whittier tours.

Or, if you have a later flight out of Anchorage airport, or you’ll be sticking around for a day or 2, then there are also Whittier to Anchorage shuttles that make a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center!

Whittier cruise port shuttles from Whittier to Anchorage:

• Whittier to Anchorage wildlife tour
• Whittier to Anchorage direct shuttle (no wildlife center)

Likewise, there are also shuttles in the opposite direction with or without the wildlife center.

Shuttles from Anchorage to Whittier:

• Anchorage to Whittier wildlife tour
• Anchorage to Whittier direct shuttle (no wildlife center)

Pro tip: Another option to get between Whittier and Anchorage is to take the take the Glacier Discovery train! You can book the train tickets through Alaska Railroad. When you take the train, it’s also reasonable to do the 26 glacier boat tour in Whittier through Phillips Cruises, no matter which direction you’re cruising! This is a tour of glaciers in Prince William Sound. The train is a good option if you want to choose glaciers over wildlife! I have done the train / 26 glacier tour combo in both directions, after a cruise TO Whittier and before a cruise FROM Whittier!

Seward to Anchorage shuttle with wildlife center

If you’re doing a one-way cruise that ends in Seward, then you’ll need to organize transportation to get from Seward to Anchorage.

One of the options is to book a direct shuttle from Seward cruise port to Anchorage. You can book this through your cruise line or independently through a tour company: ACT’s Seward tours.

Or, if you have a later flight out of Anchorage airport, or you’ll be sticking around for a day or 2, then there are also Seward to Anchorage shuttles that make a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center!

Seward cruise port shuttles from Seward to Anchorage:

• Seward to Anchorage wildlife tour
• Seward to Anchorage direct shuttle (no wildlife center)

Likewise, there are also shuttles in the opposite direction with or without the wildlife center.

Shuttles from Anchorage to Seward:

• Anchorage to Seward wildlife tour
• Anchorage to Seward direct shuttle (no wildlife center)

Another option to get between Seward and Anchorage is to take the Coastal Classic train! You can book the train tickets through Alaska Railroad.

See more about Alaska train trips you need to take!

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center reviews

The reviews for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center are overwhelmingly positive.

Read the reviews:

• google maps
• tripadvisor

HAPPY SEEING ANIMALS AT THE ALASKA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER!

I went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on September 1, 2023. Your experience may vary!

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