Indoor Winter Activities

Whether the great outdoors are calling to you or not, we all like a little fun that doesn’t require a hat and gloves. During the long winter months, what can you do that is protected from the elements? We have a few ideas for you.

Anchorage has a variety of options in terms of indoor fun. Arctic Oasis, on the Elmendorf side of JBER, has activities for children and adults. They offer an indoor playground, workout equipment, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, virtual golf, arcade games, rock climbing, and many sport activity classes and lessons. Some are free and some are paid, which you can find more about on their website.  If arcade games are more your style, then Dave & Buster’s in South Anchorage or Extreme Fun Center in Wasilla are the perfect spots for you.

For a more leisurely activity you can visit the Anchorage Museum, they offer $5 Thursdays from October - April. There is also the Alaska Museum of Science and Nature which is located very close to base just outside of the Boniface gate. Anchorage also has a variety of fine art galleries to peruse after a nice lunch. 

It could be fun to make your own brewery passport and see if you can try all the breweries in town. There are also some interesting cider, kombucha, and meadery tasting rooms if that strikes your fancy.

If you are looking for an event or activity to do with friends, you could try a paint night class, or pick a take home project from the arts and crafts center on the Richardson side of base. In the valley, there is also AR Workshop for cute Pinterest-worthy wood crafts which would be a fun way to include friends. 

For more physical activities, there are multiple ax throwing locations, indoor ice skating, or bowling alleys. There are also trampoline parks in Anchorage and the valley and they have designated times for little jumpers if you have any. 

For water fun, H2oasis is an indoor water park with water slides, wave pool and lazy river, which is open year-round. There are also pools located in both gym locations on base; due to covid, their processes for signing up for a time slot or open swim has been changing. 

This is not an exhaustive list by any means but we hope it gives you a starting point and gives you some ideas for getting out of the house during our dark winter months!