Dinner and a Show – Alaska Style. In the year 1967, the Alaskan Centennial Exposition was held in Fairbanks to celebrate the Alaska Purchase. As part of the celebration “Alaskaland” was constructed. It is an enormous, forty four acre, park full of historic buildings, museums, and activities meant to celebrate, educate and inform all of the city’s visitors about the remarkable features of Alaska and Alaskan history.
In 2001, the name was changed to Pioneer Park as a way of more accurately reflecting the kind of information, activities and sights visitors would enjoy.
For many, a trip to Pioneer Park means a special dinner and movie in a particularly Alaskan style. Alaskan cuisine is known for its heartiness, heavy with fresh fish and meat, and rounded out with old-fashioned favorites like beans and stews, breads and homemade desserts meant to keep away winter’s chill. In the “Mining Valley” area of the Park the Alaska Salmon Bake Restaurant has been providing visitors with the finest examples of Alaskan fare available for more than twenty five years running.
Fresh halibut, cod and salmon are gathered from the state’s icy waters where they are prepared in the most ideal methods. The salmon is basted with the restaurant’s trade secret lemon, butter and brown sugar sauce, and the delicate cod and halibut are only lightly breaded and quickly fried. For those looking for even heartier fare, the restaurant also serves its special wood fired Prime Rib, cooked on a custom outdoor grill.
Because the Alaska Salmon Bake Restaurant is conveniently located in Pioneer Park, many patrons make a point of completing their special Alaskan experience by attending a performance of the “Golden Heart Revue” in the Palace Theatre, only a short walk nearby.
The Palace Theater is part of “Gold Rush Town” area of Pioneer Park, and it is a collection of thirty five restored buildings from the early days of Fairbanks. While most of the buildings house merchants, the Palace Theater still proudly runs as it was intended. The Golden Heart Revue is a humorous look at the characters which filled the city during the “gold rush” of the early 1900s. It is a musical and comedy review, and the composer, Jim Bell, is a native of the city himself.
Most visitors to the city find that a visit to the Alaska Salmon Bake and Palace Theatre is frequently recommended and since it is such a highly rated experience, reservations should be made in advance. While the restaurant is open seven days a week, the revue runs from mid-May through mid-September to accommodate the busiest part of the travel season. HotelsCombined.com offers excellent rates on Fairbanks hotels throughout the travel season as well.
2300 Airport Way
Fairbanks, AK 99701
(907) 459-1087
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