The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center on Dunkel Street downtown is the best starting point for any visit to Fairbanks. The building serves double duty as a visitor information center and a museum of Athabascan and Alaska Native culture, and both functions are done well. Admission is free.
The main exhibit hall traces the relationship between Interior Alaska's indigenous people and the landscape across seasons, with displays on traditional hunting, fishing, and building techniques adapted to one of the harshest climates on earth. A large diorama of a traditional fish camp on the Yukon River is particularly well done. The center also screens films about the northern lights and the Iditarod, and the staff are genuinely helpful with trip planning — they can advise on road conditions, aurora forecasts, and which seasonal attractions are currently operating.