Sports Journey: Alaska Sports Hall of Fame
- Paul Baker
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sometimes when you’re on a Stadium Journey, you come across an interesting venue where you least expect it. How many travelers have visited the Stickball Hall of Fame in Manhattan? Or stumbled across the Roger Maris Museum while walking along in a shopping mall in Fargo, North Dakota? A similar surprise may await you if you find yourself walking through Level 0 of the South Terminal in the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Because it is there you will discover the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.
The first question you may ask yourself is; why is this hall of fame in an airport? The Hall’s presence in an airport is the result of a partnership between the Hall of Fame and Stevens International Airport. The collaboration provides a permanent home for the display without the need for a separate facility while enhancing cultural opportunities for travelers at the airport. It increases visibility and awareness of Alaska’s rich and unique athletic history, which includes both mainstream and more niche sports, such as dogsledding and lesser-known Olympic sports. The Anchorage airport is equidistant from New York and Tokyo, serving millions of travelers annually, ensuring high visibility for the exhibit.
The Gallery of honorees is located on Level 0 of the South Terminal of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. You will come across the exhibit if you are making your way to the terminal from the parking garage or car rental area, and it is accessible via escalator from level 1 in the baggage claim area. Photos and plaques of the enshrinees are displayed along a long hallway, with video displays of new inductees located at the entrance to the exhibit.
If you take some time to browse the exhibit while waiting for your flight to arrive, you’ll be sure to find recognizable names from the four major sports, such as NBA alumni Mario Chalmers and Carlos Boozer, NHL players Scott Gomez, Matt Carle and Brandon Dubinski and NFL alumnus Mark Schlereth. But it is in lesser-known sports where the true story of Alaska is told. Sure, you might recognize names such as gold medal skier Tommy Moe and Olympic medalist snowboarder Rosey Fletcher, but the greatest stories here at the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame come from athletes such as Iditarod legends Susan Butcher, Rick Swenson and Jeff King along with the numerous Olympians, runners, skiers, Arctic Gamers and mountain climbers. Also enshrined here are notable events and moments in Alaskan sporting history.
Take it from a sports fanatic who has taken a road trip through America’s final frontier. Alaska may be not be your traditional Stadium Journey, but it certainly makes for a memorable road trip. Visiting a Hall of Fame in the airport on your way out of town makes for a perfect cap to any trip to the 49th state.
