iditarod headquarters

The Iditarod Headquarters is a wonderful tribute to the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the whole history of the culture, founders, dogs and mushers in general. They show a very interesting film that's about 10-15 minutes long and there is a great little gift shop as well. During the summer they have dogs on site for rides. Anyone who is interested in the history and heritage of dog sledding should make the Iditarod Headquarters a must see on your Alaska itinerary.

Very informative. They have movies going on regularly that explain the race or have scenes from past races. There are great exhibits of what kinds of gear need to be taken on the dog sleds as well as other informational exhibits. There is a good supply of hats, shirts, and jackets as well as a variety of patches and other stuff that are nice to have. This very informative place is a good way to find out about the RACE. oNE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS THAT YOU CAN GO ON A DOG SLED RIDE THROUGH THE WOODS WITH AN EXPERIENCED iDITAROD MUSHER.

Lots of history and memorabilia of te Iditirod race. The movie is a must see and if you want just a quick ride on sled it's worth the money.

My family came from Minnesota and the first thing they wanted to do was see the Iditarod Headquarters. When we arrived we found out there were no dogs available, it could be the time of year. When they got inside they were disappointed that it was just a gift shop. We went into the room adjourning the gift shop to look at pictures, trophies, etc., however, it looked like a storage room with a table and few chairs squeezed in, we had to lean over or step around to see anything. We were only in the room for a few minutes when one of the two clerks approached us. I asked her if my grandchildren could see the video, and she said, “You’ll have to watch it in the other room (apparently she meant the tiny television in the gift shop that’s near the ceiling, not easy for young children to see). Her explanation was that the room we were in was a “staging area” and they were getting ready to have a meeting. I hoped they were going to straighten up the mess, dust, and vacuum the floor before the meeting, and if they didn’t want us in the room why was the door open? The woman waited for us to leave the “staging area” shooing us as we went, and then went to get a video suitable for small children. We waited about fifteen minutes, and Ms. Staging Area walked over and informed us she couldn’t get the video to work, and went back to chatting with her co-worker. My grandchildren wanted to buy a stuffed sled dog to take home, but I informed them that we would buy it at WalMart; the clerks there don’t act like we’re inconveniencing them.

I went here not expecting much, just trying to burn time before we left on our flight. This turned out to be awesome. I recommend going inside and watching the movie first. It gives you a great appreciation of the sled dogs. Then browse around the museum. After we did that we went outside and paid to have the summer dog sled ride. The dogs that pulled us came in 6th place on the Iditarod that year, which is pretty awesome. Afterwards we talked/hung out with Raymie Redington who has done 14 Iditarod races. (Also his dad, Joe Redington is known as the father of the iditarod.) He answered all of our questions and even took a photo with us. The best part is we had bought two books on the Iditarod and he signed both of them for us. It is one of our most treasured souvenirs from our Alaskan trip. He even let us play with the puppies. He told us that it helps them get use to be handled by people because when they race they have check points where they have to be checked out and there is tons of people around and they do not want the dogs nervous or scared. we had so much fun,

It's a good place to learn more about the race.Inside the museum/gift shop you can also browse through the files and they show a documentary on the race. Outside you can go see the dogs. They're so cute.We didn't do it but if you're interested you can do a sleddog ride. (in summer on carts on wheels)

Went here on a whim since I was in the area. Staff was VERY knowledgeable on the event and history. There is a small museum with stories of past winners and info. Large store with gifts, t-shirts, hats, etc. Value was excellent - it was free. The outdoor exhibit was closed due to the time of year.

Everything was really nice, explecially playing with puppies! the sled dog tour was funny, even if it last few minutes, but the price is low (10$). Inside the headquarters there is a shop with many gadgets, where you can see also a fillm about the iditarod race.

While there is a lot of history about the Iditarod race available, there is nothing special about this attraction. They have a lot of merchandise for sale.Glad that I went, but not worth a second visit or even a drive from Anchorage or Talkeetna. If you are passing thru Wasilla it is worth a stop.

This is an attraction we locals take our visiter to when there is no place else to see. They love it if there is no history of dog racing where they come from, but it has become more of a gift shop and a place for old mushers to earn $$ buy giving rides on wheels, which is another way of exercising the dogs. A film can be seen in the building but you have to ask for it to be run. Open only in summer as far as I know or when the tour bus is coming. It's free, so local families go to let the kids sees the dogs. Nothing to eat, not even a cup of coffee. Great place for pictures thru, and our overseas visitors love taking the ride.

After reading reviews and checking the Iditarod website, we drove 40 plus miles on Saturday afternoon from our hotel in Anchorage to visit the museum and see the dogs. Upon arrival, we were dismayed to see no cars in the parking lot and no sign of human or canine life anywhere. The website says they're open seven days a week until five p.m. The sign on the front door says they're closed Saturday and Sunday. I was first disappointed and then miffed that we wasted two hours round trip, plus gas, because of incorrect information on the company website. Thanks for nothing.

This was an unexpected stop while on our way to lunch with our tour group. We were ahead of schedule, so we had time to stop by. What a pleasant surprise. It was beautiful weather, so the dogs were out and (for a fee) guests could take a short ride on the sled (with wheels) pulled by the sled dogs. We didn't ride the sled, but we enjoyed watching others. My favorite thing was getting to pet the husky puppies. They were friendly and cuddly and it made for some fun photo opportunities.

I'm glad we didn't make a special trip out to Wasilla just to see the Iditarod headquarters as I had originally planned. We happened to be heading that way anyways, so we made a quick stop. I would have expected more of an exhibit/museum for about the history of the race - but it really was a small gift shop, a few kennels with some very stinky dirty sled dogs, and a quick sled dog ride. Doesn't hurt to stop if you are in the area - but don't make a special trip.

Ok, so it is free, others seemed to have liked this place but it was a waste of our time. We were told the weather was not good to bring dogs out - seemed fine to me, and I saw no evidence of kennels etc. on site.I will sum up our visit - interesting, and inviting outdoor area, but really just a giant gift shop with a video shown in adjacent room - ( folding chairs ) . A few items of interest if you like the idea of dog sled racing.

While driving through Wasilla, we almost didn't make the short drive to the Iditarod headquarters, but are so thankful we did! On the day we visited, there was a trainer there with his dogs and we received a sled ride. Fun experience!