Fairbanks Antler Arch – Fairbanks, Alaska - Atlas Obscura
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Fairbanks Antler Arch

Fairbanks, Alaska

A morbid gateway to an Alaska town prides itself on the hunting history it represents. 

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Fairbanks Antler Arch rlpape on Flickr (Creative Commons)
Fairbanks Antler Arch rlpape on Flickr (Creative Commons)
Antler arch detail. debthomson (Atlas Obscura User)
Fairbanks Antler Arch debthomson (Atlas Obscura User)
Description of the antler arch. debthomson (Atlas Obscura User)
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Built in 2010, the self-proclaimed, “World’s Farthest North Antler Arch,” in Fairbanks, Alaska represents the rich cultural significance and history of game hunting in the area, as well as looking like something from a horror film.

The arch is comprised of over 100 antlers of differing types, all woven together and preening towards a center skull that acts as a keystone for the piece. Mainly taken from moose and caribou, the horns were donated by hunters and farmers across the interior of Alaska. Billed as the “Gateway to Downtown Fairbanks,” the collection of bones certainly achieves its stated goal of drawing attention to the walking and biking paths the city offers. However, it may also cause nightmares long before anyone can take in the city’s clean streets and lovely vistas.  

Moose and caribou grow new antlers each spring, dropping them in the fall, and anyone who spends time in the bush has probably found some discarded antlers. The arch may contain some antlers from animals killed by hunters; most were probably collected the way we collect shells at the seashore.

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On the grounds of the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.

public bones
Nearby
Lend-Lease Monument
0.11 miles
Golden Heart Plaza
0.20 miles
Alaska Highway's Milepost 1523
0.26 miles
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