The Cape Hinchinbrook
Lighthouse lens served as a beacon to mark the entrance to Prince
William Sound, and warn mariners of the dangerous shallows nearby.
Funds for construction of the site, 88 miles from Valdez, were
appropriated in 1906 and the station was completed in 1910. In 1967, the
lens
was replaced by a two headed aero beacon.
This
Fresnel (pronounced Fruhnel), named after the inventor, is made of brass
with 68 glass prisms. It weighs 1,600 pounds. With a candle
power of 234,000, the light could be seen for a distance of 22 miles.
The
light house from which this lens comes, serves as a model for the Valdez
Museum logo, and reflects Valdez's history as a transportation center in
Alaska.
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A highlight of our
museum has to be the fully restored 1907 Ahrens Steam Fire Engine.
The steamer was built in Cincinnati and served the city of Valdez until
1935.
Over
thirty volunteers worked for two years to restore this engine to its
original 1907 state. Restoration work was complete in 1984.
The highly polished chrome and glittering gold leaf artwork is a sight
to behold.
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Another one the
museum's prize show pieces is the Pinzon bar. The mahogany bar was
made in Chicago in 1880 and came to Valdez by way of the horn.
More that a hundred years later people still enjoy leaning against the
rail and sharing conversation over the bar.
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Disaster
on Good Friday!
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On March 27, 1964,
Valdez and much of Alaska experienced a devastating earthquake followed
by several local giant waves. 32 Valdezians lost their lives
when the Valdez city wharf crumbled into the turbulent waters. See
our dramatic photographs and learn how much damage a major earthquake
can do in a small town.
For
more information on this disaster and Old Town Valdez, please see our Old
Town Model Project page.
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A
New Valdez
In the
1970's, the relocated town had a sudden influx of people when Valdez became the
terminus for the Trans-Alaska pipeline. Now dozens of tankers dock at the
terminal each week to transport the oil to other cities. Our dynamic
display highlights the crucial areas of the terminal facilities and it contains
the first barrel of oil to pass through the pipeline.
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EXXON VALDEZ Oil Spill
Valdez gained notoriety when another
disaster happened on a Good Friday, this time it was Good Friday, 1989.
Instead of a natural disaster,
this was a man-made disaster when the
Exxon Valdez went aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound.
Life was again changed forever in Valdez, Prince William Sound, and
around the world as a result of this oil spill.
This
original quilt, by Cordova resident, Riki Ott,
represents Prince William
Sound as it was prior to the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
It is
entitled "Slice of Life" and was purchased for the Valdez
Museum by the Friends of the Valdez Museum.
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Your trip
to Alaska would be incomplete if you missed this wonderful museum. Fun and
educational at the same time, you leave feeling as though you've experienced
almost a hundred years of excitement in Valdez. We're pretty good for a
small town local history museum. Come and visit and see for yourselves.
Hours of
Operation
Winter
Hours
Monday -
Friday
1:00pm - 5:00 pm
Saturday
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Sunday
Closed
Summer
Hours
Monday -
Saturday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Museum
Annex Warehouse (home
of the Historic Old Town Model) Hours:
Open Summer
Only 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Museum
Admission:
- General
$ 3.00
- Senior
Citizen (65 plus)
$ 2.50
- Youth
(14 - 18)
$ 2.00
- Child
(under 14)
Free
- Annex
Admission:
-
Adults (anyone over 18)
$1.50
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Come
to VALDEZ, ALASKA, USA!
Unique Housing Options:
Something
to Sing about!
http://www.valdezlink.com/lodging.htm
valdez@alaska.com
Say 'Hello' to an e-mail Friend: www.valdezlink.com/hello.htm
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Our miner's cabin is an
approximate representation of what a typical prospector's cabin would
have been like. The pot-bellied stove and bearskin coat are reminders of
the harsh winters. You can feel the roughness of the hand-hewn benches
and imagine what it would like to be a miner in Valdez's pioneer days. 
