Large Animal Research Station
2220 Yankovich Road, Fairbanks, Alaska
Founded in 1979 on an old homestead ranch gifted to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Large Animal Research Station (LARS) gives visitors the chance to see muskox, reindeer, and caribou. The muskox completely disappeared in Alaska in the mid-1800s due to overhunting and climate fluctuations, and the center is dedicated to both the study and protection of these large Arctic mammals.
LARS tours are typically offered daily during the summer months. You can learn about the animals and the history of the farm, and then take a walk out into the pasture to see the muskox up close. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see some of the new babies born each year. If you visit after closing hours or during the winter months, you can still catch a glimpse of the animals from the parking area.
The Large Animal Research Station is a fun, family-friendly attraction and must-see for animal lovers.
A fee is required for tours, and all proceeds go toward maintaining the animals.
You don't need to make reservations for the public tour, but you do need to make arrangements in advance if you’d like a private tour.
Tours of the Large Animal Research Station are wheelchair accessible.
The Large Animal Research Station is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The station is located at 2220 Yankovich Road, about a 15-minute drive from central Fairbanks. Parking is available at the center, or you can take the shuttle from the main campus.
Daily tours of the Large Animal Research Station are available from the end of May through August. Look out for naturalist presentations at the facility too. Tours are also offered during the winter season, but need to be arranged in advance.
The muskox is the only large animal to live year-round in the Arctic without hibernating or migrating to a warmer climate. After disappearing in Alaska completely, the species was successfully reintroduced in the 1930s. A small herd of muskox were captured in Greenland and transplanted into Alaska, where they still live today.
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