Anchorage Museum history

1973 A bond issue passes to build an addition to the Museum.

1975 A 15,000-square-foot addition, designed by architect Kenneth Maynard, is added as a “west wing” to the museum.

1982 With income from oil revenues, the Alaska State Legislature funds a major building project for the Municipality of Anchorage known as Project ‘80s, and the Anchorage Assembly designates funds to enlarge the Museum.

1985 Now a 90,000-square-foot facility, with a construction project led by Ken Brady Construction Co., the Museum is renamed the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

1986 The expanded Anchorage Museum of History and Art opens to the public.

1992 The Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center opens an office at the Anchorage Museum.

In 1993, the Arctic Studies Center opened an Alaska regional office at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art to make these resources more accessible to Alaska Natives and to Alaskan scholars.

1996 The block on which the Museum is built is named the “Rasmuson Center” by the Municipality of Anchorage, honoring Elmer and Mary Louise Rasmuson for their commitment to the growth and development of the Museum throughout its history.

2003 David Chipperfield Architects wins an international competition for an expansion of the Museum.

2009 The glass-façade, 26,000-square-foot expansion, designed by David Chipperfield Architects with Kumin Associates of Anchorage as the architect-of-record and Alcan General leading construction, opens to the public.

Anchor­age cel­e­brat­ed the grand open­ing of the museum’s most recent expan­sion, a four-sto­ry west wing with a shim­mer­ing glass façade, in 2010.

2015 McCool Carlson Green and Davis Constructors & Engineers of Anchorage are selected as the designer and general contractor for a new wing to the Museum.

2016 The museum breaks ground on the new wing.