Recreation Region: Juneau Ranger District

Mendenhall Glacier Interpretive Visitor Center

The center was built in 1962, the first visitor center in the National Forest System. The original structure was primarily a large observatory where people could get out of the rain and look at the Mendenhall Glacier. It was designed to accommodate 23,000 people a year. Over the years a few exhibits were added. Thirty-five years after it first opened, the center was hosting over 400,000 people a year. Between 1997 and 1999 the building was renovated and enlarged to include an exhibit gallery and theater.

General Information

Summer Hours: During the 2025 summer months (May - September), the visitor center is open from 10:00am-5:00pm Sunday-Friday, and closed Saturdays. The grounds surrounding the visitor center are open from 6:00 a.m. to midnight year-round.

During the winter, (November- March) the visitor center is open from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding federal holidays. The visitor center will be open intermittently during the months of April and October. The grounds surrounding the visitor center are open from 6:00 a.m. to midnight year-round. For more information about our schedule and access, please call the visitor center at 907-789-0097.

Day Use:
$5 per person (May -September)

Getting There

Latitude / Longitude

Latitude: 58.41729051

Longitude: -134.54568061

Directions

From downtown: 12 miles. Take Egan Drive and turn right at Mendenhall Loop Road. Mendenhall Loop Road turns into Glacier Spur Road and ends at the visitor center. From the Juneau International Airport: 5 miles. Exiting the airport, turn left on Yandukin Drive. Turn right on Shell-Simmons Drive. Turn left onto Glacier Highway. After a quarter mile, the road will curve right and become Mendenhall Loop Road. Follow this road across Egan Drive. Mendenhall Loop Road eventually turns into Glacier Spur Road and ends at the Visitor Center. From the Alaska State Ferry Terminal: 7 miles. Turn right onto Glacier Highway. After a mile and a half, the road splits at Auke Bay. Turn left onto Mendenhall Loop Road. After four miles, it will intersect Glacier Spur Road. Turn left onto Glacier Spur Road, which ends at the Visitor Center.