I probably spend more time at this park year round than any other park in Anchorage proper. It is…read moreconveniently connected to multiple trails and easy to access on foot from most of West Anch, Spenard, Northstar/Valley of the Moon, Midtown, and Downtown. If you've got a bike, you can connect from even further out very easily. As such, the Lagoon looks a lot like a Gilmore Girls community and is popular with people year round. There are frequently small sponsored events going on- the coolest of which involves ice skating in the winter. I personally love this park because it's a great place to bird watch. It's a fragile breeding ground for aquatic birds (take note dog owners - IT IS NOT OK TO LET YOUR DOGS OFF LEASH HERE OR LET THEM SWIM!) Red Neck Grebes are one if the more unusual arctic birds that breed here. The arctic terns also put on quite a show. Various loons and cranes also make an appearance, as well as some unique ducks. There's also an awesome playground and snack bar for the kiddies. A few years ago they also installed a bike counter that tracks the thousands that use the Tony Knowles at various intervals - it's fun to watch the numbers climb as the season goes on. There's also a free bike maintenance station here. Definitely a great location for lots and tourists alike, but parking is a problem, so carpool or better yet, use the trails!

This is a park which also goes by the name also known as Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park, is home to a…read moreman-made water fowl sanctuary, a lake, a disc golf course and a playground. They have private parking lots for you to park free of charge. It is located near downtown and is a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of the city. It conveniently lies at the intersection of two of Anchorage's most popular trails, the Tony Knowles and Chester Creek trails. There were many runners traveling through while I was there, going through the two little tunnels that run under the road. You will find benches and picnic tables here to sit around the lake. This is home to lots, I mean lots, lots of waterfowl. They seemed aggressive, so I kept my distance. The disc golf course was nice but was covered in snow and mud. The lake is nice and during the winter is converted to an ice hockey/skating rink. My only complaint is that the park could be a little cleaner, even though part is that could be due to me visiting off-season. There were some maintenance guys there do some other stuff. The park is touted as a great place to bird watch in the spring and you can see other animals such as moose, beaver in the early morning or late evening, muskrats, foxes, otters, and minks, year-round, but it is rare. I did not see any of them. This nature park has a calming kind of peace to it, even though you hear the hum of cars on the nearby road. Just sitting on the bench looking out to the lake was so very soothing. If your schedule permits, I highly recommend visiting this place to just relax and recharge.

Don't book a birthday party here, $290 for a 8 oz soda and the nastiest pizza!…read more Bathrooms are disgusting, probably haven't been cleaned in months! Rather use a portable toilet! Health inspector came in that establishment, would be shut down immediately! Elderly lady at the desk informed us before reserving our party we can come in 30 minutes prior to decorate, not the case! $290, for 6 kids. Skates and two rounds of laser tag, a table, nasty pizza, and coke a cola for a 9 year olds birthday. Had to purchase additional to the $290 for the bumper cars. Take your business else where.

The worst. Id give a 0 star if i could. Not family friendly (played music saying letting your tits…read morehang out at a strip club). The staff are rude, they charge even if you're not skating, the "rink" is tile floor, there's no lighting/decor. It looks like something off a horror movie and the people look like characters from one. There's also no doors in the bathroom. Literally just toilets, and no doors.

Pretty nice hockey rink with a Subway downstairs and a restaurant/bar upstairs with a decent beer…read moreselection and pretty good good. I had a burger and fries and devoured the whole thing. Not a ton of seating down at the rinks, but you can view both of them from the Blue Line upstairs.

This sports center has it all! The subway downstairs is…read morealways clean, fast and delicious. The Blueline 'pub' upstairs has great views of both rinks, great food that serves until midnight, plus they TiVo many games and will play them at customer's request. They also have a small sports shop with skate sharpening capabilities, I don't usually shop there because they are a little more expensive than most but they sure are convenient. A track around both of the rinks is great for running because it is cool in the center and you can watch both hockey rinks from above the glass. This place is just too much fun, whether I'm catching a football game, playing in a hockey tournament or just in for some refreshments. It doesn't get better than this sports center.

I came down here on a co-worker's invite since he works at this place part-time on the weekends…read more Ben Boeke Ice Arena is a smaller sports facility located next to the Sullivan Arena on Gambell. The Anchorage Wolverines were playing against Fairbanks Saturday evening. Tickets are normally $25, but luckily I was able to get in for free by my co-worker's supervisor. It was a pleasant surprise and the hockey game was a lot of fun. Anchorage won 6-3. Aside from the game, the arena is very small, almost a fraction of the seating area at the Sullivan Arena, now being used as a homeless shelter during the winter. The arena was at full capacity with easily about several hundred people in attendance with more lined up against the balconies once there were no more seats. It would've been nice if both sides of the arena had seats. Otherwise, it was very cramped through the aisles and the stairways had people standing off to the side as people passed through. It reminds me of the airports when they announce that boarding has started. It wasn't that much easier when standing in line to get food from the concession stand for me and everyone else. One side had people watching from the balcony while the other side had the concession line. People were literally squeezing by in the middle just to get through. The wait in line wasn't long but it was a challenge to navigate the aisles without spilling your food and drinks. There was literally no area aside from the seats to eat your food if you are standing at the balcony with the exception of the standing counter opposite from the registers. Even then, people were lined up against the counter waiting so utilizing that wasn't an option. I decided to take one of the empty tables down by the admission area away from the crowds to eat my food. This kept me from watching the game for awhile, but since it was free I couldn't complain. Coming down to catch a game here is fun especially with the lively atmosphere and the blaring music in between faceoffs. Just be prepared to deal with very limited space when this place fills to capacity.

Great place for hockey tournaments and games. Rink 1 is larger and better kept than rink 2. Both…read morerinks have heaters for the fans - which is always appreciated. However rink 2 is unbearably hot which means the ice is softer than other rinks in town. The locker rooms are well-kept, but the part of town the rink is in means sometimes we find unwanted guests -and things- in the showers. Also because it shares the same parking lot as the Sullivan Areana - Sometimes parking is next to impossible if there is an Aces or Seawolves game! Overall one of my favorite rinks to play at because of the comfort for the fans, and Rink 1 has nice ice.

Despite not wanted to come back, my husband gave in to the granddaughter and brought her back. And…read moreagain, disaster. Website on Saturday listed them as being open. But they weren't. They had rented the rink out for the entire day. So anyone showing up was turned away. I really hate this place. I was a skater my whole childhood and never experienced such unprofessional behavior and poor communication.

Great place for skating with children. And you can get ice cream later at the nearby business.read more