McCarthy/Kennicott Museum

You can't escape the town's historical dynamic, and this museum is the best place to get the inside scoop on its past, including the copper rush that happened between 1900 and 1938. The museum building itself is a piece of history, having once been the railw¬ay depot. Check out the pictures of railway construction—196 miles of track from Cordova—which are alone worth the visit. You'll also find photos and artifacts that give you an idea what life was like for pioneers who built and lived here when times were booming. Off the front porch is a boxcar with more items from the Kennicott Mines, including a cool model of the mine itself perched high in the mountains, as well as ore buckets with which they sent down the copper. There's also a reading room inside the museum—a great rainy day activity—with more contemporary historical readings. There's no charge, but donations are welcome. Museum hours typically run 10am – 5pm but may vary.