Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK

Reasons to access this

remote Alaskan treasure
Kennecott has had many incarnations. Its been a massive
copper mine, a mill and a ghost town. Now its a National
Historic Landmark. The National Park Service (NPS) acquired
much of the land within this remote town and restored many
of the original buildings. They asked AldrichPears to design
a site-wide interpretive experience that would not impact
Kennecotts historical character.
APAs design approach was to create a self-guided interpretive
experience. The approach centers on two principles: use a
light touch and help visitors distinguish between old and
new. Mobile devices and a visitor center deliver in-depth
interpretation. Accessible buildings house freestanding exhibit
structures. Each freestanding exhibit contains objects and
stories about that building, allowing visitors to populate the
rest of the space with their imagination.
APAs scope of work included conducting a workshop with the
passionate local community, providing exhibit design services
and producing site-wide guidelines for visual communication.