the valley's new front door

The Valley's getting a brand new welcome spot this month.

Right by Matanuska Lake, at the entrance to the Valley, there's a new Gateway Visitor Center about to open.

The building's done, and they're expecting to open the doors by mid-June.

This has been in the works for almost twenty years.

It sits right where you first roll into the Valley, with big views of Pioneer Peak and the Chugach.

There are paved paths, scenic overlooks, a picnic area, and yes, even a marked selfie spot.

Here's the part I like, it didn't come out of local property taxes.

Most of the money was a federal grant, and day to day it runs on the bed tax that visitors pay when they stay in hotels and rentals.

So it's mostly out-of-towners footing the bill.

And it's not just for tourists.

There's a meeting and classroom space that fits around a hundred people, open for community events, programs, and rentals.

They're even floating the idea of outdoor concerts down the road.

It'll run ten to six, seven days a week, year round.

Next time you're driving the Glenn into the Valley, it's an easy free stop to stretch your legs and grab that mountain photo.