Chena Pump House, Historic mining pump station in Fairbanks, Alaska

The Chena Pump House sits along the Chena River as a two-story structure housing original industrial equipment and a restaurant on its premises. The building integrates its riverside location with dining spaces that overlook the water while preserving the machinery that once served the local mining industry.

The Fairbanks Exploration Company built this pumping station in 1933 to deliver water for gold mining at Cripple Creek and ran it for 25 years. After mining operations ended, the structure remained standing as a reminder of the region's resource extraction past.

The building's name comes from its original role pumping water for gold dredges, and it has served meals since the 1978 conversion. The restaurant is a local landmark on Chena Pump Road, where the mining past is part of the dining setting.

The site is open throughout the year with dining available on premises along Chena Pump Road. Booking ahead is a good idea because seating fills up regularly, especially during peak tourist months.

The building was abandoned by the Fairbanks Exploration Company in 1958 and sat unused for two decades before being enlarged and converted into a restaurant in 1978. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, four years after the restaurant opened.