Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast is a dome-shaped accommodation in Healy, Alaska. The bed and breakfast has eight guestrooms, each with a private bathroom, Wi-Fi, and queen or king beds. The property has ten acres with lawns, gardens, walking trails, a private driveway and parking lot, wildflowers, and mountain views. Denali National Park is the main attraction for many guests of Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast. In the Denali area, guests can raft, hike, drive ATVs, or fly in a plane or helicopter around or take a glacier landing near Mt. Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Other attractions include golf, zipline, sightseeing, Husky Homestead, Fat Truck, photography tours, dog-team demonstrations, dog mushing, hiking, and exploring the park’s visitors’ centers.
Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast is located in Healy, Alaska, off Healy Spur Road. The house is on 10 private, wooded acres and half a mile from George Parks Highway, #3. The home is a dome-shaped wooden house between two rectangular sections. The building is about 7,200 square feet. Wildlife and mountain views can be seen from the dome’s porches. “Guests will see more trees and moose than people in our backyards,” says Terry Miller, owner.
Eight guestrooms are available at Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast, each with a different design. A common feature in many rooms is oak furniture from the Versailles Collection of Oakwood Interiors. Accommodations have queen or king beds, and the larger rooms have extra twin beds, couches, and desks. All rooms offer ensuite bathrooms, refrigerators, Wi-Fi, hair dryers, TVs, special soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and robes. Additional antique furniture, a large collection of Alaska art, and trophies give the home its "Alaskan touches.” “We have rugs and furniture collected from our travels," adds Ann Langenberg-Miller, one of the bed and breakfast owners. One room has an indoor sauna, and two rooms have single-person jacuzzi tubs. She also describes the house as "eclectic" and "spacious, yet private."
More areas throughout Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast include a family room with a huge stone fireplace, a large dining room for guests’ breakfasts, a "grand" living room with vaulted windows, and outside decks. Free, paved private parking and a driveway are offered with the property. It is on private, secluded land but also close to Denali National Park and the only “real” grocery store in the borough, in addition to several restaurants.
Ann and Terry also offer car rentals for guests with one of their other businesses called Keys to Denali. They order train tickets and book flights around Denali. They provide tour desk information about local activities as well. They can book tours and activities for their guests. Terry crafts handmade ulus to sell to visitors. An ulu is a traditional Alaskan knife.
Guests can walk around the area, which features lawns, gardens, walking trails, and views of Mt. Healy. Denali is visible inside Denali National Park, 12 miles to the south.
A full cook-to-order breakfast is served at Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast from 7:30 to 9:00 AM each morning in the dining room. Terry and Bart, their son, are the chefs. Ann explains this is a keen factor for a traditional bed and breakfast. “We offer full American breakfasts with separate meat entrees, eggs, pancakes, waffles, fruit plates, yogurts and cereals, breads, and special daily options. As the breakfast is cook-to-order, guests are asked what they would prefer and are asked if they would like “seconds.” Many varieties of teas and coffees with homemade cookies and snacks are provided throughout the day. Hosts accommodate dietary restrictions and mobility concerns, and visitors are asked to mention these in advance for personal accommodations.
Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast is within driving distance of several local attractions, and it is located close to walking trails. Once again, the bed and breakfast is 12 miles north of the only road entrance to Denali National Park. It is in Healy, the closest year-round community to the Park.
For dinners, Ann recommends Mooseka, the 49th State Brewery, McKinley's Creekside Café, Canyon Chalet Steak House, and Black Diamond Resort. She adds each restaurant offers different seasonal specialties and experiences for guests.
Ann says she wants visitors to feel safe, comfortable, and knowledgeable about the area. She and Terry answer questions about the region and can provide guests with information about local and state activities. Lonely Planet, Alaska, said, “In a huge, intriguing geodesic house, this is the best B&B in Healy. The owners are absolute oracles of wisdom when it comes to Denali Park, and do a bang-up job with breakfast.”
Ann says this is a “bucket list vacation” for many of their guests, and she understands the importance of their guests’ time. “Many of our guests plan their trips to Alaska for years. They come long distances, and Denali is a world attraction.” The owners offer tour desk help based on their 34 years of experience to help save their guests time and money. “We have also been honored by many returning guests to Dome Home throughout the years. We’ve been the top, Number One bed and breakfast listed in Healy on Tripadvisor for over 20 years, thanks to our guests. We do have the nicest guests!”
Terry and Ann also offer rental cars, tour desk tips, and suggestions based on their personal experiences in Denali. They consider what their guests want and need for an excellent Denali vacation and then offer advice. They will do research for their guests if needed. “This personal knowledge of the area is how we can be truly helpful to our guests. We answer a lot of questions,” states Terry.
Families, extended families, and couples have been hosted at Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast. The bed and breakfast collaborates with a few other businesses in the area, such as local dog mushers and vendors. Ann says that, if they choose, guests can share their schedules with her and Terry to correspond in a sort of concierge service.
Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast has a few policies for guests to follow. As is customary in Alaska, no shoes are worn inside the house unless there are for mobility concerns or other special needs. Ann and Terry provide washable slippers and new socks for guests. Quiet time is enforced from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Several people wake up early to hike in the mornings, and some guests do not understand long days in the Interior of Alaska; some summer days have 22 hours of light. Finally, no pets or indoor smoking are allowed. The Millers have two Scottish Terriers puppies that are not allowed in guests’ bedrooms or the kitchen area.
Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast is open year-round. Ann says summer is the best time to access the Park and hiking trails; autumn may be the prettiest time, and winter has a "special beauty," including Northern Lights. She also explains visitors come from Anchorage or Fairbanks by train, rental car, van, or bus service.
Ann remarks, "If people enjoy the outside and nature, we're the answer." As such, one guest review said, "Staying at the Denali Dome Home was fantastic! Very comfortable and welcoming bed and breakfast. Terry and Ann were a wealth of knowledge and made our trip so special." Another visitor said, "We stayed 3 nights. Ann and Terry are gracious, knowledgeable of all aspects of the Healy and Denali area, and maintain an incredible B&B."
Denali Dome Home Bed and Breakfast was originally a large family home utilized to teach dance. Ann and Terry and their three children entered the scene in 1989 when they acquired the property. They start their 34th year of ownership in 2023. One of their children, Bart, works at a local bank and currently helps manage the bed and breakfast.
Ann says the Denali Dome Home is Denali's longest-running bed and breakfast. When Ann and Terry first purchased the house, it had two bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. Now it has nine bedrooms and eight-and-a-half baths. Additional changes made include the paved driveway and paved parking lot. The owners have also added two nearby vacation rentals for guests wanting "their own private space.” This allows the Millers to accommodate very large groups. One vacation rental is within walking distance of the main house on the same private acreage, and the other is about three blocks away. Breakfast is not served at the vacation rentals, and they have fully equipped kitchens. The two vacation rentals are called A Second Home in Denali and Your Home Along the Way in Denali.
Hosts entered the lodging industry to help with their chidren’s college funds. “Education is important to us. All attended university," adds Terry. Now the Millers are working to help with their grandchildren’s educational futures.
Shortly after the acquisition of the property, Terry and Ann realized they truly enjoyed the job. After three decades, Ann's favorite part is the "hospitality aspect" of her work. “I grew up in a military family, and we moved every few years," she remarks. "Now, my own family has lived in Alaska for almost four decades. I’m Alaskan. I love telling guests about my state and area, getting to know our guests, and hearing the stories they bring from all over the world when they visit.”
137 Healy Spur Rd
Healy, Alaska 99743
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Ann Langenberg-Miller and Terry Miller
