Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center

Skagway is one of the few cruise ports where you truly could just walk off the ship and find things to do without excursions. There are also great excursions, many of which we have done - but the entire downtown is a national historical park! Anywhere with a boardwalk (so pretty much everything you’ll visit on foot) is part of it, with more buildings being restored or recreated each year. The Visitors Center is the place to start - there is the movie, as others have mentioned, but also wonderful presentations by rangers throughout the day. We happened to be there on a day when the presentation was about the Buffalo Soldiers who were there from the beginning of the town. It’s a great story, and I won’t spoil it for you here - ask a ranger. There’s also a small exhibit area and a high quality low key gift shop. And restrooms. :)

Skagway was beautiful. The Gold Rush Museum was very informative and nice as well. Don't forget to get your stamps. Also please note, that theirs another Gold Rush stamp in a separate spot in the passport book that can be gotten in Seattle if you have time! 👋 BJBG

Enjoyed a perfect day walking all around Skagway. Stopped in to get my Junior Ranger booklet and badge (I’m 6.5 years old with 50 years experience). Such a quaint place. Tons of shops, eateries, artisans, and also the quintessential Alaskan found object art pieces, aging communities and pleasant town folk.

Make sure you stop in to get information on the historical sites in Skagway - ranger talks and walking tours. There a free 25 minute film every 30 minutes. Restrooms clean and well kept, water fountains and refill station available. Books to purchase. Maps and information on local historical sites. Staff to answer questions and guide you in your visit. Many information displays to enjoy. Glad we stopped in. The train tracks are right next to the building and we were able to enjoy the train coming into town.

Super informative and free museum where I learned so much Gold Rush history in the region! I enjoyed watching the 25 min documentary which replays every half hour. And the museum is small but very educational! Learning about how desperate people were to find gold in the area was very eye opening. Highly recommend stopping by! The location is easy to find and right next to the White Pass train depot.

Really enjoyed the exhibits. Found them interesting and informative. Plus it was great to get my passport book stamped here!!

I was very impressed of this place. Although I came to Skagway so many times I never really stopped there. I just found out that you can find a very nice interesting exhibitions of the picture from the gold rush era. And on top of that, there is a cinema free inside where you can watch the movie about the history of the Gold Rush and Yukon wrote in this region of Alaska. Very interesting place to visit.

Interesting place to check out. On the back area there is a walking path along the river, we saw a lot of salmon.

Well curated collection of photos and items to educate visitors about the history of the Klondike gold rush and Skagway. Free film was great. Free.

This review is for the Visitor Center, which is a great place to stop in to learn more about the history of the Klondike Gold Rush. Basically, Stagway was created because of the 2 years when almost 100,000 people came from around the world to this part of the world to find their own fortune. Stagway was one of the drop off points. The Center is one of the first places you will see as you walk from the cruise port to downtown Stagway. The history is told through a variety of displays. There is also a small theater in the back, showing a documentary about the event...it was about 20 minutes long and it was quite good. The creation of the railway is covered quite a bit as well. The center is manned by US Park rangers, being friendly and informative like they usually are. Definitely worth a visit for 30 minutes or longer if so inclined....it never got too busy inside.

Overall, the Alaskan town of Skagway was the absolute highlight of a recent trip. This NHP stop was right at the top of Main street and was a fascinating first stop before heading up into the mountains and on other tours, to get a much broader understanding of how Skagway even came to be. I 100% recommend watching the movie, Skagway was hopping for a two year gold rush period where men and women (mostly men) came from all over to seek their fortune. Now, Skagway is a small sleepy valley town with the most beautiful vistas. I've never breathed in air as clean as in Skagway Alaska, it was noticeable and something I have never noticed before anywhere else, ever.

Great place to stop and add the stamp to the National Parks Passport Book. This however is just the visitors center which seems also to be the starting place for some excursions or tours that they do. Inside the building tho, there is a really neat walk through history tour, with pictures as well as non animated people and animals set in scenes. Also some protected relics front the Gold Rush days. Very cool. Was worth the stop. If you're military or veteran, there is no fee to enter or go into the other areas of the center. This was a really neat walk through experience. Really like it.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park...lol, I didn't even know this place existed prior to arriving in Skagway, Alaska. But, cool, what a way to get an in depth, detailed perspective, not just of another national park...but insight into the gold rush era days of the late 1800's. And...what pretty much gives Skagway its personality. Basically, lol, to understand Skagway...is to come and spend some time browsing the downtown streets and stepping inside the Visitor Center of Klondike Historical Park. Yeah, so, from my point of view...Klondike Park is situated among the surroundings of Skagway. If you stop in at the Visitor Center and speak with a Park Ranger or watch the 25 minute park film...you'll have a better comprehension for a period of time that was defined by courageous adventurers coming to the Klondike region desperate to discover riches and wealth, by mining for gold. Although, some people exiting off their cruise ships for a day of venturing around Skagway would maybe have difficulty sitting down and watching a 25 minute park film but...I found it to be quite informative and revealing about the hardships and rugged times of back when. The film is called..."Gold Fever: Race to the Klondike". But, most tourists are solely interested in walking about the rustic downtown Skagway streets and shopping for souvenirs without learning the background details of Klondike Historical Park (especially if they have children accompanying them). Others may have pre-planned reservations for riding the famous White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. Then...there are still people who plainly want to admire the historical setting and vintage gold-rush-era sights from afar without having to think too hard...especially since they've been mostly cooped up on their cruise ships and eager to wander about. Inside the Visitor Center, you can get your National Parks Passport stamped, which is always a fun thing to do. Out by the Small Boat Harbor area of Skagway, there's a popular 3-tiered sign stating... "Welcome to Skagway, Alaska. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park". I found this to be a worthwhile photo to capture. The Skagway pier was scenic. In general, the whole downtown section of Skagway offers little tidbits and hidden intricacies about the histories and untold stories about how this gold rush mining town came into existence. So, if you're just walking around...you could appreciate these historical references. Otherwise, there's really nothing else to the park. I guess, just, Skagway is the actual park. And...if you spend some time at the Visitor Center, which is situated within the "heart of it all" downtown, you basically have accomplished getting to another national park, though...albeit a historical one, lol. Overall, this Klondike Historical NP was a pleasant way to learn about what life was once like back in the simple days. There's not much to it, but if you come here with an open mind and willingness to learn some history while on your vacation...then you'll find this park a worthwhile part of Skagway's legacy.

We loved this stop during our trip to Skagway. It was fun to learn about the Alaska Gold Rush and my kids enjoyed doing the Jr. Ranger program.

I didn't know this park even existed until I arrived to Skagway onboard a cruise ship. This was not just another National Park but insight to the gold rush days in Alaska. There were several US Park Rangers available to answer questions and a film inside the building describing the local history. What was great was learning about the Alaskan gold rush days. This was areal enjoyable visit.

Very much worth a visit. Recommended. If you've already made it all the way out to Alaska, you certainly want to see all you can.

We hiked to Upper Dewey Lake off of one of the trails. It was a bit strenuous and a lot of rocks, which made it a little difficult. But the view at the top was amazing! There is a lot of blueberries and watermelon berries along the way as well. We didn't have time to check out devils punch bowl but that is nearby and seemed like it would be fun to tack onto the trip. We checked out the lower lake on our way down, which wasn't nearly as beautiful as the upper. I would definitely recommend checking this out if you have time in Skagway!

Did you know this entire little town of Skagway is a national park? I didn't. This small Alaska town has so much history in its few blocks. And so much to do. Step off a cruise ship onto the pier and see the small gauge train that was built to help the gold rush and later in World War II moved tons of supplies to build the Alaskan Highway. Walk into town and step back in time, enjoy those wooden sidewalks like we have in Virginia City. See store fronts that date back to the late 1800's and early 1900's. There is a free walking tour available if you check in at the train depot, the guide is a national park ranger. The depot is home to some great displays, a theater that shows a movie of the development of Skagway, and lots of historical artifacts. Take a ride on the train, hike on many of the area trails, try some great local catch, or do do some shopping. The town is doable in a day. Bring an umbrella. The only unfortunate aspect for me is the commercial take over of some wonderful historic buildings. Over half of the stores are now jewelry stores- Milano, Diamonds International, and all the others usually seen in Mexico and the Caribbean. Bummer, it's a little distracting from the deep history of the area. Check out this historic town, it's great.

Very interesting, free, self-guided walking tour of Gold Rush Skagway. You can get a map with highlights from the Visitor's center or simply wander about town (as there are many plaques with information throughout). Many 100+ year old historic, wooden buildings still standing. Easy to read/follow map and tiny, easy to navigate town. While the interiors close between 4:30p & 5pm, the informational signage is all outside so you can still walk the town and get a feel for the period (while peeking in windows (wink)). However, as the town is so small, it does not take long at all. To get to the town from the cruise dock, simply hook a right off the ship and walk on the wooden boardwalk down the dock until it turns into a town. It's that simple. The walk is maybe 5-10 minutes.

The entire town is the National Park! I repeat-the entire town is the National Park! So cool! Huge shout out to the Park Ranger that opened up the Vistors' Center early so I could have my Passport stamped. Stop at the Vistors' Center first to plan out your visit. Definitely agree with another Yelper that stated this was a better choice than the train ride. Hope to come back!

The best way to see Skagway! Forget paying for a tour of the town because the NPS offers all you need. We rushed from our cruise ship to sign-up for free tour. (There were 4 ships docked so I assumed that everyone would be there bright and early.) We arrived 10 minutes before 9:00, and no one was there. I did a happy dance. Soon however the tours filled up. (See photo for schedule for the summer.) The Passport Cancellation Station is in the Visitor Center, not the store. The tour was great, informative, and our guide Susanna made sure information was historically accurate. She even shared an example of live yeast from the 1800's. A bonus was that we received 10% off at the Visitor Store. The interpretive exhibits/building throughout the town were well executed, and they are in the process of adding another building. While I had booked a hiking tour of the Chilkoot Trail, I wish I had more time to spend going through all the buildings. I guess, I'll have to go back. =)

One of the best stops on our vacation! Rather than spending $400 to schedule a three-and-a-half hour excursion on an unrestored rickety train car without suspension; we chose to take time to explore the excellent exhibits within this museum, and around the city of Skagway. Among many other fascinating stops in town--at our Liberty--this museum was great! I recommend it highly!

My husband and I randomly found this museum as we walked into Skagway to explore the downtown. It opens at 8 am in the morning, and there are some awesome exhibits about the gold rush for you to explore. We also saw a 15 minute video about the Klondike gold rush / exploration. It's one of the most informative videos we've seen around this region in Alaska, we're so glad we stayed to watch it! It was a great introduction to what happened here in the past, and provided a perspective as we did our shore excursion to the Yukon later in the day. :) We recommend this to you as a stop for your stay in Skagway!

Bring your National Park passbook if you want to add a stamp. We left ours on the ship but they provide blank slips of paper. One stamp for the Klondike Gold Rush and one for the date. Just glue them to your passbook later. I was also able to purchase a hat pin of Mendenhall Glacier/Juneau as I didn't have the opportunity to go into the Mendenhall visitor center in Juneau due to time constraint.

Ughhh, having one of those "why didn't I check yelp first?" moments while reading these fab reviews. The whole town of Skagway is a national park? There are free town walking tours? Definitely watch the short film! Ok, hint to you planning or going to Skagway...do these things! Don't be me! Skagway was by far my favorite stop on our Alaskan cruise. The town is quaint, old, and full of charm. It seems less commercialized than the other stops. And, it's beautiful! The gold rush history is fascinating! And be sure to check out the museum. Each person that made the trek into Canada for the gold rush had to bring supplies with them. The Canadians actually made a list of what they had to bring so they wouldn't deplete them of their resources once they made it to Canada. This museum shows a man with all his supplies and it's nuts to see it all laid out! Seriously mind boggling that they had to carry that up a huge pass in the cold and snow. They also have many interesting gold rush exhibits. This museum is free and has a bathroom too. While in Skagway be sure to go to the museum, take the train into Canada, and hit up Skagway Brewing Co for a lunch and spruce tip ale!

Really nice stop in town to learn about the history of the museum. There are ranger programs that did a nice job on the town and best of all, free. Convent lu located in the middle of the busy stretch of road, a few blocks from the port. Note, if looking for cancellation stamps, they can be found in the book store one block closer to the water .

I haven't been to a NPS Visitor Center that I didn't like. This one doesn't disappoint, with its displays, historical photos and books. There's even a separate facility about a block away for just kids to experience Alaska. We always look for the stamps for our passport books. A good way to document visits to our parks!

Well thank goodness we stopped in here for our initial foray into Skagway. Not only did we have the chance to learn about Skagway's history, but the park service folks were happy to tell us all about the town, the best hiking opportunities in the area, and basically anything else we could have ever wanted to know. We also took the (free! Yay taxes!) historical walking tour of the town, and I doubly/triply/quadruply appreciate a guide who really knows her stuff and was clearly passionate about her work. I was so impressed by the rangers* because they were all genuinely knowledgeable, interesting, and seemed to enjoy their jobs. It speaks really well of the Park Service that folks in such a remote area are of such great quality. I enjoyed many things about the historical section of Skagway, but especially loved the very origin of the name "Skagway:" As we learned, it's not some ancient mystical word, but rather a native term for "that general valley area where nobody would be dumb enough to build a town, because the wind all gets channeled right through there and it's freaking miserable."^ Make it your first stop, get oriented, and then go explore. * I'm sorry if that's the wrong term. ^ Paraphrasing.

My husband and I stopped by to get a free ticket to a ranger-guided tour of the town. We were not disappointed. Since everything we wanted to do (and more) were included in the "adult ranger program", we decided to do it together and saw a good portion of town just on foot. Our guide was a great person, and we got to talking about many national parks. After completing the ranger program, we received pins and were sworn in by an awesome girl at the front desk who made us swear to "be awesome". Very cute and a fun way to complete the historical tour on your own.

The best stop in Skagway. This is a free tour of the National Park Service. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and informative without reading from a tour book.

This gem of a park showcases several renovated and well-maintained structures of a gold rush boom town. Strolling on the wooden sidewalks along the pioneer-era buildings made us felt as if we had traveled back a century. Thanks to this historic park, we had a wonderful time in Skagway in spite of the unrelenting rain.

We took the tour through Princess Cruises on a recent port visit to Skagway. We were picked up at the pier for about a 2 hour trip up to the Klondike area. We went into Canada for a few miles and stopped to see the wilderness areas and landscape. We could see the areas where the White Pass and Yukon Railroad take to get up the pass as well. The tour was very informative in providing information on these this and many other historical sites along the way. The weather was fantastic when we were there, bring your camera.

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park is an interesting free thing to see while visiting in Skagway. There is a visitor center in an old train depot right next to where the White Pass train deposits its passengers. There are old photos to look at, artifacts to browse, a ranger to ask questions to, and an interesting documentary film to watch. Also, there are other historic Klondike Gold Rush era buildings along Broadway Street with more displays. A little down towards the wharf there is also a few memorials to look at and more related information to read. All in all, an interesting place to visit if you are in Skagway. I don't know if I would visit Skagway just to visit this park, but if you're already going to be there...then why not? It's interesting, won't take up too much of your day, and as I said earlier.... it's FREE.

This was an absolutely wonderful place to begin learning about the Klondike Gold Rush! The place that is the major historical site has an awesome bookstore and lots of exhibits to check out. There is a great short movie to see, and also a FREE historical tour and talk of the city. We took part of all of it, and it was fun and educational. The ranger was from Maryland, but he really knew his stuff. We visited numerous spots and he regaled plenty of interesting Klondike information. These tours are hourly and take up to 30 people. The walk is easy and takes you around quite a bit of Skagway. I highly recommend checking this National Park out....and it has a stamp for those of us addicted to the Passports! :) (So do the National Forests in Alaska, and they are really attractive!)