S.S. Klondike National Historic Site

We stopped here even though the boat is currently closed to the public. They are restoring it and will be reopened in the future. They have a small visitor centre and the staff was very nice. There is still plenty of information about the boat without being able to go invitation. There are also some red Adirondack chairs that are part of Parks Canada. It was fun taking our pictures in the chairs.

I was quite disappointed that the boat is inaccessible because of restoration. You can only view it from outside the fencing that is all around it. I realize projects like this are necessary sometimes, but they need to have a much more prominent notice on their website about it being closed. Or better yet actually close it and put all the resources into completing the restoration in a more timely manner.

The site was cute. The shop was being restored, so we couldn't for the boat. It is supposed to be done by 2029 according to the young man in the info center. Some nice souvenirs. Two cute cabins--one with an 18- minute video about the shop and the other seemed to be an escape room.

It's a bit unfair to rate this site as the S.S. Klondike is closed to the public as it is currently being restored. The Parks Canada welcome centre, however, is open, as are the grounds, a small cinema showing the movie, “In the Days of the Riverboats,” and an escape room. Once this famous riverboat reopens to the public it will likely become again a must-see attraction in Whitehorse. For now, however, you can prioritize going to the many other fun sites and activities on offer in Whitehorse and surrounding areas.

Stopped in to visit this museum and ended up hopping on a tour that had just started for an extra $10. The tour was interesting, very professionally done by parks Canada, and the other visitors struck up a conversation and asked good questions. I recommend the tour rather than just looking around, as you feel more like you have experienced the real thing.

We visited the visitor center and enjoyed reading the history. The mark down is due to the SS Klondike being closed for renovations and lead removal. Super bummer! We made the best of it though.

I didn’t do the tour, but there was an informative historical video (about 20 minutes) and a brochure that was about $2 which explained everything you need to know about the boat. While the boat is undergoing repairs and only the lower level is able to be accessed at the time of writing (July 2023), it was still a worthwhile place to visit while in Whitehorse.

Worth the stop, a marvel of the time. $4.70 per adult, kids go free. You can get guided or self guided tours. Free informative mini documentary next to the visitor centre.