Skagway, Gold Rush Boomtown: A Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

Con men, saloon girls and gold-crazed stampeders: in 1897, a lonely homestead became the wildest boomtown in Alaska almost overnight. Walk straight off your cruise ship and into the Klondike Gold Rush with local experts Alaska Mountain Guides. -Hear how con man Soapy Smith ruled Skagway, and how his reign ended in a shootout -See the Arctic Brotherhood Hall, its facade covered in thousands of pieces of driftwood -Stroll Broadway’s false-front saloons and the “Houses of Negotiable Affection” -Discover the vintage White Pass & Yukon Route locomotives and the Moore Homestead -Learn why stampeders faced the brutal Chilkoot Trail on their way to the goldfields -35 stops, 1.8 miles, about 2 hours, fits easily into your port day Starts at the Railroad Dock. From other docks, walk to the “Tours Sold Here” building on Broadway. Redeem your code in the VoiceMap app before you arrive. GPS-triggered audio works offline, with no cell signal needed.

1. 1

   Stop 1

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   Port or Skagway: Start at the Railroad Dock, where your guide Kris welcomes you to Skagway, named after a Tlingit word meaning “home of the north wind”. Picture the docks in 1897, when boatloads of gold-crazed stampeders poured ashore with a year’s supplies on their backs.

2. 2

   Stop 2

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   The tour starts near the Small Boat Harbor.

3. 3

   Stop 3

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   The tour passes the Pack Train Building.

4. 4

   Skagway Centenial Statue

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   Pause at the statue of a stampeder led by an Indigenous packer. Hear about Skookum Jim, whose 1896 discovery sparked the Klondike Gold Rush, and the Tlingit packers who carried tons of gear over the passes for gold seekers.

5. 5

   Rotary snow plow

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   Get up close to a giant steam-powered rotary snowplow, once used to blast through deep snow to keep the White Pass line open through brutal Alaskan winters. It’s a favourite photo stop.

6. 6

   Jeff. Smiths Parlor Museum

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   The tour passes by the Jeff Smiths Parlour.

7. 7

   Arctic Brotherhood Camp No. 1

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   The tour passes by the Arctic Brotherhood Camp No. 1.

8. 8

   Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center

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   The tour passes by the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center.

9. 9

   Stop 9

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   The tour passes by the Golden North Hotel.

10. 10

    The Mascot Saloon

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    The tour passes by The Mascot Saloon.

11. 11

    Stop 11

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    The tour passes by the historic Olivia's At the Skagway Inn.

12. 12

    Stop 12

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    The tour passes by the At The White House.

13. 13

    Skagway Museum and Archives

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    The tour passes by the Skagway Museum.

14. 14

    Mollie Walsh Park

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    The tour passes by the Mollie Walsh Park.

15. 15

    Stop 15

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    The tour passes by the Historic Moore Homestead.

16. 16

    Stop 16

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    The tour ends by Kirmse's.

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Public transportation options are available nearby

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.