Big Jonathan House
The Selkirk First Nation cultural centre at Pelly Crossing is housed in a replica of Fort Selkirk’s Big Jonathan House. This attraction has a range of works by local artists, as well as locally-made beaded clothing, birch bark baskets, baby birch bedding and tools. A model of a fish trap and a fish rack illustrate the catching, drying and smoking of the summer fish catch for winter use. Enjoy listening to cassette tapes of storytelling elders or try some Northern Tutchone language lessons on tape. Watch the Fort Selkirk: Voices of the People video to learn more about this interesting region and its people.
Binet House
A restored heritage building in the community of Mayo, Binet House is home to displays on area history, early medical instruments, wildlife, geology, and local permafrost studies. The exhibit features a three-dimensional map of the region. A large collection of photographs portrays the past and present lifestyles of Mayo’s residents and the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation. There is a Veterans’ Monument and a Pioneer Garden on the well-kept grounds. Nearby is a monument marking the start of the Prince of Wales Trail and the local section of the Trans Canada Trail. Visit the Binet House annex for tourist information and local arts and crafts.
Campbell Region Interpretive Centre
This impressive log building in “downtown” Faro is the place to go for tourist information and interesting displays on the Campbell Region’s history, geology and wildlife. The helpful interpretive staff can tell you everything you need to know for a great time in the area. This includes the location of trails, attractions, fishing holes, scenic drives and the best spots to view Sandhill Cranes and the unique Fannin sheep in the spring and fall. The centre also presents regular free guided walks and talks on the region’s many fascinating heritage features. Visitors who fancy a free round on the town’s “urban” nine-hole golf course can borrow a set of clubs from the centre.
Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site
Breath-taking natural beauty and heart-wrenching human history! The Chilkoot Trail, managed by Parks Canada, is the same 53 km (33mi) trek that tested First Nation traders and gold-hungry dreamers. Let the spirit of people whose courage helped them survive the rugged northern wilderness inspire you. Hike the trail and share the challenge of those who reached the Klondike. Or, simply enjoy day trips and camping with friends and family at Lindeman City and historic Bennett Lake where you can visit a Victorian-era church still standing in a vanished boom town.
Dä Kų “Our House”
Welcome to Da Kų (Our House). Da Kų Cultural Centre celebrates the vibrant language, culture and traditions of Champagne and Aishihik First Nations people. The centre offers guided tours, campfire talks, traditional artwork, artefacts, and more. Learn about: dän – our people, dän kéyi – our land, dän ke – our ways, and Dàkwanjè (Southern Tutchone) – our language. We are proud to share our story with you.
Enter into a grove of forest fire-killed trees. Explore our lands in the map room depicting traditional trails, villages, and special places. View the intricate beadwork of CAFN people. Watch artists at work indoors and out. Finally, don’t forget to visit our retail store for locally made First Nations arts and crafts.
Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre
Welcome to Dänojà Zho (long time ago house) in Dawson City. Situated on the bank of the Yukon River, Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre is a gateway into Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in heritage. Our knowledgeable staff brings the Hammerstone Gallery to life, sharing our story of life before the arrival of the gold seekers. Hear tales of life on the land, survival skills, leadership, and the strength and success of our community today. Take a tour and get to know us!
The Gathering Room Gallery has a new exhibit each summer. Artefacts, family heirlooms, photographs and films share different aspects of community life. Afternoons we host a wide variety of hands-on activities or entertainment to enjoy. At Dänojà Zho we strive to provide a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for learning and sharing. Our friendly staff is renowned for their northern hospitality.
The Dänojà Zho Gift Shop specializes in a wide variety of hand crafted beaded footwear, accessories and jewellery. We also specialize in northern and First Nation books, art, music, and gifts. Take home something unique and original.
Dawson City Museum
The Dawson City Museum is housed in the beautiful Old Territorial Administration Building National Historic Site, which, is one of the premier heritage attractions in the Klondike. The exhibits provide an in-depth look at Dawson’s social and mining history, the Hän First Nations People, pre-gold rush history, the colourful Gold Rush era, and the natural history of the Klondike. Three Klondike Mines Railway locomotives are housed in the museum’s trains shelter. One of which is among the oldest preserved examples in Canada (Refer to the spotlight below). The Museum presents temporary exhibits, gallery tours by costumed interpreters, audio-visual programs, rocker box and gold pouring demonstrations, a series of special events, research services and a Gift and Coffee Shop.
George Johnston Museum
George Johnston Museum and Heritage Park is a must-see Teslin attraction named after the venerated Tlingit elder, trapper, fur trader, entrepreneur and photographer. As the Inland Tlingit met rapid changes during the first half of the twentieth century, their story remains told by George Johnston’s collection of photographs, restored 1928 Chevrolet hunting car and colourful exhibits of Tlingit ceremonial regalia.
The museum gift shop replicating Johnston’s 1950 general store stocks Tlingit arts and crafts, and small Yukon gifts. A small theatre shows films including renowned National Film Board film: “Picturing a People” by Tlingit Director Carol Geddes. Visitors can view an original 1940s Air Radio building and exhibit, stroll prepared trails or picnic in the interpretive rest areas.
Haa Shagóon Hídi (Our Ancestors House)
The Haa Shagóon Hídi, formerly known as the Carcross/Tagish Learning Centre, is a multipurpose facility that showcases the art, culture and history of Carcross/Tagish First Nation people. We value our location and its local environment: mountain’s, lake’s, deserts, beaches, fish, plants, birds and animals. Positioned perfectly at the halfway point between Skagway and Whitehorse, between two countries, and between two cultures, this “crossing” point is where diversity can gather together.
The people and cultures of Carcross/Tagish are as diverse as its setting, beginning with the deeply rooted Carcross/Tagish First Nation, continuing through contact and the gold rush, and right up to the living pulse of today. In this shared communal space, we seek to honour this diversity while staying true to our cultural integrity. We welcome you to our beautiful gathering place to experience authentic Yukon culture and history. Come, bring yourself – you’re a part of our story now!
Herschel Island – Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park
Qikiqtaruk, “our island,” was protected for its cultural importance to the Inuvialuit and its ecological importance to the Beaufort Sea. The 116 km2 park was established through the Inuvialuit Final Agreement in 1987, making it Yukon’s first territorial park. Visitors come to experience the arctic tundra and marine environments, explore the historic whaling settlement, and learn about the layers of human history of the island. Inuvialuit Park Rangers welcome visitors and share stories through the lens of their ancient and enduring culture. Inuvialuit also use the island for fishing and hunting throughout the year, while staff and researchers study and monitor changes in the island’s wildlife, geomorphology, cultural resources and climate.
To visit Yukon’s only marine island, you can charter a boat or plane from Inuvik, NWT.
Jack London Museum
Tucked in a quiet corner in Dawson City, this quaint museum is dedicated to the life and writing of White Fang author, Jack London. Browse through historical archives and photographs while learning about London’s adventures before, during and after the Klondike Gold Rush. Explore the museum on your own or visit during one of our interactive and informative presentations.
As an extra treat take a peek inside the home where London resided during his days as a Klondike gold seeker, complete with contemporary furnishing and objects fit for a stampeder. This replica is built from half the logs of London’s original cabin which was located on the North Fork of Henderson Creek. The other half resides in London’s hometown of Oakland, California.
John Tizya Centre
The John Tizya Centre is located in Old Crow, the only Yukon community located north of the Arctic Circle.
The Centre has an exciting exhibition area, with displays of the Vuntut Gwitchin’s dynamic culture, the Porcupine Caribou herd, the landscape and oral history. The Centre is a multi-use facility to enhance the educational opportunities for visitors and community members alike with the capacity for multimedia presentations and workshops.
Interpretive & walking tours are also provided by the John Tizya Centre, so come visit us and learn about the Vuntut Gwitchin – “People of the Lakes”. Our community welcomes you.
Keno City Mining Museum
The Keno City Mining Museum building is Jackson Hall, Keno City’s old community centre built in the 1920s. This museum captures the gold and silver mining history of the area dating from the early 1900s. Displays of early tools and equipment, as well as memorabilia and photographs, offer the visitor precious glimpses into the experiences of everyday life in isolated northern mining communities. The Museum also boasts a fine gift shop featuring Keno City and mining-related souvenirs, plus a variety of works by some of the Yukon’s most gifted artists. Next door to the museum, the Alpine Interpretive Centre interprets the area’s natural history and serves as the starting point to a network of marked hiking trails.
Klondike National Historic Sites
Parks Canada operates an amazing array of National Historic Sites in the Klondike. In the course of your visit you might choose to explore the town while hearing tales of exhilarating adventures from lively interpreters in period costume, then venture into the Klondike goldfields that stoked a feverish stampede of fortune-hunters. Or you might rather experience stories of famous Dawson City’s writers: Robert Service, Pierre Berton or Jack London; step on board the S.S. Keno; or just relax on at the Commissioner’s Residency veranda surrounded by pristine gardens. Whatever your style, Parks Canada and Klondike National Historic Sites has something for you!
Kluane Museum of History
They say never judge a book by its cover and that could not have been better said when talking about the Kluane Museum of History. This humble-from-the-outside museum houses a world-class wildlife exhibit, with animals, birds, and fish in diorama settings depicting their natural habitats. Included are displays of First Nations clothing, tools, and weapons, as well as Yukon minerals. This museum occupies approximately 530 square metres (5700 square feet).
The gift shop has many Yukon-made crafts, including beaded, fur-trimmed moccasins made of moose hide.
Kluane National Park & Reserve
Home to 17 of Canada’s 20 highest peaks, Kluane National Park and Reserve is known worldwide for its wilderness recreation and mountaineering. Mount Logan is nestled within the mountains of Kluane National Park and is known as Canada’s highest peak at 5,959 metres above sea level. Additionally adventurists can enjoy rafting past glaciers on the remote Alsek River and explore mountain passes on multi-day treks. There is also more accessible adventures at Kathleen Lake, where great hikes await just off the highway. The Tachäl Dhäl Visitor Centre and the new Kluane National Park and Reserve Visitor Centre outline all the options, including thrilling flightseeing for a bird’s-eye view experience.
Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre
The Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, located on the banks of the Yukon River in downtown Whitehorse, is a gathering place for people of all cultures. The vision of the centre is to revive, preserve and present the cultural heritage, values and traditional life of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation. The goal of the cultural centre is to share KDFN culture with Yukon visitors and other First Nations. Visitors from the territory and around the world come here to experience vibrant northern culture. The centre is available to host a wide variety of meetings, events and exhibits.
MacBride Copperbelt Mining Museum
MacBride Copperbelt Mining Museum is an interpretive learning experience that preserves and presents Copperbelt mining heritage and Whitehorse railway history. The museum is located at 919.28 Alaska Highway, just north of Whitehorse on the edge of the historic copper mining region. Whether it’s a train ride through the northern boreal forests you crave, a place to take your family for fun and adventure, or a fascinating history lesson on northern mining, visiting our museum is a must for everyone. Facilities include a picnic pavilion, playground and the beloved “Loki” train ride.
Exhibits at MacBride Copperbelt Mining Museum focus on copper mining around Whitehorse, the Pueblo Mine Disaster, and an interpretive train along a 2km track.
MacBride Museum of Yukon History
Your Yukon adventure starts here! From gold rush fever to the birth of Whitehorse, MacBride Museum offers a comprehensive view of the colourful characters and ground-breaking events that shaped Canada’s Yukon. Walk through the stories in our Gold to Government Gallery, which features exhibits on the natural, social, economic, and industrial history of the Yukon and the development of the territory’s capital city, Whitehorse. MacBride also offers daily programs during the summer, a first-class gift shop, and a chance to try your hand at one of Yukon’s oldest professions – gold panning.
MacBride Museum was named Canada’s #1 most under-rated attraction by MSN Travel Canada. It was also named Yukon’s favourite museum and attraction by a Yukon, North of Ordinary magazine readers’ poll.
Northern Lights Centre
Northern Lights Centre in Watson Lake is home to the Yukon’s only visitor facility dedicated to the science and folklore of the aurora borealis. A two-part presentation which features “The Yukon’s Northern Lights” (filmed and produced entirely in the Yukon) and “Big” which is an entertaining sky show that uses 3-D computer animation, stop-motion characters, and a surround-sound musical score to explore the age-old mysteries of the universe that continue to fascinate. uses a light-hearted storytelling style
The presentation uses a light-hearted storytelling style and lasts approximately one hour
Old Log Church Museum
Built in 1900, the Old Log Church and Rectory are among the oldest buildings in Whitehorse. Today, the church’s exhibits and interactive displays tell stories about the early days of missionaries, whalers, explorers and Yukon First Nations. The impressive collection of artefacts, including a unique collection of Inuvialuit articles from Herschel Island, and numerous historic photographs offer a great way for visitors to learn about the early contact between Europeans and the Yukon’s First Nations people. The museum is also the best place to hear about the legendary “Bishop Who Ate His Boots!” The museum gift shop is open daily. It has a good selection of books and locally-made products unique to the museum.
S.S. Klondike National Historic Site
The sternwheeler S.S. Klondike is managed by Parks Canada and now sits on the banks of the Yukon River. This steamship is the iconic logo for the city of Whitehorse. It tells visitors the history of transportation on the Yukon River, from 1929 to 1955. The S.S. Klondike welcomes guests to return to the romantic days of the riverboats. Learn about the boat’s design, what it carried, and how passengers and crew spent their days aboard the vessel. Locate the geocache or try the game of quoits. After your visit to the riverboat, round out the adventure with one of the many additional attractions along the Whitehorse waterfront. The S.S. Klondike National Historic site is open from May long weekend to Labour Day.
Tagé Cho Hudän Interpretive Centre
The Tagé Cho Hudän Interpretive Centre showcases the past and present culture of the Northern Tutchone throughout many fascinating exhibits. Indoor features include a moose skin boat, a dug-out canoe, a rare collection of stone and bone tools, a beaded slipper collection, and traditional outfits. Outdoors, visitors will find a walking trail through several First Nations outdoor displays. The centre is home to the world’s only mammoth snare diorama!
The staff conducts guided tours in an oral tradition. Visitors are encouraged to listen to the stories and information, and learn about the culture and exhibits.
Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre
The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre welcomes visitors to participate in the day-to-day life of the Tlingit people whose traditions are reflected in every aspect of the facility. This striking building on the shores of Teslin Lake houses the Great Hall, home of the Clan Governance for the Teslin Tlingit people. Interpretive displays feature masks and artefacts that explain two centuries of Tlingit history and the culture of the Inland Tlingit people. Visit the gift shop/gallery for authentic Tlingit art.
Tombstone Interpretive Centre
The Tombstone Interpretive Centre is a welcoming base to experience Tombstone Territorial Park. It’s part of the Tr’ondëk H’wëch’in traditional territory. The centre showcases the park’s natural and cultural history through interpretive displays, a library, trails, guided walks, and programs. Outdoor information boards display updates on wildlife sightings, bear safety, events, trail, and highway conditions. The centre’s friendly and knowledgeable staff invite visitors to share their adventures in Ddhäl Ch’èl Cha Nän, “ragged mountain land,” by the fireplace with a cup of wild mountain tea.
Vuntut National Park
Explore Vuntut National Park and discover a vast arctic landscape of rocky peaks and tundra valleys. Follow in the footsteps of the caribou and generations of Vuntut Gwitchin people. Explore sweeping landscapes that are rich in wildlife and cultural heritage. Vuntut National Park has no services, facilities, designated landing areas, or developed trails. However, the park offers a world of adventure for experienced explorers. Backpack in a spectacular arctic landscape and immerse yourself in the land’s rich natural and cultural heritage. For a taste of Vuntut National Park, visit Old Crow, Yukon’s only fly-in community. Here, the Vuntut Gwitchin people still live with the rhythms of the Porcupine Caribou Herd along with the land and seasons. Located 60 kilometres south of Vuntut National Park, Old Crow offers visitors a window into both the traditional and contemporary culture of the Vuntut Gwitchin people, whose territory includes Vuntut National Park.
Yukon Archives
From love letters to home movies, photographs to handwritten diaries, turn-of-the-century newspapers to modern sound recordings, the Yukon Archives preserves and shares a wealth of original and irreplaceable materials. Here you can find significant document that shed light on almost every aspect of the Yukon experience.
The Archives is a great place to start your search into that mysterious relative who may have taken part in the Klondike Gold Rush or any other significant event in Yukon history. Staff are always available to help with your search. You can also view one of the rotating exhibits which, touch on virtually every subject and theme related to the Yukon.
Reproduction services are available for textual material, photographs, maps, sound recordings, and videos.
Yukon Arts Centre Gallery
The Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery is open year round and hosts ten to fourteen exhibitions a year. We are committed to excellence in the visual arts and to bringing innovative exhibitions which, explore the rich diversity of contemporary art from local, regional, national, and international perspectives. The work of professional Yukon artists is shown while bringing exhibitions of national importance to the Yukon. Everyone is welcome to attend opening night receptions. Artists are often in attendance.
Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
Imagine a world where the vast steppe stretches as far as the eye can see. Envision a place where predators of staggering proportions compete with human hunters for food in a cold, dry, and treeless expanse. Explore the mysteries of the era within the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre and watch Beringia come alive.
This multimedia exposition features life-size exhibits of ice age animals, interactive exhibits and dioramas depicting the unique landscape of Beringia. Highlights of the centre include a full-size cast of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered in North America. Another highlight includes reconstruction of the Bluefish Caves archaeological site which, is one of the oldest in the Yukon. The centre also features the Yukon Horse exhibit. This display contains the 26,000-year-old remains of the most complete and best-preserved specimen of a mummified extinct large mammal ever found in Canada.
Yukon Transportation Museum
For a true understanding of Yukon character visit the Yukon Transportation Museum – A Moving Experience. Come and experience big, impressive modes of transportation that tell dramatic, authentic, and personal stories of Yukon ingenuity and self-sufficiency.
The Yukon Transportation Museum brings transportation history to life. A giant Cold War Land Train? Was container shipping invented by the White Pass & Yukon Route? How do you make snowshoes? Where were the routes to the fabled Klondike gold creeks and who went? Follow the stories of the early bush pilots as they struggled to make community access easier. Hear the stories of the people that live along the Alaska Highway – the Gravel Magnet. At the Yukon Transportation Museum you will see, read, and hear about the rich history of the north through lively stories along with the interesting, detailed and surprising size of displays.
Be sure to come peruse our giftshop; guided tours and ongoing events scheduled.
Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Located only 25 minutes from downtown Whitehorse and open year-round, Yukon Wildlife Preserve provide visitors the opportunity to view and learn about 11 species of northern mammals on our 700-acre preserve.
You can walk, ski, snowshoe or bike the 5 km viewing loop at your leisure or join us for an interpreted bus tours. Both experiences provide excellent opportunities to view Yukon mammals in natural habitats. Reservations are recommended for guided tours.
Facilities include the Wildlife Research and Rehabilitation Centre where injured wild animals are cared for by specialists who work to release healthy, capable animals back into the wild. The preserve is a centre of northern education, conservation, and research excellence and are a proud member of Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums. The Yukon Wildlife Preserve’s mission is to promote knowledge and foster appreciation of arctic and boreal ecology.