SeatacSeatac Connection
Things to do in Seattle

Klondike Gold Rush park

A free national park visitor center in a Pioneer Square hotel built after the Great Fire, telling how the 1897 gold rush made Seattle the gateway to the Yukon.

Get a ride therePlan a Seattle trip with itTours nearby
Illustration of Pioneer Square with the white Smith Tower above red brick buildings and the iron pergola

The useful answer

Should this fit your day?

Best for
History fans, families with kids, Alaska cruisers heading to Skagway, and anyone who wants a free, short stop in Pioneer Square.
Time to protect
Allow 45 minutes to an hour, including a film.
Cruise-day fit
Pioneer Square is at the south end of downtown. From Pier 66 it's a short ride, or a long walk south along the waterfront without bags. It's free and quick, so it fits the day before or after a sailing. Pier 91 is a longer ride from the north.
From the terminals
Pier 66 is a little over a mile north along the waterfront; Pier 91 is several miles north. The Waterfront Park promenade runs south toward Pioneer Square.
Before a flight
International District/Chinatown Station on the 1 Line is the closest, with trains straight to SEA. Free entry and no fixed times make it one of the easiest stops before a flight.

Make a Pioneer Square history walk

A few blocks of Seattle's oldest neighborhood tell the story from the fire to the gold rush.

  1. Under the streets

    The Underground Tour starts at 614 First Avenue, a few blocks north, and goes beneath the street level that was rebuilt after the fire.

  2. Up the Smith Tower

    Pioneer Square's landmark 1914 tower is a short walk away, with an open-air observatory on the 35th floor.

  3. By transit

    The First Hill Streetcar stops at South Jackson Street and Occidental Avenue, and King Street Station and the ferry terminal at Pier 52 are close by.

Read the Underground Tour guide →

What to know before you go

  1. 01

    It's free: the Park Service says no entrance pass is needed for the Seattle unit.

  2. 02

    The whole park is inside the former Cadillac Hotel, on the northwest corner of Second Avenue South and South Jackson Street. It was built after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

  3. 03

    The story: on July 17, 1897, the steamship Portland docked in Seattle with what the newspapers called "a ton of gold." Of the 100,000 people who headed north to the Klondike, 70,000 came through Seattle to buy their "ton of goods."

  4. 04

    Two floors of self-guided exhibits: step into a replica stampeder's winter cabin, spin the big wheel to see if you'd have struck it rich, and work out how many gold bars make a ton. The Kerr Room has rotating exhibits.

  5. 05

    Short films, about 20 to 25 minutes, follow the would-be Klondike kings and queens, and start on the hour and half hour.

  6. 06

    Kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge. Rangers lead programs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and docent tours are available on request at the front desk.

  7. 07

    Sailing to Alaska? Skagway, a regular stop on Alaska cruises from Seattle, is home to the park's sister unit in Alaska.

  8. 08

    Staff can find you a quiet room if the visitor center gets busy.

Hours, ranger programs and street closures change. Check the National Park Service page before you go.

Tours and activities

Tours that visit the Klondike Gold Rush park

Entry itself is free. These well-reviewed tours include it, with current prices. Check a date to see open start times, then book with Viator.

Tours are sold and run through Viator; booking opens viator.com in a new tab, and Viator confirms the final price and time. Seatac may earn a commission.

Free to visit, with tours nearby

There's no ticket for the Klondike Gold Rush park: just go. If you'd like a guide, a harbor cruise or another stop the same day, start here.

  • Tours and activities

    Seattle tours and tickets

    Guided tours, attraction tickets and day trips around Seattle, including options near the Klondike Gold Rush park.

    See tours and tickets

Opens a booking partner in a new tab; Seatac Connection may earn a commission. For current notices, see the National Park Service Klondike Gold Rush Seattle page.

Get a ride there

Drop-off: Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Seattle, 319 Second Avenue South

Starting from

Your fare is worked out for the exact trip on the next step, before you pay. Want the car to wait while you visit? Book by the hour.

Cruise day: the Klondike Gold Rush park between the ship and your flight

Off the ship with a few hours before your flight? Book the ride from the pier and the ride on to the airport now, so each driver knows where you are going.

  1. Step 1

    Ride from the pier

    Pier 66 is a little over a mile north along the waterfront; Pier 91 is several miles north. The Waterfront Park promenade runs south toward Pioneer Square.

    From Pier 66From Pier 91

  2. Step 2

    Visit the Klondike Gold Rush park

    Allow 45 minutes to an hour, including a film.

    Tours nearby

  3. Step 3

    Ride on to Seatac Airport

    International District/Chinatown Station on the 1 Line is the closest, with trains straight to SEA. Free entry and no fixed times make it one of the easiest stops before a flight.

    Klondike Gold Rush park to the airport

Big bags

  • Pier 66: Same-day bag storage is available. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.
  • Pier 91: Same-day bag storage in the Crew Center, north of the Ground Transportation Center. Pick bags up by 3 pm to avoid a late fee.

Stored bags mean a stop back at the pier before the airport. To keep them with you instead, book a car by the hour and the driver waits with your luggage.

Planning the whole cruise trip? Keep the Klondike Gold Rush park on it with the rides around it.

Plan the whole cruise trip

Not sure which pier? Find your ship and pier or compare Pier 66 and Pier 91.

Next stop nearby