With a rich history as a frontier settlement, Whitehorse is the only city in the sparsely populated Yukon Territory. It’s set along the banks of the Yukon River and home to fascinating museums that explore its gold and copper mining heritage.
Things to do in Whitehorse
Learn more about the events that have shaped the history of the Yukon at the MacBride Museum. There are recreated gold mining-era shops and a life-size grizzly bear, as well as the opportunity to pan for gold during summer workshops.
Travel back in time at the Whitehorse shipyards, where the historic sternwheeler, SS Klondike II, is now permanently moored. It now offers you a glimpse into what life was like during the Gold Rush years through the stories of the miners and their families who traveled onboard.
Want to experience a Canadian train station at the turn of the 20th century? Visit the Copperbelt Railway & Mining Museum, built entirely from blueprints. It preserves the railway and copper mining heritage of the Yukon, with the first copper deposits found in 1898.
The Copperbelt Museum also operates the Whitehorse Waterfront Trolley, a reconditioned trolley that once plied the streets of Lisbon, Portugal. You can now travel along the banks of the Yukon River in this restored heritage streetcar from the Rotary Peace Park to Spook Creek Station.
Getting around Whitehorse
Whitehorse International Airport lies around 10 minutes’ drive north of the Downtown area and has daily flights across Canada. Public buses and taxis operate throughout Whitehorse, and there are both road and mountain bikes available for rent.