Dawson has an active winter and summer tourist industry which attracts about 1000 tourists per day in the summer.

The Yukon's pristine wilderness of mountains and rivers attracts adventure tourism. (We are only 30,000 people in all of the Yukon, of which 23,000 reside in Whitehorse. Therefore there is a vast expanse of beautiful and uninhabited wilderness to explore.)

Commissioner's Residence

Besides its beauty, the history of Dawson is also a major tourist attraction. Dawson City was the centre of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush and once the capital city of the Yukon. At its peak Dawson was described as the "Paris of the North" with a population of 30,000 making it the largest city north of Seattle and west of Winnipeg at the turn of the century.

Dawson has retained its historic charm and the community is a living historic site with Parks Canada preserving and protecting over 32 historic properties. Even new buildings must conform to construction guidelines to maintain Dawson's historic turn of the century charm. (No trailer courts here!) We continue to shun pavement preferring the historic boardwalks and unpaved streets.

In the summer, tourist attractions include walking tours of the city, the Palace Grand Theatre, the Commissioners Residence, the Gold Fields, gold panning, Dredge #4, Robert Service cabin and readings, Jack London cabin and readings, Pierre Berton House, and an excellent historic display at the Dawson City Museum. http://users.yknet.yk.ca/dcpages/Museum.html

The Palace Grand Theatre puts on the Gaslight Follies Vaudeville Revue. The restoration of Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Casino (used to be the only legalized casino in Canada) is a hotspot in the summer with gambling and nightly song and dance performances by Diamond Tooth Gertie and her can-can dancers.

In the summer Dawson fills 13 hotels/inns, 6 bed and breakfasts, 5 RV parks, and 1 tenting campground. An accompanying variety of restaurants, tourist shops and ice cream parlours also open up for the summer tourist season.

Several hundred young people (in their twenties) come to Dawson for summer employment, a culture in itself (tie dye and bongos still exist!)

For more information on Dawson tourism: www.dawsoncity.org

For more information on Yukon tourism: www.travelyukon.com