New Museum for Klondike Gold Rush

If your summer travel plans include a trip through Seattle, you might add the new Klondike Gold Rush museum to your itinerary. The park unit has been located in the historic district of Seattle called Pioneer Square for nearly 30 years. Yesterday they opened up a new renovated museum just a few blocks away from their old location.

The museum is now housed in the recently renovated Cadillac Hotel. The historic building was nearly destroyed 5 years ago during a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, in fact, that particular building was among the most damaged in all of Seattle. You can see the damage in this photo taken just after the quake in February 2001 ( the building is in the second photo with the broken awning and large chunks of missing roof ). After more than $10 million in restoration, which included grants from the National Park Service, the new museum is open for business.

According to Keith Routley the curator for the visitors center, quoted in this Seattle PI article, "our former location was less interactive," he said. "It was a little tough on the kids." I am sure that the new more interactive modern museum will please the toughest of kids. And, with the millions spent on restoration, it may be the safest place in town during the next Seattle quake.