Big Alex's Gold — Uncover the King of the Klondike's Hidden Fortune

Your quest begins at the Dawson City Museum, designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. This building, erected in 1901 as barracks for the North-West Mounted Police, was transformed into a museum in the 1950s. It houses artifacts from the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-1899), including mining tools and historical photos that give you a glimpse into the challenges faced by prospectors like Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie, the discoverers of Bonanza Creek, and Alex McDonald himself. It is here that you will unearth the first of the eight puzzles on this journey.

Continue towards the Downtown Hotel, which occupies the site adjacent to the reconstructed Palace Grand Theatre. The original theater was destroyed by fire in 1899, but in 1898, it was the main venue for shows and balls, where Alex McDonald, as an aristocrat of the Klondike, participated in social events. It is a key location for understanding the networks of influence of the era. Not far, the Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, opened in 1971, is a recreation of a Gold Rush saloon, named after the actress Gertie Lovejoy who performed at the Palace Grande Theatre. This unique legal casino in the Yukon still features daily can-can shows, just as in 1898.

Your itinerary then leads you to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Building, a National Historic Site since 1992. Built in 1898-1899 during the rush, it was one of the first bank buildings in the Klondike. Its brick imported from Vancouver testifies to the banking architecture of the gold-rush period, and it was the scene of many gold transactions by prospectors, including Alex McDonald. A crucial clue about his deposits awaits you there. After this, a contemplative break at the Dawson City Cemetery, established around 1898, reveals the graves of prospectors and residents, including those who died from diseases and mining accidents, preserving Dawson's transitional history between 1897 and 1900.

The investigation continues at the Yukon Telegraph Office, built in 1899-1900. This telegraph office connected Dawson to the outside world during the rush and operated until the 1950s, illustrating the vital communication infrastructure of the Klondike. It still preserves its original telegraph equipment, where you might find hidden messages. Finally, the SS Keno National Historic Site, a sternwheeler steamboat built in 1922, represents the last relic of the Yukon River fleet. It transported silver ore from Mayo to Whitehorse until 1960 and was decommissioned in Dawson in 1966, becoming a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. This floating giant may hold Big Alex's last wishes.

By completing this circuit in the heart of the Yukon, you will have not only deciphered the secrets of the 'King of the Klondike' but also explored the Klondike National Historic Sites, key tourist attractions in Dawson City. This scavenger hunt offers an interactive and immersive tour of Dawson City's heritage, a city on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list. You will leave with a deep understanding of Dawson City's history, the challenges and triumphs of the Gold Rush, and the Yukon monuments that shaped this era. Each monument will have revealed a part of Big Alex's fortune trail, leaving you with a complete picture of his gold empire.