Historical Walking Tour of Abandoned Gold Rush Era City with AR
Description
The Treadwell mine collapse of 1917 ended an era of gold and industry in Alaska. Today, the preserved ruins of this massive site sit quietly among the trees. While the forest has grown in around it, the foundations, machinery, and stories still remain. This guided walking tour takes you through the original streets of Treadwell, past towering ruins, old mine shafts, and up to the edge of the 1917 cave-in. Along the way, carefully placed immersive media scenes help bring key moments of history to life right where they happened. The tour spans 2–3 miles of scenic walking trails, showcasing a century-old industrial footprint that few visitors ever see. Along the way, your guide shares stories of the people who both built and lost this remarkable place.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We take guests on a guided tour through the largest set of preserved Gold Rush era ruins in SE while telling the story of the rise and fall of Treadwell, the city that brought Juneau into the modern age. Guests are provided with an iPad (with harness) that has a custom application that allows them to see full scale augmented reality models that show the size, scope, and lives of Treadwell's original residents.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will meet you at the tour site and will be driving a large black Mercedes Van with the Treadwell logo on the side. If we pick you up at a cruise ship or hotel, please gather near the Shore Excursion or front desk area and we will pick you up in the van described above and we will have a sign with the Treadwell logo on it.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Guests will need to be able to walk roughly two miles. The trail is flat and well maintained.
Reviews(10)
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up for this activity. I was delighted when our guide, Katie, started leading the tour. Using iPads, the Treadwell Mine was brought to life. Historical photos were overlaid with the current scenery. I first learned of this mine from a Discovery+ show many months ago, and was thrilled to see it in real life.
Hi Dr. Scott, That's awesome that you first learned about Treadwell on Discovery+. I'll have to look that up. Glad we lived up to expectations and you enjoyed the tour! Aaron
Wow. What a great tour! Ishmael was an excellent guide and a good soul. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about the story of Treadwell. The augmented reality scenes helped bring the story to life. The beautiful weather only made the experience that much better.
Hi Randy, Thank you so much for the kind review. It's great to hear that Ishmael left a strong impression. I agree that he's both an excellent guide and good soul. Thanks for spending your vacation with us!
The AI generated moving images on the supplied I pads of what it was like to be gold mining in the late 1800’s really brought the walk to life. Katie had a real passion on describing the local history Thank-you
Hi Colin! Thank you for the kind words! Katie's passion is why we hired her..:) We appreciate that you spent your vacation with us. As a general clarification to other potential guests, this tour utilizes augmented reality (AR). But it was all made by super talented humans and no artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the design, research, or software development.
Fantastic hike and tour of the Treadwell Gold Mines led by knowledgeable friendly folks. Aaron, Travis and Ishmael were timely, courteous and very communicative. Physical experience with AI implementation; we were each given individual tablets with a virtual view of how the sites once were along with real photographs and facts. History, nature and great conversation; definitely recommend.
Hi Elizabeth! With all three of us being born and raised Alaskans, I'm glad to hear that the courtesy and communication left an impression. We take a lot of pride in that. Thanks for sharing your experience with other travelers!
Excellent visit to abandoned mining town with nature walk and waterfront. Animated views with computers are very good. Travis and Ismaile were excellent with tour and pick up and drop off. Knowledgeable about mining and nature.
Hi Lawrence, thanks so much for the review. It's great to hear that Travis and Ishmael delivered a quality experience for you!
I was looking for something different. Had whale tours day before and after. It was good. A good guide. Interesting history. I just felt like it wasn't quite as good as the reviews that I read and that the AI or AR pictures did not add as much as I hope. But I'm 64 years old and not a technical guy or digital guy. I really like Travis, the owner who ran the shuttle and Ishmael our guide. Maybe it was the day it was a little drizzly not unlike the area. Maybe I should have showed something a bit more adventurous but I was looking for a change of pace and it certainly was.
Hi Steven, I appreciate your honest and thoughtful review! We're definitely not an adrenaline/adventure tour. Much more focused on cultural history, so it's good to read that you found both the staff high quality and the history interesting. But yes, being able to experience the Alaskan outdoors (on any tour) is much more enjoyable without the rain. It puts a literal and figurative damper on most things. Thank you again for the honest and well thought out review!
Easy walk very knowledgeable guide beautiful setting
Thank you for the five star review! Every one counts.
Fantastic walking tour with very knowledgeable guides. Aaron was my particular guide who owns the business with his partner Travis. Aaron was fantastic with his knowledge of history. Plus, the tablets that you carry will allow you to experience history in 3-D. Plus, lots of historical photos. I had the pleasure of also walking with Travis, who is also very knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk to. Would highly recommend this tour to anybody!
Hi Gordon, it was an absolute pleasure having you on the tour a few weeks ago. Thank you for the kind words. I hope that the rest of your trip was smooth and enjoyable.
This was a shore excursion option for a Holland America tour, and the best shore excursion on the entire cruise. We were met at the pier, taken to the parking area on the other side of the harbour (across the bridge), and outfitted with our Ipads for the augmented reality portion of the tour. The augmented reality Ipads are a brilliant solution to the problem of making history really come alive. The walk itself is enjoyable, through quiet rainforest with views back to the Juneau downtown area. I think the overall walk took around two hours. Since the tour company uses minivans to bring people to the site, the group size is automatically restricted to a reasonable number of people. The guide (sorry, can't remember the name) did an excellent job of explaining the history of the mining area and the town that grew up around it. Highly recommended.
Hi Geo3, No need to apologize for not remembering the guides name. We're just glad that you enjoyed the tour so much. Fun fact about that specific part of the rainforest, it's the only deciduous rainforest section in SE!
As a lifelong Juneauite, I thought I knew the Treadwell story pretty well—but this tour absolutely blew me away. Walking the historic trails with someone who can bring the ruins to life through stories, old photos, and little-known details was incredible. I’ve driven past that area for years without realizing just how much history is tucked into the woods and shoreline. The guide did such a great job weaving together the human side of the mining days—the families, the culture, the sheer scale of what was once the largest gold mine in the world. Standing among the moss-covered foundations and picturing what it looked like 100+ years ago gave me a whole new appreciation for our community’s roots. Even though I’ve lived here my whole life and my own family roots in Alaska stem from the Klondike, I left the tour feeling like I’d discovered something brand new in my own backyard. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, this is hands-down one of the best ways to experience Juneau’s history. I can’t recommend it enough.
Yessss! High praise from seasoned locals brings a smile to my face. Thank you so much for the detailed and complimentary review.
