10 Things to Do in Skagway When It’s Raining

Rain isn’t so bad. Less chance of sunburn. Puddles. No need for sunglasses.

Rain can ruin a good day. Rain can also make a terrible day slightly better. Sometimes the rain doesn’t affect you at all because you’re inside. I guess rain can be just about anything – good, bad, mediocre…  It doesn’t really matter because this blog isn’t about rain!

When you go on vacation, you want the weather to be sunny and warm. Unfortunately, sunny and warm is not the default in Alaska. Rain and cold are more common, even in the summer. If it rains while you’re in Skagway, your vacation isn’t ruined because there are 10 amazing things you can do in Skagway when it’s raining. There may be more but I only know about 10. Just bring a raincoat and let’s get on with it!

And away we go! 

Here are 10 things to do in Skagway when it’s raining. Enjoy.

#10 – Have a beer at the Skagway Brewing Company. You may have thought that I would pick drinking beer as the #1 thing to do in Skagway when it’s raining and you would usually be correct. Who knows, maybe this will also make #1. Keep reading and find out! In the meantime, it’s raining, so bottom’s up!

#9 – Take the train. Rain doesn’t really affect the view on board the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. You’re inside of a train car the entire time. Stay dry and do the most popular land-based tour in Alaska. You really can’t go wrong and there is plenty of time for beer after the train ride.

#8 – Visit one of Skagway’s 49 museums. I’m kidding about there being 49 museums but it sure feels that way. You can visit museums that include The National Park Museum, The Mascot Saloon, Corrington’s Alaskan Ivory, The Skagway Museum, Red Onion Brothel Museum, Trail of ‘98 Museum, Jeff. Smiths Parlor, and many many more! Get started now or you won’t have time for that beer.

#7 – The Days of ‘98 Show. This is the town play and it tells the legendary tale of Jefferson Soapy Smith. It’s a wild romp with showgirls, song and dance, and showgirls. Watching showgirls do the can-can dance is far better than standing in the rain.

#6 – Take the SMART bus tour. The SMART buses drive all over town so you can see everything from the comfort of one of these warm and cozy shuttles. Kick back and relax, take in the sights, and imagine life during the Gold Rush. If you’re really lucky, Stuart will be your driver!

#5 – Make it a shopping day. If it’s raining really hard and visibility is poor because of fog, enjoy Skagway’s incredible downtown shopping district. Pay the SMART driver $5 and you can hop on and off all day while you shop for T-shirt, ulu knives, and souvenirs made by local artists. Everyone back home expects you to bring them back something from Alaska so use your rain-time to find gifts for those ingrates and then have a beer!

#4 – Go to Happy Endings Saloon. This is the local’s bar, so you can have a stiff drink with the locals and learn all about Skagway living. Talk to a local and you’ll find they’re a friendly lot, especially if they’re day-drinking on their day off work. 

#3 – Watch a movie. While Skagway does not have a cinema, the National Park shows movies about the Klondike Gold Rush and they’re very interesting if you like history and staying dry. If you can’t enjoy the outdoors and you don’t drink, you may as well learn something!

#2 – People watch at a local coffee shop. When it’s raining, I like to go to the coffee shop, sit by the window, and watch people do whatever it is they do. Man, people are weird. They do all sorts of odd things, especially when they’re on vacation. I recommend Bites on Broadway and Glacial Espresso for people watching in Skagway. What fun!

#1 – Forget it’s raining and do what you wanted to do. Listen, you’re on vacation to Alaska, so do whatever it is you planned on doing. You aren’t going to melt! Go on the glacier tour, or go hiking, or fishing, or mountain climbing. You might find that you enjoy your tour more when it’s raining than when it’s sunny and bright. If not, forget I suggested it and go get a beer. You earned it!