If possible, before you do anything else in Dawson City [1], try to visit the excellent and extensive Dawson City Museum (595 5th Ave., 867/993-5291, daily 10 a.m.–6 p.m. mid-May–early Sept., adult $9, senior and child $7), housed within the imposing 1901 Administration Building.
The south and north galleries present an enormous amount of history, from fossils and flora and fauna through northern Athabascan lifestyles up to the gold rush and the subsequent developments. The museum has a wealth of material to draw from and it’s all nicely presented.
The mining-history displays alone, from hand mining to dredges, are worth the price of admission; also check out the display on law and order during the gold rush. The “visible storage area” houses about one-fifth of the museum’s collection of 30,000 artifacts.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/western-canada/yukon/dawson-city