The Westminster Hotel, in Dawson City, Yukon, has been in operation since the 1930’s, with parts of the building dating from the early 1900’s. It is a veritable patchwork quilt of Yukon history, with different sections at one time serving as offices for the Klondike Thawing Machine Company, a grocer’s, a boarding house, a diner and ice cream shop, and most notoriously, as a bar and hotel.
The Hotel was originally registered to Mr. Vinnicombe, but collective local memory reaches back only as far as John “Curly” Salois, who sold the business to his nephew Fabien and his wife, Eileen around 1950. Fabien and Eileen ran the hotel, beer parlour, cocktail lounge and diner until the early 1990’s, when a group of friends purchased the business. Eventually, Duncan Spriggs would become the sole owner and operator. During his tenure, Spriggs cemented the Westminster’s reputation as the place to see the best live music in the territory. In 2010, Duncan passed the torch to Paul McDonagh, who has spent the last 7 years making major improvements and upgrades to this historic building.
For the last 20 years, the Westminster, known to locals as The Pit, has played host to countless birthdays, Christmas dinners, happy hours, and wakes. We’re your first–and last–beer in Dawson. You can count on us to bring you the best in live music, be it local talent or bands from across the country.
Whether it’s a cheap room, a cheap beer, or stellar entertainment (and never a cover charge), the Westminster’s got it for you!
See your friendly Westminster bartender,
call, send us an email or Facebook message to book
your room in one of the Yukon’s most historic hotels!
Check out time
Featuring antique furniture and clean sheets.
Bathrooms are shared
