Last Chance Mining Museum

Lonely Planet review

Amble out to the end of Basin Rd, a beautiful half-mile walk from the north end of Gastineau Ave, to the intriguing Last Chance Mining Museum . The former Alaska-Juneau Gold Mining Company complex is now a museum where you can view the remains of the compressor house and examine tools of what was once the world's largest hard-rock goldmine. There is an impressive 3-D glass map of shafts that shows just how large it was.

Nearby is the Perseverance Trail, and combining the museum with a hike to more mining ruins is a great way to spend an afternoon.

Speaking of mines, the Treadwell Mine ruins, across the Gastineau Channel near Douglas, are really worth an exploration. The Treadwell Mining Community closed down in 1922, after a 1917 cave-in led to financial ruin, but in its heyday the mine put Douglas on the map of major players. Across the channel from Treadwell, the Alaska-Juneau Mine also has an interesting history; it closed in 1944 after producing more than $80 million in gold.