Shutdown closes national park in Seattle
The partial federal government shutdown has closed the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park unit and museum in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.
“Thank you for contacting the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle,” an automated phone message says upon calling the park. “Due to the current lapse in federal government appropriations, the park is currently closed.”
The unit in Seattle, which has a sister park in Skagway, Alaska, is located in the historic Cadillac Hotel building and contains interactive exhibits and displays about the Klondike gold rush.
The park has been located in the building since 2005. The Trump administration looked at terminating the lease of the building earlier this year, but it appears to have reversed its plan, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
The government shutdown came after congressional Democrats refused to give enough votes to bypass a filibuster of the Republican spending bill, saying they are doing so to preserve health care subsidies, which expire at the end of the year, to prevent insurance premiums from rising for millions of people.
Many national parks, including Mount Rainier, remain open.
“We remain open with lodging, retail, and food & beverage services available,” Mount Rainier Guest Services, which runs facilities such as the National Park Inn, said on its website. The concessionaire did note some areas and services may be limited.
But the Klondike museum is closed, as the Park Service said in its contingency plan it will not “conduct interpretive or educational programs” or “provide visitor information.” Visitor centers at other national parks, such as Olympic National Park, are also closed. Park roads, lookouts and trails generally remain accessible to visitors.
Dozens of former park superintendents had asked the Trump administration to close all national parks, saying limited staffing due to furloughs would hurt the ability to enforce rules.
National forests also remain open, though the U.S. Forest Service has drawn attention for a message that appeared on its website blaming the shutdown on “Radical Left Democrats.”
“The Radical Left Democrats shut down the government,” the message reads. “This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”
Federal agency websites rarely display partisan messaging in response to legislation. Such messaging also raise questions about potential violations of the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan political activity by U.S. federal employees.
“Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. And now they’re using YOUR taxpayer dollars to try and shift blame,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, said in a post on X on Wednesday.
It is unclear how long the shutdown will last or how it will impact Washington’s 77,100 federal workers. Trump threatened to lay off thousands of federal employees during the shutdown, which may include Forest Service employees.
The Associated Press contributed to this report, which includes material from the Seattle Times archives.