Beringia Interpretive Center
Alaska Hwy, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 3H1

The Beringia Centre’s building was originally constructed to house the Yukon Visitor Reception Centre. The Visitor Reception Centre (VRC) operated seasonally from May 1992 to September 1996. In 1996, the reception centre was moved to its current location in downtown Whitehorse. 

Following renovation and new construction over the winter of 1996-97, the building reopened as the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre on May 29, 1997 by the Minister of Tourism, Dave Keenan.

In the first years of operation, the Beringia Centre was primarily focused on providing visitors to Yukon with a window into Yukon’s past. The centre featured amazing dioramas of extinct ice age animals, complete skeletons of some of Beringia’s iconic animals, and a life-sized replica of the hotly debated Bluefish Caves archaeological site. It is a point of pride for us that we can use scientific (and architectural; see below) controversy to immerse our visitors in Yukon’s natural heritage.

The Beringia Centre is dedicated to the presentation and preservation of the First Nations and scientific history of the vast sub-continent called Beringia. Since its opening, the Beringia Centre has greeted more than 350,000 visitors—sharing with them an appreciation for the unique ice age heritage of Yukon. In recent years, the centre has been refocusing its programs and services on building community here in Whitehorse.