Lease termination at Klondike Gold Rush national park

Seattle's Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park could close

Federal lease terminations will affect national park sites, including Seattle's Klondike Gold Rush visitor center, by September 2025.

SEATTLE - More changes are coming to the federal government. Leases at national park sites across the country are set to be terminated soon. One is right here in Downtown Seattle.

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park in Seattle will see its 136-year-old building lease terminated.

Klondike Gold Rush Historic National Park [Photos by Emily C (left) and Apple S (right) on Yelp.]

What's next:

The Cadillac Hotel building is on 319 2nd Avenue and was built in 1889. The lease is planned to be terminated on Sept. 30, 2025, according to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

Right now, there are 34 offices set to be closed. Lease terminations are coming in waves starting this year and stretching into 2026.

Robb M. via Yelp

Dig deeper:

Recently, the Trump administration cut federal jobs in the National Park Service. The decision was then reversed, though Washington park rangers warn the effects will still impact the spring season.

What they're saying:

The NPCA released the following statement, in part, on Monday addressing the incoming closures.

"Field offices and facilities slated for lease termination house vital staff including scientists, archeologists, superintendents, and others who carry out the basic operations and mission of national parks.

If these facilities are eliminated, eight visitor centers will be shuttered without an alternative location in place. And millions of artifacts stored in climate-controlled facilities will have no equivalent facility to be housed. Emergency, search and rescue and law enforcement facilities will also be shutdown."

"Between staff being fired or resigning under duress, the National Park Service has lost 9% of its staff in a matter of weeks. The park staff that remain are stretched thin. And now, the administration is making their jobs even harder.

Canceling these leases and firing more than a thousand staff do nothing to make our Park Service more efficient. These moves by the administration are pushing our parks past the point of no return," said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).