Come on In!

In the early 1900s, many communities enforced laws barring women from entering saloons. Some people saw these laws as unjust, while others, including some saloon proprietors, saw them as hurting sales. To get around the restrictions, entrepreneurs created family entrances such as this side door, where women could discreetly order alcohol for takeout. At the Mascot, women, who made up roughly 25 percent of Skagway's population in the early 1900s, were expected to know that this door was for them, and once inside they had to go into a back room to buy alcohol. Today, the National Park Service operates this authentic gold rush-era saloon as a museum.

Skagway, Alaska · United States