Malemute Saloon

Malemute Saloon is a bar in Fairbanks, AK. It operates as part of the historic Malemute Saloon and Ester Gold Camp in Ester, Alaska, where it serves cold beverages and hosts live entertainment through the summer season. The saloon holds a rating of 4.90 from the customers who have reviewed it. The saloon opens for the season on May 14, 2026 and runs through September 6, 2026. Its hours are Friday and Saturday from 5:30 pm to 12:00 am and Sunday from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with a cover on Friday and Saturday nights. Guests toss peanut shells on the wooden floor, and entertainment takes place in the bar and on a new deck. A full schedule of musicians performs all summer long, including open mic nights, deck jams, ragtime piano, and named acts such as Grunge Bob, Identity Crisis, The Jephries, Scooter Brown, Shoot Dangs, and Fune. The assay and blacksmith shop date from the early 1900s, when Ester City was a small town serving mining claims, and the remaining buildings date from 1920 to 1960, when the camp provided living quarters and logistical support for a large dredge operation run by the Fairbanks Exploration Company. Gold discovered on Ester, Cripple, and Eva Creeks drew hundreds of prospectors in the early 1900s, and the town of Ester grew to supply them. The Fairbanks Exploration Company opened Ester Gold Camp in 1936 to support large-scale dredge mining, building a bunkhouse, dining hall, smaller bunkhouses, homes, offices, and shops. That operation continued until the 1950s. The saloon sits at 3660 Main Street in Ester, Alaska. Its long-running summer season and live music schedule have made it a fixture of the Ester area's gold rush history.