The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum

Call Directions Website Contact the museum

The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum Located at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, we are the only museum in the United States devoted completely to Arctic Studies!

The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum was founded in 1967 at Bowdoin College, and the Arctic Studies Center was created in 1985. Artifacts in the Museum's collection include Peary and MacMillan's expedition equipment, Inuit art, films, archival papers, natural history specimens, and much more. The Museum's exhibitions now change approximately every two years to show as much of the collection as possible. The museum is located at the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies at 10 Polar Loop. Admission to the Museum is always free! Find us on Twitter and Instagram at .

Take in this awesome shot of an Inuit hunter throwing a harpoon! Did you guess it? Today, we’re looking at harpoons! Ha...
10/16/2026

Take in this awesome shot of an Inuit hunter throwing a harpoon!

Did you guess it? Today, we’re looking at harpoons! Harpoons are a traditional tool of hunters in the Arctic, used to catch a variety of marine animals such as seals and whales. Harpoons can be used from a kayak or at a breathing hole. Sometimes, they are attached with a rope to a sealskin float called an avataq (seen behind the hunter in the first photograph) which allows the hunter to keep track of the animal so it can be retrieved to bring back and feed the hunter and his community.



___
🌊Bryan Alexander, “Nukagpianguaq out hunting in a kayak uses a throwing board to hurl his harpoon. Qeqetat, Thule, Northwest Greenland,” 1980, Museum purchase, 2025.
🌊Unidentified Inuk Artist, Eskimo harpoon with toggle-type head, 20th century, Gift of Miriam MacMillan.
🌊Justin Tiulana, Figure with Spear, Unknown date, Museum purchase, 1993.

So far this semester we have hosted 8 Bowdoin classes with more to come! Students have seen a wide variety of sculptures...
10/15/2026

So far this semester we have hosted 8 Bowdoin classes with more to come! Students have seen a wide variety of sculptures, prints, and historical objects both in our galleries and pulled specially for them from our collections storage. We love teaching our students and can’t wait for the rest of the semester!

Today for Monster Monday, we’re looking at examples of Tupilak! Tupilait (plural for tupilak) are fearsome creatures ori...
10/12/2026

Today for Monster Monday, we’re looking at examples of Tupilak!

Tupilait (plural for tupilak) are fearsome creatures originating from modern-day Greenland. Originally, Inuit angakkuq (shaman) created tupilait from a variety of animal parts before imbuing them with power to harm their enemies. When Europeans arrived in the Arctic, they wanted to know what tupilait looked like, so Inuit began carving them from ivory and antler, beginning the tradition we see today. Many tupilait feature animal or human-like parts, but they are all different, inspired by the imagination of the carver.



____
🖤Unidentified Inuk Artist, “Tupilak,” Unknown Date, Caribou Antler, Gift of Wilfred Richard, 2023.
🖤Iggianguaq Odaq, “Tupilak,” 2000, Antler, Museum Purchase, 2005.
🖤Unidentified Inuk Artist, “Tusked/Tongued Creature Tupilak,” ca. 1970, Whale Tooth, Museum Purchase, 1988.
🖤Bryan Alexander, “Putdlak Odak, an Inuit artist from Qaanaaq, working on a Tupilaq he is carving from a walrus tusk. Qaanaaq, Northwest Greenland,” 2022, Museum Purchase, 2025.

Happy Indigenous People’s Day! Alaska is home to over 229 native tribes who speak over 42 languages. Indigenous people h...
10/12/2026

Happy Indigenous People’s Day! Alaska is home to over 229 native tribes who speak over 42 languages. Indigenous people have been living in Alaska for thousands of years and continue their traditional practices despite increased modernization and globalization.





___
📷 Cherry Alexander, “Tlingit master carver Nathan Jackson by a totem he is carving,” 1997, Museum purchase, 2025.
📷 Cherry Alexander, “Eskimo, Tony Weyiouanna takes his racing dogs out for a training run,” 2003, Museum purchase, 2025.
📷 Bryan Alexander, Inupiaq (Eskimo) women adjust their parkas for the best Parka contest, 1988, Museum purchase, 2025.

Happy and Happy Fall Vacation to Bowdoin students! For students taking their long weekend to travel around Maine, per...
10/09/2026

Happy and Happy Fall Vacation to Bowdoin students! For students taking their long weekend to travel around Maine, perhaps you will see some Labrador tea growing! Labrador tea is a type of rhododendron that grows in cold marshy areas. It is found globally across the Arctic and can even be found as far south as Northern Maine. It grows throughout the summer and fall and its leaves have been used to make tea for hundreds of years!



___
☕️Bryan and Cherry Alexander, “Labrador Tea growing on Igloolik Island, Nunavut, Canada,” 1992, Museum Purchase, 2025.

Last Friday the Arctic Museum presented a poster at the Maine Archives and Museum annual conference! The poster, titled,...
10/07/2026

Last Friday the Arctic Museum presented a poster at the Maine Archives and Museum annual conference! The poster, titled, “Passive Engagement at a Small Museum” looked at the benefits of having activities visitors can do on their own such as work on our embroidery table, complete a scavenger hunt, answer questions in our Family Guide, or grab a monthly button! We had a lot of fun presenting and getting to know our fellow MAM members!

It’s the first Monday in October and we have a special surprise for you all! We’re starting a new series called Monster ...
10/05/2026

It’s the first Monday in October and we have a special surprise for you all! We’re starting a new series called Monster Mondays where every Monday leading up to Halloween, we will be sharing objects in our collection related to Inuit mythology!

The first monster we’re featuring is Kajutajuq.

Kajutajuq is a monster who has no arms and no body, just feet and a head. Some Inuit believed if you saw Kajutajuq you would fall ill, so beware if you hear a knock on the wall of your home in the winter!




___
👣 Aisa Amittu, Mythical monster, Puvirnituq, nd. Soapstone. Harry Z. and Ruth L. Sky Collection.
👣 Davidialuk Alasua Amituk, Kutjujajurq, Puvirnituq, 1975. Stonecut, 19/50. Robert and Judith Toll Collection.
👣 Peter Assapa, Kajutaju, mythical clawed giant with no body, Puvirnituq, 1988. Soapstone. Harry Z. and Ruth L. Sky Collection.

Did you know that Peary was a taxidermist? Peary learned to stuff animals while growing up near Portland, Maine. While...
10/02/2026

Did you know that Peary was a taxidermist?

Peary learned to stuff animals while growing up near Portland, Maine. While a student at Bowdoin he sometimes had birds he had completed or was working on in his rooms! While at Bowdoin, he completed a series of every owl in Maine, including this snowy owl!

Want a picture of this owl you can take home for free? You’re in luck because it’s our button of the month! Come and pick one up from our lobby from now until the end of the month🦉



___
🪶Robert E. Peary, “Snowy owl mount prepared by Robert E. Peary,” ca. 1875, Presented by Dr. J.W. Curtis.

Orange Shirt Day, also known as Truth and Reconciliation Day, was established in 2013 to honor Indigenous children force...
09/29/2026

Orange Shirt Day, also known as Truth and Reconciliation Day, was established in 2013 to honor Indigenous children forced to attend residential schools in Canada. Native American, Inuit, and Aleut children in the USA had similar experiences. We invite the Bowdoin community to wear orange on Wednesday, September 30 in solidarity with our Indigenous neighbors. Come to the Arctic Museum on Wednesday to view an orange shirt on exhibit and get an Orange Shirt Day button!



____
🧡Kadluk Kreations, Inuktitut Orange Shirt Day T-shirt, 2021. Museum purchase.

Today is a very fun because its Homecoming weekend at Bowdoin! To celebrate the weekend, come learn about the Arctic w...
09/25/2026

Today is a very fun because its Homecoming weekend at Bowdoin! To celebrate the weekend, come learn about the Arctic with a scavenger hunt and crafts from 2-3:30pm. Come make a polar bear related craft and learn a little bit about the Arctic!

Address

10 Polar Loop
Brunswick, ME
04011

Telephone

(207) 725-3416

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum:

Shortcuts

Share

Category