Friends of Peary's Eagle Island

09/23/2026

On his return from the Arctic, Admiral Peary stopped in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and was joined aboard the Roosevelt by his wife Josephine.

09/11/2026

08/10/2026

For the first time in a very long time, bald eagles are nesting on Eagle Island.

08/03/2026

Nesting season is over. The trails are ready for exploration to anyone making it to the island.

08/03/2026

July 31st was Eagle Island cleanup day.

Volunteers from Maine Island Trail Association and Stone Coast Fund Eagle removed 5 heaping boatloads of trash from the island that filled a 30-yard dumpster to the brim.

05/23/2026

Today is Commencement at Bowdoin College and to celebrate we’re sharing this photograph of Robert Peary from his graduation in 1877! Congratulations to the students graduating today!🎓



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📷 Wm. Pierce, A.O. Reed, Photographers, Robert E. Peary, Bowdoin graduation photo, 1877.

04/06/2026

Today is National Virtual Travel Day! Did you know the Arctic Museum offers a variety of online resources from past exhibits to blog posts, and activities for kids? Head to our website (link in bio) to check it out!



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🖥️Donald Baxter MacMillan, Dog Team With Kayak, 20th century, Gift of Donald and Miriam MacMillan, 1967.

04/06/2026

in 1909 Robert Peary reached the North Pole!🌎

After 8 attempts over 23 years, Peary, Matthew Henson, and the Inuit men Higdluk, Ûtâk, Íggiánguak’, and Úkujâk planted a flag at the geographic North Pole. However, it was not until September that Peary was able to send a telegram to the press stating his accomplishment. After completing his lifetime goal and having his data confirmed by the National Geographic Society, Peary retired from Arctic exploration and spent the rest of his life lecturing and writing about his experiences.



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📍Benjamin B. Hampton, Postcard: The Stars and Stripes Unfurled by Commander Peary at the North Pole, ca. 1909, Gift of Maria Williams In memory of Dr. H. Franklin Williams, 1999.

04/06/2026

One hundred seventeen years ago on April 6 Robert Peary and his Inuit support team reached the northern most point on Earth. It is beyond cool that 117 years later, NASA’s Artemis’s lunar mission echoes Peary’s quest.

03/18/2026

Happy and to our students, happy spring break!

Some of our students might be taking advantage of their time off to enjoy the great outdoors, including snowshoeing! These are a pair of Dunham snowshoes owned by MacMillan. Mellie Dunham, who lived in Norway, Maine, became famous for his snowshoes after Peary requested he make 60 pairs for the 1908 North Pole Expedition. Dunham’s snowshoes were said to be superior in deep snow because he created the frames with upturned tips, helping the wearer stay above the snow.



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❄️Mellie Dunham, Pair of Dunham snowshoes used by Donald MacMillan, Unknown Date.