The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum

Home
United States
Brunswick, ME
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 possib

le. 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 .

06/18/2026

Today we open our new exhibit “Tip of the Iceberg: A Selection of Recent Acquisitions” to the public! This small gallery located on the 3rd floor showcases just a few of the museum’s acquisitions from the past 10 years!

06/16/2026

Today we have the cutest baby seal to show off!🦭

In January, the museum acquired the collection of Bryan and Cherry Alexander, two British photographers who worked extensively in the Arctic for over 50 years. While this is an especially adorable photograph from the collection, most of the photographs serve as important documentary evidence of communities around the Arctic. The Alexander’s often returned to communities over the decades they worked, documenting the ways life has changed and stayed the same for these communities.

___
🦭Bryan Alexander, “A Young Ringed Seal, Phoca hispida, on sea ice. The Arctic,” 1992, Museum purchase.

06/13/2026

Happy Birthday Miriam MacMillan!

Miriam MacMillan accompanied her husband, Donald, on all his Arctic expeditions after 1938. She participated as a full crew member, shot motion picture film and photographs, and made sound recordings of Inuit. When the Peary-MacMillan Museum opened in 1967, Miriam was named an honorary curator until her death in 1987.

___
📷 Bradford Bachrach, “Miriam MacMillan in West Greenlandic clothing,” Unknown date, Gift of Miriam Look MacMillan, 1988.

06/12/2026

Today for we’re looking at this print by Victoria Mamnguqsualuk telling the Inuit myth of Brother Moon and Sister Sun.

In the myth, the sister has a mysterious lover, who comes to her in a dark igloo so she cannot see his face. To figure out who he is, she rubs soot on his nose. Then, she attends a drum dance where she sees her brother with the soot. Enraged, she runs away, but her brother chases her. They run around and around the igloo until they rise into the sky, the sister becoming the sun and the brother the moon.

___
🌜Victoria Mamnguqsualuk, “Brother Moon and Sister Sun,” 1982, Robert and Judith Toll Collection.

06/10/2026

Join the Arctic Museum for a celebration of the Summer Solstice!☀️

The Summer Solstice is celebrated each year by people all over the world! At the Arctic Circle this is the day when the sun does not set and for the rest of the northern hemisphere, it is the longest day of the year. Please join us to celebrate the start of summer and learn more about this amazing astronomical event! As always, our museum and programs are free and open to the public!

📆 Tuesday, June 23
⏰ 10:30am-12:30pm
🎨 Take-home Arctic craft kit
👆🏼Docent-led gallery conversation and Arctic touch box

06/08/2026

Happy !

Around the world, and especially in the Arctic, people and animals alike rely on having clean and safe water to drink, fish, and hunt. Learn more about the issues Inuit face and how they hope to track and mitigate ocean pollutants in our 3rd floor exhibit “Mamaqtuq! It is Delicious!: Traditional Foods of the North.”

___
💧Bryan Alexander, “Melting sea ice off Cape Heller, Wilczek Land. Franz Josef Land,” 2004, Museum purchase, 2025.

06/05/2026

Happy ! Have you ever heard of an umiaq?

An umiaq is a type of boat built by Arctic communities. Like kayaks, they were usually made from a driftwood frame covered in skin, but unlike a kayak, an umiaq is large and open, allowing it to carry multiple people and cargo. This makes it ideal for hunting whales or for transporting families. An umiaq is operated using large paddles and sometimes a sail!

____
📷 Donald Baxter MacMillan, “South Greenland Girls in Umiak,” Unknown date, Gift of Donald and Miriam MacMillan, 1967.
📷 Cherry Alexander, “Jawbones of a Bowhead Whale form the Archway, Umiaks beside it,” 1997, Museum purchase, 2025.

06/04/2026

June buttons are here! Come pick up your free monthly button from our lobby! This month’s button features a photo of Walter Ekblaw taken between 1913 and 1917 when Ekblaw joined Donald MacMillan on the Crocker Land Expedition. Although Ekblaw looks like he’s enjoying some sunny weather in this photograph, the expedition was plagued by bad weather, leaving them stranded in the Arctic two years longer than initially planned.

___
💛Unknown artist, “Team member sitting on tundra wearing straw hat, using binoculars,” 1913-1917, Given in honor of Walter E. Ekblaw, Jr., devoted son, 2011.

06/02/2026

On June 13, join the Arctic Museum for an early Juneteenth event celebrating Matthew Henson, a Black Arctic explorer!

At 11:30 and 12:00, Curator and Registrar, Genny LeMoine will give a short talk on Henson, followed by a question-answer session. Before or after the presentation, take the opportunity to explore the museum. A docent in the galleries can answer questions and offer fresh perspectives on Henson and  the expeditions that led to the discovery of the North Pole.

06/01/2026

Come visit us throughout the summer! We will be hosting tours and kids programming every week mid-June through mid-August.

Bring the whole family on Wednesdays for Arctic-themed story times and fun hands-on crafts and activities! Visit us on Tuesdays and Thursdays for guided tours of our third-floor galleries. Each week has a special Arctic theme so every tour and program will be unique!

As always, all events are free and open to the public! Check out our website (link in bio) for more details and to see additional special event offerings for the summer!

Address

10 Polar Loop
Brunswick, ME
04011

Telephone

(207) 725-3416

Website

http://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/

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

Want your museum to be the top-listed Museum in Brunswick?