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 .

06/02/2026

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!

05/29/2026

Campus is starting to look busy for Reunion weekend! Today for we’re sharing pictures of another reunion- from 1987!

In 1937 MacMillan led a group of scientists and students on an expedition to the Arctic aboard the Gertrude L. Thebaud to collect samples and explore the Arctic. When they reached Frobisher Bay, they had trouble anchoring due to the large cliffs and the ship hit ground, causing the planking to separate and the ship to start taking in water. Miraculously, the men were able to pump her out and sail her back to Maine in time for the students to begin their fall semester at Bowdoin! For the 50th anniversary of the expedition, the still living members reunited in Hubbard Hall where the Arctic Museum was then located.

___
⚓️ James Staples, "The Participants of the 1987 Thebaud Expedition 50th Anniversary Reunion," 1987.
⚓️Unknown photographer, "Thebaud aground in Frobisher Bay," 1937.
⚓️Donald Baxter MacMillan, "Gertrude L. Thebaud under full sail," Unknown Date, Gift of Miriam Look MacMillan, 1988.

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!🎓

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

05/22/2026

Happy National Maritime Day! For this special we’re looking at the SS Roosevelt, the ship Peary took on the first leg of his trip to the North Pole.

The Roosevelt was specially designed for Arctic exploration and had both steam and sail power. This allowed the ship to push through pack ice. The hull was also heavily reinforced with wood and metal trusses to allow it to move through and be frozen in ice without breaking. The ship successfully survived its first Arctic voyage in 1905-06 but required extensive repairs after it made it back to New York. In 1908-09 she completed her second voyage for Peary, once again overwintering only 8 degrees from the North Pole!

___
🚢 Donald Baxter MacMillan, S.S. Roosevelt in Oyster Bay, 1908, Gift of Donald and Miriam MacMillan, 1967.

05/20/2026

Have you picked up your free monthly button yet?

This month’s features a hand-colored photograph taken by MacMillan of an Atlantic Puffin. Puffins live across the Arctic region and can be seen in Maine during the summers when they come to Maine to nest on rocky offshore islands!🪺

___
🧡 Donald Baxter MacMillan, “Puffin in Pool in Front of House,” Unknown Date, Gift of Donald and Miriam MacMillan, 1967.

05/18/2026

Today we’re featuring this sculptural teapot that might remind you of another kitchen object you’ve seen in our galleries!

This wood and brass teapot created by artist Michael Massie is designed to evoke the shape of an ulu, the traditional Inuit women’s knife. Massie, who is based out of Newfoundland, has become well-known for his creative and often witty teapot designs.🫖

___
🫖 Michael Massie, “left-tea/right-tea,” 2019.

05/15/2026

Did you know the qimmit are the oldest recognized domesticated dog breed?

Recent studies have found that Greenland sled dogs have been largely kept isolated from contact with other dog breeds, and found significant similarities in genome sequencing between a 9,500 year old Siberian dog and modern qimmit!

___
🐕 Bryan Alexander, “A team of huskies rest during a sled journey near Scorebysund / Ittoqqortoomiit, East Greenland,” 1974.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day! Share this post with the mama duck in your life to show them some love!🪿💜

___
🪿Peter Aliknak Banksland, “Duck and Ducklings,” 1970, Gift of Peter Witt and Joyce Nies, 2019.

05/08/2026

Happy Have you ever noticed that some kayaks come with 2 seats and some come with 1?

Traditionally, two-person kayaks were found in Arctic communities on the Bering Sea, where the 2 seats allow one kayaker to steady the kayak while the other throws the harpoon, as shown in the sculpture above. Communities in the Eastern Arctic made more nimble single-person kayaks to hunt and fish. The exception to this can be found in the Belcher Islands, where Inuit designed a two-person kayak called a paatsaali in order to navigate the often stormy waters more safely.

Have you ever been kayaking before? Let us know in the comments!

___
🌊Lucassie Takatak, Kayak, Unknown Date, Gift of Peter Witt and Joyce Nies, 2021.

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?