Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1967 |
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| Location | Bowdoin College 10 Polar Loop, Brunswick, Maine 04011 |
| Type | Arctic Studies |
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum is a special museum at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. It is named after two famous Arctic explorers, Robert E. Peary and Donald B. MacMillan. Both of them graduated from Bowdoin College. This museum is the only one in the lower 48 United States that focuses completely on the Arctic region.
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Exploring the Arctic: A Museum's History
Bowdoin College has a long history with the Arctic. It started way back in 1860. A group of students and a professor traveled to Labrador and West Greenland.
Robert Peary and Donald MacMillan made many trips to the Arctic. Sometimes they went together, and sometimes they went on their own. Bowdoin students even joined MacMillan on some of his trips in the early to mid-1900s. Even today, professors and students from the college still travel to the Arctic. They go there to do important research.
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum opened in June 1967. It was built thanks to kind donations from many people. Donald MacMillan himself was there for the opening. Peary's daughter, Marie Ahnighito Peary, also attended.
The Arctic Studies Center was created in 1985. It connects the museum and library resources with teaching and research. The center also hosts talks, workshops, and educational projects. It helps people learn about the Arctic's people, history, land, and environment.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibitions
The Arctic Museum's exhibits show different parts of the Arctic. You can learn about the plants and animals that live there. You can also discover the cultures of the people native to the Arctic region.
The museum has many interesting items. These include equipment used by Peary and MacMillan on their trips. There are also objects from different cultures and Inuit art. You can see films, old papers, books, and even natural history specimens. The museum often changes its exhibits. You can visit their website to see what's currently on display.
Learning About the Arctic: Academic Programs
Bowdoin College offers a special program called Arctic Studies. This program is part of the Sociology, Anthropology, and Geology departments.
Together with the museum, these programs help students explore many topics. They learn about the culture, society, and environment of Arctic lands and peoples. The director of the museum is Susan A. Kaplan. She is also a Professor of Anthropology.
Plan Your Visit
The Peary–MacMillan Arctic Museum is located in the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies.
Collection Highlights
See also
- Jensen Arctic Museum
- List of museums in Alaska
- List of museums (section Norway)
