Anchorage Museum
  • Visit
    • The Museum From Home
    • Calendar
    • Hours & Tickets
    • Tours
    • Accessibility
    • Parking
    • Discovery Center
    • Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center
    • Planetarium
    • Museum Store
    • Museum Rentals
    • Tour Operators
    • MUSE
    • Tell Us About Your Visit
  • Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Permanent Exhibitions
    • Archived Exhibitions
    • Traveling Exhibitions
  • Programs
    • Talks & Tours
    • Classes & Workshops
    • For Educators
    • Film & Planetarium
    • Performing & Literary Art + Creative Practice
    • Family, Youth & Homeschool
    • Special Events
  • Membership & Donations
    • Become a Member
    • Volunteer
    • Make a Donation
    • Giving Opportunities
  • Collections
    • The Collection Online
    • Library & Archives
    • Access & Research
    • Acquisitions Committee
    • Rights & Reproductions
  • About Us
    • Governance
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism
    • Major Projects
    • SEED Lab
    • About Our Programs and Exhibitions
    • Creative Opportunities
    • Museum Journal
    • Community Support
    • Social Media Guidelines
    • E-Newsletter Sign-up
    • Requests for Proposals / Qualifications
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
  • Shop

Today's Hours: OPEN 10am ‑ 6pm

ENG more
ESP DEU FRN 漢語 日本の 한국의
  • ×
    • Home
    • Arctic Remix
    • Remix Objects
    2 Kayaks Full

    Kayaks


    Perhaps the only Arctic invention to be incorporated into a summer Olympic sport, kayaking and kayaks have been integral to costal life in the Circumpolar North region for thousands of years. All kayaks share the same basic shape and were traditionally made from animal skins stretched over a wood or whalebone frame. Within the iconic kayak shape, however, there is great regional variation in design, including two-hull and even three-hull kayaks. These were used in Alaska to transport Russian priests and officers. The word kayak is an anglicized version of the proto-Eskimo word qyaq.

    Danish peoples first contacted Inuit peoples in the 13th century. By the mid-1800s, kayak design was embraced by residents of Europe. However, instead of using these boats to hunt, a sport was created around kayaking. The boats popularized at the time had soft-sided frames, while kayaks today are often made from rigid plastic or fiberglass materials.

    Credits:

    Martin Family Collection, Anchorage Museum, B2007.5.2.311

    Photo by Marek Uliasz on iStock

    Kayaks

    Anchorage Museum

    625 C Street
    Anchorage, AK 99501
    907-929-9200 | General
    907-929-9228 | Membership

    Contact Info

    Privacy Policy

    Hours

    10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday - Saturday
    Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday

    THE DISCOVERY CENTER WILL REOPEN WITH HOURLY TICKETED ENTRY THURSDAY, MARCH 4.



    THIS IS DENA’INA EŁNENA.
    ANCHORAGE IS DENA’INA HOMELAND.

    Admission

    • $20 Adult (18-64)
    • $17 Alaska resident (18-64)
    • $15 Senior (65+), student, military with ID
    • $10 Ages 6-12
    • Free 5 and younger
    • Free Museum members (best deal!)
    • Discounts AAA, LifeBalance and Reciprocal Museum

    Buy Tickets

    Press Room

    Membership

    Share this page
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on Twitter
    • Share on Google+
    • Share on LinkedIn
    am-black