This 24,000-sq-ft facility houses a museum, gift shop and a large multipurpose room where short traditional dancing-and-drumming performances take place each afternoon. Local craftspeople work in a studio in the back of the facility, and are happy to talk about their art. They also set up kiosks for their goods from 2pm to 4pm in the foyer.
In the center’s galleries, displays include everything from poster-sized, black-and-white portraits of local elders to a 35ft-long replica of a bowhead skeleton to a detailed (and artifact-rich) breakdown of traditional whaling culture and hunting practices. You can also try on an Iñupiat parka, undoubtedly the warmest article of clothing you'll ever have the privilege of donning.
