Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Alaska Haines Hammer Museum

Hammer Museum

A museum devoted entirely to hammers has more than 1,400 items on display dating back to the Romans.

Haines, Alaska

Added By
Nick Jackson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/287054...
  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/287054...
  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/287054...
Ice crushing mallet   msmillernola / Atlas Obscura User
Street view of exterior   msmillernola / Atlas Obscura User
Medical hammer section- autopsy hammers and reflexive hammer   msmillernola / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This might not be so hard to believe, but it must be said: The Hammer Museum in Haines, Alaska, is one of the only museums in the whole world that is devoted entirely to hammers. Hammers, hammers, everywhere. There are more than 1,400 of them on display in this unique museum, which is very easy to spot if you're in the area and looking because of the very large hammer that stands out in front of the building.

The collection inside of the museum, which was opened in 2001 by Dave Pahl, a collector and restorer of various types of hand tools, features hammers that date back to the ancient Romans.

Pahl moved all the way to Alaska from Cleveland, Ohio, because, like many people who move to Alaska, he wanted to be self-sufficient and learn to live off of the land and with his own two hands. He became a blacksmith by teaching himself the trade and started collecting hand tools. After his collection grew to a respectable size, Pahl purchased the 100-year-old structure that his museum is housed in.

One thing you'll learn while touring the museum is that the hammer isn't—and wasn't—just used by carpenters. It has also served bankers, nightclubgoers of the 1920s and 1930s, barristers, cobblers, and musicians, as well as those in the medical profession. Pahl obviously knows his stuff.

While this might seem like a goofy obsession that was turned into a museum only because there is little else to do with a collection of this size, the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., has recognized Pahl's know-how. When he was visiting, he took a backstage tour of the American History Museum and was able to help the professional staff of archivists and curators identify several of the pieces in their collection; in exchange for his help, the Smithsonian gave Pahl five pieces to take back to his museum in Alaska.

Related Tags

Niche Museums Museums And Collections Collections Architectural Oddities Architecture

Community Contributors

Added By

nbj914

Edited By

msmillernola

  • msmillernola

Published

January 5, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Roadside America: Haines, Alaska - Hammer Museum: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/16198
  • Epic Trip: Hammer Museum: http://www.epictrip.com/Hammer-Museum-reviews-a13324-v,Haines,Alaska.html
  • Wikipedia: Hammer Museum (Haines, AK): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_Museum_%28Haines,_AK%29
Hammer Museum
108 Main St.
Haines, Alaska, 99827
United States
59.234869, -135.443827
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Skagway Centennial Statue

Skagway, Alaska

miles away

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad

Skagway, Alaska

miles away

Kirmse’s Billboard

Skagway, Alaska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Haines

Haines

Alaska

Places 2

Nearby Places

Skagway Centennial Statue

Skagway, Alaska

miles away

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad

Skagway, Alaska

miles away

Kirmse’s Billboard

Skagway, Alaska

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Haines

Haines

Alaska

Places 2

Related Places

  • The original “flame of knowledge” that once graced the Library of Congress and was replaced with facsimile in 1996.

    Fort Meade, Maryland

    Architect of the Capitol Archival Warehouse

    A remote horde of architectural treasures fit for Indiana Jones.

  • The Moxie Bottle House is the centerpiece of the Matthews Museum’s Moxie collection

    Union, Maine

    Moxie Bottle House

    They call buildings like this "mimetic architecture," but nothing has ever mimicked the taste of Moxie.

  • Pickle Barrel House, 2015

    Grand Marais, Michigan

    Pickle Barrel House

    This little barrel-shaped cottage by Lake Superior was once a cartoonist's summer retreat.

  • Aurora Ice Museum

    Fairbanks, Alaska

    Aurora Ice Museum

    Mind-blowing carvings and fantasy ice scenes grace the largest year-round ice environment in the world.

  • Ming Dynasty-era Vase

    Beijing, China

    Beijing Capital Museum

    Home to over 200,000 artifacts, this museum attempts to guide visitors through the ancient history of Beijing and Imperial China.

  • The ancient Round Tower.

    Kilkenny, Ireland

    Tullaherin Folk Museum and Round Tower

    A collection of housewares from recent Irish history adjoined by a tower from ancient Irish history.

  • One of many automated music machines.

    Spring Green, Wisconsin

    House on the Rock

    A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.

  • The vaulted gallery of plaster models.

    Possagno, Italy

    Museo Canova

    The home of a neoclassical master is now a shrine to his chosen art style.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.