About the Hammer Museum
The Hammer Museum invites visitors to explore the rich history of the hammer, the world’s first tool. There are approximately 2,000 hammers on display at the museum at any given time, and over 7,000 items in the collection. We rotate our large collection throughout the year to provide an ever-changing experience.
History
What started as a private collection has grown into the public organization it is today. The Hammer Museum first opened as a privately owned museum in 2002, before becoming a non-profit organization in 2004. Since then, the board has regularly raised enough funds to support an internship program for the summer months. In 2015, the museum hired their first paid staff member, Ashleigh Reed, as the museum director. See the full history….
Mission
To preserve the history of the hammer.
Board of Directors

Eugene Kennedy (Board Member)
Behind the 10 to 4:30 plumber is a talented artist who leans towards steam punk, naturally. From welded full scale yard art to whimsical puppets, he breathes life into whatever material is at hand. Hammers are the perfect fit. Gene has proudly served on the board for many years and has contributed several hammer to our ever-growing collection.

Richard Buck (Vice President)
Richard retired after thirty-six years of teaching and twenty-five years of commercial fishing. He has visited dozens of museums worldwide, but foud that the Hammer Museum is the most interesting. He was first introduced to hammers In the seventh grade woodworking class. There he learned about types, proper use, and purposes of hammers and has been interested in them since. today he is very pleased to be surrounded by them.

Michael Marks (Secretary)
Michael fell in love with the Hammer Museum on his first visit when he met the founder, Dave Pahl. He is also a board member for the Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association, American Bald Eagle Foundation and the Foundation for the Chilkat Center for the Arts. He has had a life long interest in the Arts and retired as the Cultural Arts Supervisor for the City of Santa Clarita in CA and moved to Haines in 2009.
The Brooks Range brought Deborah to Alaska in 1971, where she hiked and guided for a dozen years. Law school put an end to that nonsense; she joined the attorney general’s office in Juneau, and spent much of her career, both as an Assistant A.G and later as Deputy Commissioner of Revenue, “encouraging” the oil industry to pay their taxes. She now lives in Haines, on the banks of the Chilkat River and has proudly been an active member of the board for many years.