Traditional clothing of the Inupiaq on exhibit at the Center
Photo: NPS Photo
About
On the rooftop of the world, the Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska, tells the story of the Iñupiat people. They have thrived for thousands of years in one of the most extreme climates on Earth, hunting the bowhead, or "Agviq." In the 19th century, the quiet northern seas swarmed with commercial whalemen from New England, who also sought the bowhead for its valuable baleen and blubber.
Location
5421 North Star Street
Barrow, AK 99723
Hours
wednesdayClosed
mondayClosed
thursdayClosed
sundayClosed
tuesdayClosed
fridayClosed
saturdayClosed
Activities
Arts and CultureHunting and Gathering
Directions
The Inupiat Heritage Center is located in Barrow, Alaska, the largest city in the North Slope Borough and the northernmost city in the United States. Barrow can be reached via commercial and charter flights from Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Get directions →Weather
Owing to its location 320 miles (515 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Barrow's climate is cold and dry, classified as a polar climate (Köppen ET). Winter weather can be extremely dangerous because of the combination of cold and wind, while summers are cool even at their warmest.