The most unlikely of the Haines museums is the Hammer Museum which is devoted exclusively to the simple hammer. At first, I thought hammers sounded like a pretty dumb idea for a museum, but as it turns out, hammers are fascinating. You'll see coopers hammers, cobblers hammers, bookbinders hammers, hammers used to post bills, hammers used to stamp furs, hammers with names like “bung starter” and “bung pick,” magnetic hammers, triple-clawed hammers, an 800-year-old Tlingit war hammer used to smash in heads, little wooden drink hammers from the Roaring 20s used to knock on the table to show applause, and more. There are 1,400 hammers in all, each with a story.  The collection was started by Dave Pahl, a longshoreman and hammer nut (he even constructed the giant hammer in front of the building).