Point Roberts, WA

Point Roberts, Washington, can only be reached on land by driving through Canada (Similar to the Northernmost Point of the Lower 48 in Minnesota). Border restrictions during the pandemic hit this tourist town hard. Krystal and Neil King, owners of Kora's Corner, a local gift shop, wanted to do something to bring people back.

Neil said that one day Krystal told him, "I've got this crazy idea; we should make a rubber duck museum." Neil, awestruck, responded, "That's the most brilliant thing you've ever said."

At first Krystal and Neil thought that the museum would feature rubber ducks signed by celebrities (An approach taken by the Hot Dog Bun Museum in Ohio), but that idea didn't last. "I did nothing but stare at rubber ducks for six months," Krystal said, recalling her research. "And I realized that rubber ducks didn't need a gimmick. They're actually interesting all by themselves." A historical rubber duck museum, she thought, would be something that no one had ever attempted before, which meant that Krystal and Neil wouldn't have too much competition acquiring historically important rubber ducks. This they did, and the Historical Rubber Duck Museum opened to the public in June 2024.

Mass-produced duck toys, according to the museum's exhibits, began in the late 19th century, and for 50 years rubber ducks were made of the same stuff as car tires. "They were solid rubber. They didn't float. They weren't bath toys," said Krystal. "They were chew toys for dogs and babies."

Then in 1949 a Hollywood-based designer named Peter Ganine invented a pint-size "uncapsizeable" floating duck with a squeaker inside -- the museum displays his patent drawings -- and the modern rubber duck was born. The secret was that Ganine's ducks were made of lightweight vinyl, even though everyone still called them rubber ducks. "We have one from Croatia made of rubber in the 1980s," said Neil. "That may have been the last rubber duck."

Coming face-to-face with old rubber ducks lets you see that their appearance has changed dramatically over the years based on where and when they were made. Historical rubber ducks have come from all corners of the globe and have been all colors of the rainbow. Some stand upright -- which would be awkward for floating -- some have their heads in weird positions. One from Soviet Russia is especially colorful, which Krystal guessed was because so much else in the USSR wasn't. Even the rubber duck that Ernie the Muppet sang to with the song "Rubber Duckie" in 1970 looks nothing like the one commonly seen today, because the one commonly seen today -- with its yellow feathers, red beak, and happy eyes -- wasn't invented until 1977.

The screen-used Ernie duck on exhibit in the museum was one of many that the Muppet serenaded on Sesame Street over the years and is among Krystal and Neil's most prized possessions. "To get our hands on an original Ernie rubber duck was really exciting," said Neil. "I said, 'All right! We're legit now!'"

Despite Krystal and Neil's research, many historical rubber ducks offer more questions than answers. One example is the museum's blue "Eye-Turning Duck," still sealed in its original clear plastic point-of-purchase bag. "We can't find a single reference to this thing existing anywhere," said Krystal. Neil admitted that the weird-looking duck "freaks me out a little" and said that he never wants it removed from its protective packaging. "I'm not opening that tomb," he said. "I've seen that movie too many times."

The popularity of the little yellow duck -- which today is seen more on desks and car dashboards than in bathtubs -- has surprised even Krystal and Neil, and suggests that we are living in a Golden Age of rubber duckdom. "We have over 2,000 different ducks on display," said Neil. The majority of these are modern ducks, available for purchase in the gift shop, including a duck that looks like Marilyn Monroe and a duck with tentacles instead of feet. Some of these variants will no doubt eventually earn their place in the museum as historically or culturally significant. "My favorite is the zombie duck," said Neil. "It's got one eye popped out; you see blood and bones; it's cool." Krystal said, "I think my favorite is the classic [1977] rubber duck. He's just so cute."

The Historical Rubber Duck Museum is young, and Krystal and Neil say that their goal is to continually increase the scale and scope of its collection. "This is going to be a project for years," said Krystal. "I'm just glad that we chose our thing to be something that makes people happy. Rubber ducks are happy!"