A rubber duck museum located in Point Roberts, USA, is relocating to Tsawwassen Mills mall in British Columbia next month due to financial challenges stemming from rising tariffs and declining tourism. The new site will be just a short 15-minute drive away from the current location, separated by an international border.
Point Roberts, an American exclave with a population of slightly over 1,000, is physically connected to Canada but is geographically separated from the rest of the United States by water.
The Rubber Duck Museum was established about 1.5 years ago in the gift shop owned by Neil and Krystal King, attracting significant attention with long queues at the time of its opening. According to Krystal, border officials noted a high number of visitors mentioning their visit to the museum.
Featuring around 30 historically and culturally significant rubber ducks, the museum showcases a variety of artifacts, including a German pull-toy duck from 1911, considered the oldest in their collection. Krystal expressed enthusiasm about the diverse range of rubber ducks from different eras and regions on display.
The museum’s business heavily relied on rubber duck merchandise sales, constituting about 70% of the gift shop’s revenue. However, sales declined sharply following political tensions and the imposition of tariffs on Chinese products, rendering the existing business model unsustainable.
With a 60% drop in sales and revenue, the Kings made the difficult decision to relocate the museum to Canada. While the move required leaving behind their established community ties in Point Roberts, they are looking forward to the opportunities in Tsawwassen Mills.
Despite the challenges, the couple remains optimistic about the future, with plans to expand their collection and offer a visually captivating display of rubber duck artifacts at the new museum in Canada.