DIVERSE HERITAGE NORDIC LIFESTYLE IN MINNESOTA Home to the largest population of Norwegians and Swedes outside of Scandinavia (not to mention an NFL team named the Vikings), Minnesota’s strong Nordic roots are evident and celebrated year-round. NORDIC HERITAGE, CULTURE & DESIGN Several museums across Minnesota celebrate Nordic roots and culture. Visit the American Swedish Institute (ASI) in Minneapolis where you can tour the historic Turnblad Mansion featuring sculpted ceilings, intricately carved wood, beautiful Swedish wool rugs and exquisite porcelain kakelugnar. ASI’s contemporary Nelson Cultural Center showcases modern Nordic design. Just a few blocks away, Norway House is dedicated to advancing connections between Norway and the U.S. through education, arts and business. Visit the art gallery to view rotating exhibits that explore Nordic themes and connections to the local community, then discuss what you saw over a hot cup of coffee at the in-house Kaffebar . See Minnesota’s oldest Lutheran church, a log home, barn, parsonage and cottage at the Gammelgården Museum in Scandia, an 11-acre site with historic buildings built by Swedish immigrants in the 1850s. The Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead brings Nordic heritage to life with its Viking ship, stave church, special exhibits and large seasonal festivals. At the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, along the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior, visitors can take courses year-round in traditional Nordic crafts such as timber framing, basketry and boat building, and in creating Nordic culinary classics like rosettes, krumkake, pickled beets, rusks, hard tack, speculos, glogg and kringle. And every May, visitors can find festivals that celebrate Syttende Mai (Norway’s Constitution Day) in cities with a strong Norwegian heritage, including Thief River Falls, Milan and Alexandria. North House Scandinavian Folk Festival in Grand Marais FIKA Cafe Photo courtesy of the American Swedish Institute NORTH HOUSE FOLK SCHOOL HJEMKOMST CENTER IRON RANGE EMBRACE THE Lake Superior 35 94 GAMMELGARDEN MUSEUM NORWAY HOUSE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE LEIF ERICKSON STATUE 44 | EXPLORE MINNESOTA .COM
Explore Minnesota Travel Guide 2021 Explore Minnesota Travel Guide: Page 44
