American Swedish Historical Museum

americanswedish.org

Various scenes at the American Swedish Historical Museum.

Founded in 1926, the American Swedish Historical Museum in South Philadelphia is the oldest Swedish museum in the United States. The Museum is located on the ancestral lands of the Lenape known as Lenapehoking (Lënapehòkink). From 1638 to 1655, this area was also part of the New Sweden Colony, which consisted of settlements, trading posts, and forts along the Delaware River in modern-day Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Museum’s founder, Dr. Amandus Johnson, inspired a group of Swedish-Americans to build the Museum as a permanent monument to Swedish contributions in the United States, and he chose Philadelphia as the location because of its connection to the New Sweden Colony. Prince Bertil of Sweden laid the cornerstone for the building during Philadelphia’s Sesquicentennial Celebration that took place in 1926 in what is now FDR Park.

The Museum now houses twelve distinct exhibition galleries which explore a range of topics including the New Sweden Colony, women’s history, Swedish immigration, scientific innovations, and Swedish craft arts. The Museum is available to rent for wedding receptions, corporate meetings, and parties.

Note: The above descriptive information came from the museum's Our History page.

In The News

• Country Life Comes To Philadelphia, All In The Name Of Education, CBS-3, April 18, 2017.

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See Also

• Sesquicentennial International Exposition