The adventures of Sweden’s favorite storybook hero, Pippi Longstocking, come alive at the Museum. Enjoy tales from this beloved children’s series while traveling through the Museum galleries as a “thing-finder”, creating a Dala horse craft, and tasting Pippi’s favorite cookies – pepparkakor.
Participate in a Swedish holiday tradition – the Lucia festival. Lucia, the saint of light, has long been honored on December 13th, the longest night of the year. Children will learn the legend of Lucia, explore Swedish Christmas traditions, and experience the magic of a traditional Lucia procession. Don’t forget your camera!
Celebrate holidays the Swedish way! Even though we may celebrate some of the same holidays in the United States, Swedes have many unique traditions. From Midsommarfest, to Easter, to the Lucia festival before Christmas, children will participate in and discover how Swedish holidays differ from our own.
Did you know that the Swedes were the first Europeans to settle the Delaware Valley? This program focuses on the founding and legacy of the New Sweden Colony, established in 1638 along the Delaware River. Using Museum collections and hands-on artifacts, children will explore how and why the settlement began, learn more about Swedish relations with local Native Americans, and experience elements of colonial daily life, like making real butter!
Many people hesitate in starting something new because it looks “too hard”, or “too complicated”. How many times have you said to yourself “I could never do that”? Or began to look things up and research, only to be confused by supplies, terminologies, and techniques? Far too many times!
Celebrate Sweden's National Day at the American Swedish Historical Museum!
We invite you to visit the Museum on Thursday, June 6th for a fun day of celebration. The Museum will be open for extended hours to host special gallery tours highlighting Swedish-American history at 1:30 and 6:00 p.m. What's a party without cake? Traditional Swedish strawberry and cream cake will be available throughout the day.
Share your heritage by letting us know about national day celebrations in countries worldwide on our interactive map.
Children who visit the museum love to see our larger than life wooden Dala horse sculpture! This month at Toddler Time, kids will learn why the Dala horse is an iconic symbol of Sweden. Listen to a story, go on a Dala horse hunt through the galleries, and even paint your own Dala horse!
The American Swedish Historical Museum is hosting in-person voting for the European Union elections for eligible Swedish voters living in Pennsylvania on Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Join us for a free Craft Fair and Family Day at the American Swedish Historical Museum!
Inspired by the textiles of the new Swedish Folk Weavings exhibition, vendors will demonstrate and sell their handcrafts of all kinds. Bring your family and try out different textile crafts like cross-stitch and weaving through fun activities in our galleries.