Voyaging Vikings
Bring the Viking Age to your location. Examine reproduction Viking artifacts while learning about Longships, mythology and trade. Create your own Viking rune stone, and learn how to play Viking chess (hnefatafl).
New Sweden Colony
Why sit and listen to a lecture about the people and places in the New Sweden Colony when students can become the historical figures from the 1630’s! In this entirely interactive outreach program, the classroom becomes a stage on which students act out the dramatic story of the Colony from rise to fall. Students will also get to explore what life was like for the colonists by analyzing artifacts and creating a log cabin to take home.
Genealogy Sessions
If you have Swedish ancestors that emigrated to North America, our Genealogy Club can help you get started on researching your family history.
Please call 215-389-1776 or email info@americanswedish.org for information on how to make an appointment. This service is offered free for ASHM members.
Language Classes
Learning a new language is a fun and exciting challenge. Whether you are brand new to Swedish or Finnish, have some experience, and want to learn more, or are looking for conversation partners, there is a class option tailored to your level. Classes are held online via Zoom and offered during the 10-week fall and spring semesters. Additional classes may be offered, check the listing below for upcoming opportunities.
Book a Speaker
ASHM is happy to send a speaker to your site to give a talk on a variety of topics, from the New Sweden Colony to Swedish cuisine. If you are interested in a specific theme, contact our Education department for more information.
Guided Group Tours
Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more with advanced booking at the following rates:
New Sweden in Focus guided tour: $18 per person
General Museum guided tour: $18 per person
A $50 non-refundable deposit will be due at the time of booking.
At least 24 hours' notice is required for cancellation.
Where the Children Sleep Exhibition Opening
This series of 22 captivating photographs by acclaimed Swedish photographer, Magnus Wennman, documents the tragic consequences of the refugee crisis by capturing what the simple act of bedtime brings for the youngest and most vulnerable refugees. Each photograph comes with captions by journalist Carina Bergfeldt of how these children and their families struggle through the Middle East and Europe while making the harrowing journey out of Syria.
Gemenskap Games: Making Friends the Nordic Way!
Explore community and friendship with the American Swedish Historical Museum! Gemenskap means community in Swedish, and during this program, children will learn about Nordic communities through team-building STEAM activities. Participants will play Viking games, make a paper heart craft, repair a fishing net like a Sami village, and build models of the Sara Cultural Center in Sweden, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world! Discover what it means to be a vän (friend) in Sweden.
Voyaging Vikings
Take a journey back in time to the age of the Vikings (800-1100 AD). Children will examine a 1,000 year-old sword, dress up in Viking armor, and use hands-on artifacts to discover more about this often misunderstood culture, and how we are still impacted by it today. Highlights include making rune stones and playing Viking chess (hnefatafl).
Orienteering
Challenge your navigational skills as you get to know this popular Swedish sport. Participate in an environmental education activity that teaches children how to use a compass and map. Children will take part in a scavenger hunt and record findings in a field journal.
This is an indoor/outdoor program that takes place in the museum and the surrounding Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park.