Nestled in the bucolic Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in South Philadelphia, PA, the American Swedish Historical Museum was built in 1926 to celebrate Swedish heritage and culture in America. During your visit, you may step inside a 19th century farm house, take in the setting of an art deco lounge, or surround yourself with contemporary Swedish design.

Nord Library

The Museum’s Nord Library is a not only a beautiful example of Mid-Century Scandinavian design, but is also houses a wealth of information on a variety of topics. Researchers and visitors are welcome to utilize our collection at their leisure (museum admission applies).

If you are interested in assistance, or to access the Museum’s archival collections, researchers may make an appointment via email to the Curator at curator@americanswedish.org.

Designed by Stockholm architects, Hans Borgström and Bengt Lindroos in 1957, the furniture and fixtures in the library were built in Sweden. The shelves are made of lacquered birch and the chairs and tables are beech wood. Subjects in the library collection include: the New Sweden Colony, Swedish royal history, art and design, immigration, genealogy, Swedish literature and politics, and a range of other Swedish and Swedish-American topics.

Our digital card catalogue is accessible online to aid researchers and visitors in planning their visitPlease note that the library is not a lending library.

For more information on the museum's archival collections, please visit the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries.