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!
Join the American Swedish Historical Museum at Liquid Alchemy Beverages in Wilmington, Delaware, for their first-annual Fall Fest!
ASHM has once again collaborated with Liquid Alchemy Beverages to create our exceptional Lingonberry and Rambo Apple hard cider. This cider is truly unique because it features heritage Rambo apples grown on the Museum’s apple trees. This apple breed traces its origins back to the early 1600s when they were brought to the New Sweden Colony by Peter Gunnarsson Rambo.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity for a guided tour of the historic Philadelphia Navy Yard with CAPT Francis Spencer, USN (Ret.), former commanding officer, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division.
The tour will highlight both the Navy Yard’s U.S. Navy history and its more recent commercial history. Some U.S. Navy activities and related operations still take place in the Navy Yard, and the tour will include information about those activities as well as other commercial ventures occupying the Navy Yard, which benefit the Philadelphia community.
Join us for a Free Family Day at the American Swedish Historical Museum inspired by ships and shipbuilding!
Explore And Let Victory Tell the Rest: 250 Years of Shipbuilding in Greater Philadelphia, and try out engineering and nautical-themed activities in the Museum galleries including information and an activity from the Kalmar Nyckel!
This event is supported by SWEA New Jersey. Walk-ins are welcome, but help us plan with your RSVP.
John Quarstein, Director Emerita of the USS Monitor Center, will explore the fascinating history of 19th-century Swedish American inventor and engineer John Ericsson and the role the first ironclad ship played in the Civil War. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about this fascinating aspect of naval history!
This is a virtual lecture presented over Zoom, with a fee of $5 for ASHM members and $10 for non-members. Register below.
Museum members are invited to have their children participate in our annual Lucia performance! They are sure to have fun dressing as tomtar, pepparkakor, folk dancers, star boys, and Lucia and her attendants while singing traditional Swedish Christmas songs.
Lucia performances are on Saturday, December 6th, and Sunday, December 7th, at 11:30 & 2:00 (call time 10:30 am).
Rehearsals are Saturday, November 15th, from 10:00 am to 12 p.m. and Sunday, November 23rd, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.