Straw craft has a long history in Sweden, Scandinavia, and northern Europe. Rooted in folk belief and the importance of the grain harvest in pre-industrial societies, the craft was in danger of being lost with the advent of industrialization. Thankfully, it has survived and continues to be rediscovered by new generations of practitioners.
Summer means spending time in nature, getting together with friends and family, and of course, putting on funny hats and bibs to eat crayfish! What, you have never tasted a crayfish or decorated your outdoor space with red crustaceans, paper lanterns, and sung a drinking song at the top of your lungs? Well, the Swedes would say you are missing out on one of the most enjoyable traditions of summer!
Please join us on the Museum’s stunning terrace overlooking FDR Park for a crayfish dinner on Friday, August 21st to experience our take on the Swedish crayfish tradition!
For this month's Third Thursday Virtual Program, go behind the scenes of our upcoming exhibit, From Taste to Tech: 100 Years of Nordic Innovation & Impact, and experience the story of Nordic influence in America through the eyes of ASHM's Curator, Brett Peters!
In honor of Philadelphia Histories Month, don’t miss guided tours of the American Swedish Historical Museum on this Free Second Sunday! The tours will highlight Swedish connections to the Philadelphia area from the New Sweden Colony (1638-1655) to naturalist Pehr Kalm’s expedition in the Delaware Valley (1748-1751) to feminist, author, and abolitionist Fredrika Bremer’s travels in the city (1849-51).
Tours will begin in the Museum Grand Hall at 11am and 1:30pm and will last approximately one hour.
What better place to celebrate Swedish National Day than the American Swedish Historical Museum!
Learn about the Museum's history through special guided tours of our A Century in the Making: 100 Years of ASHM exhibit at 11 am and 1pm, and enjoy a special Swedish summer cake throughout the day.
Tours and refreshments are included with regular admission.
This exhibit, installed throughout the Museum galleries, will celebrate ASHM’s 100th anniversary with rarely seen artifacts, captivating photographs, and personal stories.
A Century in the Making will highlight the figures, exhibits, and cultural moments that made ASHM the pillar of heritage and community it is today.
Be sure to stop by and see this installation during the Museum's open hours, Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, beginning Sunday, May 10th.
Join ASHM at the Bryn Mawr Film Insitute for to view the classic 1933 Greta Garbo film, “Queen Christina.”
The gender-bending Queen Christina of Sweden has always resisted marriage, but an encounter with a Spanish envoy forces her to weigh passion against duty to the throne. Packed with queer-coded sequences still possible in the Pre-Code era, this lavish costume drama finds Greta Garbo at her most luminous and iconic. ASHM Curator Brett Peters will participate in a post-screening conversation.
Discover how a century of change has shaped ASHM into the Museum you know today. The special Museum-wide exhibition A Century in the Making: 100 Years of ASHM invites visitors of all ages to journey through time and see how the American Swedish Historical Museum has evolved with a dynamic blend of past and present through rarely seen artifacts, captivating photographs, and personal stories. This once-in-a-century exhibit looks to the past, honors, the present, and invites visitors to imagine ASHM's next 100 years.
Join us for the exciting grand opening of the groundbreaking exhibit, From Taste to Tech: 100 Years of Nordic Innovation & Impact! This dynamic evening will celebrate the exhibit’s diverse themes, from Marimekko’s vibrant fashion to Minecraft’s cutting-edge technology.
Be the first guests to explore the exhibit through interactive hands-on experiences, Nordic tasting stations, lively music, and exclusive photo opportunities.
This month's Third Thursday Virtual Program will showcase the Historic Gloria Dei Preservation Corporation's intriguing cemetery project.