Plan a field trip with your class to the Museum.
Cost: Onsite programs are $5 per student, with a minimum charge of $50. One adult per 10 children is required; additional adults are $5 per person.
Payment is due the day of your visit.
Programs are free of charge to schools in the School District of Philadelphia
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”, playing Pippi's favorite games like Don't Touch the Floor, and creating a Pippi craft to take home.
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!
Visit ASHM for a hands-on look at ships and shipbuilding from Scandinavia to Philadelphia! Explore And Let Victory Tell the Rest: 250 Years of Shipbuilding in Philadelphia from the US Navy Museum to learn about the history of shipbuilding right here in Philly, and then find out more about Scandinavian ships like the Kalmar Nyckel and the Kungsholm through models and activities in our galleries. Complete a shipbuilding engineering challenge to see if you can build a boat that floats!
Art connects cultures around the world, and the American Swedish Historical Museum is a perfect place to explore the world of art. The museum was built in 1926 and features 12 galleries highlighting traditional and modern artistic Scandinavian styles. Our Art Exploration program is tailored to students at any level.
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).
Challenge your navigational skills as you get to know this popular Swedish sport. Participate in an environmental education activity that teaches students how to use a compass and map. Students will take part in a scavenger hunt and record findings in a field journal and then try to make their own maps and compasses.
For high school groups, students will have the opportunity to create and solve their own orienteering course in the Park.
This is an indoor/outdoor program that takes place in the museum and the surrounding Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park.