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.
From the age of the Vikings to the settlers of the New Sweden Colony (1638-1655), to contemporary issues in Scandinavian society, the American Swedish Historical Museum will take you back in time and across the sea to learn the stories of Swedes in America.
Current Special Exhibitions
Step into a world where Swedish meatballs meet pop music, where streamlined design and functional minimalism redefined modern living, and where Nordic ingenuity brought about life-saving innovations like Google Maps and the three-point seatbelt. From Taste to Tech explores the ways in which Nordic craftspeople, artists, chefs, and thinkers brought their values and visions to American soil. Featuring a remarkable collection of artifacts including World War II uniforms, original art by Gustaf Tenggren, and mid-century modern furniture.
Weaving a New Chapter: The Material Lives of Swedish Immigrants tells the story of Swedish immigration to America through the objects they brought with them in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sweden’s craft and textile history has been an intrinsic part of Swedish heritage and cultural identity at home and abroad. Swedish immigrants produced remarkable fiber arts for centuries and brought their knowledge of weaving, knitting, embroidery, lacemaking, and trade skills to their new homes.
Launched in 1928, the same year construction of the American Swedish Historical Museum was completed, the Swedish ocean liner Kungsholm was one of the earliest vessels decorated in the Art Deco style. The Kungsholm’s fashionable passenger spaces made her a popular ship, even during the Great Depression.
The ASHM is celebrating 300 years of Scandinavian glass in its renovated gallery.