Svenska Emigrantinstitutet (House of Emigrants)
Museiparken
About
This is one of the real "roots" museums of Scandinavia. Swedish-Americans come here to trace their ancestry to see if they descended from royalty or highway robbers. This institution, founded in 1968, documents the 1.3 million Swedish people who left their homeland during the "America fever" years -- the 1850s to the 1920s -- and moved to the United States, often facing harsh conditions en route. The house contains exhibits on emigrant history as well as archives and a research library. A permanent exhibition, the "Dream of America," presents insights into the causes and consequences of the emigration. Minnesota Day, a folk festival held here the second Sunday in August each year, draws thousands of Swedes and Swedish-Americans.
