Last updated: 9/12/2008
Chicago, Illinois
Address
5211 North Clark StreetChicago, IL 60640
phone: 773-728-8111
fax: 773-728-8870
e-mail: museum@samac.org
web: www.SwedishAmericanMuseum.org

Hours

The Swedish American Museum & the Museum Store hours are: Monday Closed Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Brunk Children's Museum of Immigration's hours are: Monday Closed Tuesday - Friday 1 p.m. - 4p.m. Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. - 4p.m.
Tuesday - Friday
10 AM - 4 PM
Sunday, Saturday
11 AM - 4 PM
Monday
closed

Admissions

Children under 1 & Members: Free
Students, Seniors, & Children: $3
Adults: $4
Family Rate (2 adults & 3 children): $10

Museum Type(s)

Art

Staff

Karin Moen Abercrombie
phone: 773-728-8111 x29
Karin Andersson
phone: 773-728-8111 x22
Jessie Aucoin
phone: 773-728-8111 x26
Kirstin Gaspar
phone: 773-728-8111 x30
Benson Dupriest
phone: 773-728-8111 x28
Ann Cutler
phone: 773-728-8111 x23
Description

In 1976, in a one-room storefront log cabin, a small group of Swedes dared to dream about establishing a center of Swedish culture in America. Today’s Swedish American Museum is a bustling center of Swedish art, history, culture, and educational activities and programs. Each year, more than 43,000 visitors enjoy special exhibits, Swedish language classes, crafts, genealogy classes, concerts, lectures, films, and the interactive Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration.
Special programs and classes for fall 2008 include: the Museum’s quarterly rotating temporary exhibit Johnson-Morrison: Tradition and Innovation in Contemporary Textile Art (Sept. 26 – Nov. 30), Treasures from the Trunk: Highlights from our Immigration History (Sept. 5), Scandinavian Day Festival (Sept. 7), Michael Saxell in Concert (Sept. 11), Historical Bus Tour to Bishop Hill (Sept. 28), Herring Breakfast with entertainment by guitarist/songwriter Karen Lindblad (Oct. 5), Concert by the Old Town School of Folk Music (Oct. 10), Family Night (Oct. 17), Reflections – Annual Dinner Dance and Auction (Oct. 18), Meatball Contest and Tasting: An Evening with a Great Swedish Tradition (Oct. 22), Greger Hansson in Concert (Nov. 1), Candle Making Workshop (Nov. 2), The Fate of Raoul Wallenberg – The Latest Discoveries (Nov. 13), Christmas Preview and Sale at the Museum Store (Nov. 14), Swedish Christmas Craft Workshop (Nov. 19), Julmarknad (Dec. 6 & 7), Breakfast with Tomten (Dec. 13), Lucia Celebration (Dec. 13), Old Fashioned Swedish Family Christmas Dinner (Dec. 21), and Julotta (Dec. 25).

Mission

The Swedish American Museum is committed to preserving Swedish heritage, educating all generations and ethnic groups in Swedish language, art, culture, and traditions and celebrating Sweden’s past, present, and future. Additionally, the Museum serves as a unifying force for all Scandinavian groups in the greater Chicago, Illinois area.

History

The Swedish American Museum was founded in 1976 as a grassroots movement to preserve and disseminate the history of the great contributions of early Swedish immigrants to Chicago. The first Museum site was in a small 1,000-square-foot storefront located in Andersonville. Ten years later, the Museum purchased and moved to a three story building, a former Swedish hardware store, to continue to be the center of Swedish life in Andersonville. In the new 24,000-square-foot building, the first phase of renovation to the building began, in order to facilitate extensive programming and audience development, which were pursued over the next eight years. This, lead to the second phase of major expansion, completed in 1997 including: a permanent exhibit, gallery space, staff offices, a library, new elevator and other life-safety improvements. Phase three renovation included The Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration, which opened in June 2001. The Swedish American Museum is an active thirty year old mid-sized museum located in the heart of Andersonville, one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish culture in the United States, whose Swedish roots date back to the nineteenth century. The Museum serves 1,900 dues-paying members, and in 2007, had 43,000 visitors. SAMAC’s audience is broad-based in age (from toddlers to seniors), gender, residence (from foreign tourists to near neighbors), and cultural origin. The Swedish American Museum is committed to preserving Swedish heritage, educating all generations and ethnic groups in Swedish language, art, culture, and traditions and celebrating Sweden’s past, present, and future. Additionally, the Museum serves as a unifying force for all Scandinavian groups in the greater Chicago, Illinois area.

Artifact Collections

The Swedish American Museum has a large collection of Swedish and Swedish American artifacts, which rotates through the permanent exhibition, The Dream of America: Swedish Immigration to Chicago.

Research Collections

The Swedish American Museum has an extensive library with Swedish and Swedish American materials, including a Genealogy Resource Center equipped with Genline technology.

Educational Programs

The Swedish American Museum offers a wide-variety of programs (many of which are free), including: special exhibits, Swedish language classes, crafts, genealogy classes, concerts, lectures, films, gallery tours, and educational arts residency.

Library
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: No
Publications

Flaggan - Quarterly Newsletter
Seasonal Program
Annual Report
Services
Gift Shop
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc. and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

RECENT UPDATES

Museums

08/01 Joel Lane Museum House

Raleigh, North Carolina

03/07 The Mariners' Museum and Park

Newport News, Virginia

Museum Vendors

02/18 Tessellate

New York City, New York

10/30 Museum Fabrication Group, LLC

Denton, Texas

03/07 ConservArt Inc.

Boca Raton, Florida