Swedish American Museum

A Museum like this should continue to be apart of this community. I enjoyed myself with my niece Audrey. It took me back to memories when i visited Ellis Island in NYC. The Swedish History and the culture is really awesome. It takes u on a journey that u never want to leave. If in Andersonville do visit the Swedish American Museum. Free on the second of every Tuesdays. I will be back soon to see more Swendish exhibits. 💙💛🫶🏼

Such a cool museum!! Also note: there is a designated free parking lot nearby! Tickets are only $4-6 and well worth the price. If you are excited about Swedish culture and heritage, this is the place to be. You also learn some about the other cultural groups that formed Chicago. The staff were so nice and knowledgeable. There is a very tasty cafe where you can get an excellent cardamom bun. 💙💛

Well worth a visit for an hour or two. Have a fika in the cafe after you’ve enjoyed the museum and don’t miss the gift shop for authentic Swedish crafts and food!

I am not Swedish but I do find the history of immigration to America interesting, and at $6 per adult, this was well worth the cost of admission. It focuses mainly on Swedish immigration to Chicago and the history and culture of the old Swede Town and Andersonville, though the special exhibit on Karin Larsson (the wife of the famous painter Carl Larsson) has a decent amount of information on the social changes ongoing in Sweden in the late 1800s/early 1900s. It's a great way to spend 2-3 hours (depending on how fast you read the placards). I didn't visit the children's exhibit on the third floor, but the non-children's exhibits are plenty interesting for adults. The bathrooms were also very well-kept and the cafe is quite cozy.

We have a family subscription and go to the children's museum about once a week. If you live within walking distance and have small kids, I cannot recommend it enough!!! <3

A fantastic museum! I can't wait for the other exhibits to be done. The front door receptionist is a fascinating person to talk to 🙂 as well as the woman that runs a gift shop. My Swedish heritage thoroughly enjoyed this experience and I highly recommend it!

I'm honestly surprised how large this place is on the inside. There is a lot to look out, the staff members are a bit stand off ish though

The gift shop has a little bit of everything including snacks! The displays are so thought out. The children’s room is so fun and interactive. I went on a Wednesday and I was the only one in the entire museum but as I was leaving, it looked like someone was coming in. Cash is preferred. This museum is a hidden gem in the neighborhood of Andersonville so please go visit. Once done, go explore the neighborhood.

The cafe is super charming with great coffee and delicious pastries. The staff is also exceedingly nice.

We were in Andersonville and wanted to see the Swedish American Museum. If you are in the area, it is a museum worth visiting. It is small, but when we went there was a Marimekko exhibit there which was well worth seeing and worth the small admission price. There is also a nice gift shop and a small cafe with sandwiches and small pastries and ice cream. We had lemon ice cream with lingonberry. It was delicious. One disadvantage of the museum is the parking situation. There is street parking, but you have to really hunt for a spot.

Certainly Chicago has a lot of museums, particularly about countries. It has an appropriate one in Andersonville, a Swedish neighborhood full of history. The Swedish American Museum is a smaller one, yet it still has a lot. Has several floors of artifacts and interactive exhibits. You can see of course Viking ships, and other stuff. A museum like this may be easy to walk past, because it doesn't look like much. It's actually bigger than it seems. This has its own parking lot in the back, and there's no parking charge too. First thing is a gift shop, and you pay the admission. It's about $10 for adults, but it's okay for a small museum like this. First floor has the exhibition space, and there's often something going on. Second floor has the actual exhibits, such as the Viking ships. Also there's history to read about such as about immigration. This is one of the better museums for children because there's also a play area featuring replica shops and wagons, and the museum doesn't take long to go through. For those interesting in learning about Swedish culture and history, this is where to come. It has enough to keep adults and children entertained maybe a couple hours. This is a good idea for field trips or whatever.

What a neat spot! As someone who has visited many of the history museums in the area, I was pleasantly surprised to see this offering with admission at only $6 per person -- as it does contain a considerable number of items over 3 floors of space. Complete also with a fairly large museum shop, and cafe coming soon -- this both serves as a great place for people to learn more about the history of Andersonville and Swedish Americans, as well as a space to host events and gatherings in a comfortable and convenient spot. I liked how the museum wasn't too busy during my visit so I had plenty of time to look around and read all the interesting information on the placards.

My husband and I visited the Swedish American Museum on a Saturday afternoon. We were greeted by a very nice and enthusiastic volunteer who took our money, registered our car for the parking lot, and showed us where the exhibits were. There are three floors of exhibits. The first floor is dedicated to special and rotating exhibits. The second floor features exhibits on the history of Andersonville and the Swedish immigration experience. The third floor is a children's museum. All three floors have something different to explore. I enjoyed what each floor has to offer and learned a lot about Swedish American history and its contributions to Chicago. There is also a gift shop, immigration records area, and an under-construction café. I highly recommend the Swedish American Museum. Check it out the next time you're in Andersonville.

Hey this place is cool. We were visiting a few years ago and got a history lesson for a reasonable price. It's definitely worth supporting a local group that is trying to preserve history. Lots of different kinds of exhibits.

This Review is for the Neighborhood WALKING TOUR that starts and ends at the Museum. I recently have been interested in learning more about the history of many of Chicago's neighborhoods. For $15.00 (which includes admission to the Museum as well) I signed up to take the hour walking tour about the history of Andersonville and the Swedish and Swedish American legacy. The tour included a booklet with pictures and an in-depth profile of each of the sights that were visited. What I found interesting was the fact that after The Great Chicago Fire-many Swedish and Swedish-Americans migrated to Andersonville because it was one of the few places that did not follow the City of Chicago Code of brick and mortar houses. As it was cheaper to build wooden houses they were allowed to continue to build wooden houses in Andersonville which was less expensive than brick. The Tour Included: 1. An indepth look at the education system/schools; 2. The original neighborhood Bank which has the interior architecture which has been restored and preserved-complete with gun holes at each teller station in case of a hold up!; 3. Bakeries, Taverns, and Swedish/Swedish American "authentic" restaurants continue to be a mainstay in the community; 4. And of course Large Churches which still hold the annual Saint Lucia Festival at Christmas Time. I liked the "loop" walking tour and will return to visit some of the bakeries like Lost Larson that features Scandinavian Baked Goods and Breakfast and Lunch Fare. Also Simon's Tavern-which serves the famous mulled wine in a slushy form for summertime. I also liked the recently installed mural which shows how even though there is a history of Swedish Influence-the community is very diverse and inclusive of everyone.... Apparently in the middle of September there will be a grand "Re-opening" of the Swedish Museum including the children's play area on the third floor. I will definitely be returning in the near future to visit the museum's interior. For Reservations for the Walking Tour See: https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/andersonville-walking-tour-11/ $10.00 for Members $15.00 for Non-Members About The Walking Tour- "The Swedish American Museum will take you on a tour of Swedish Andersonville. Learn about the Swedish heritage of the neighborhood, and what Swedish things you can still find today. The price includes a copy of the guided tour and admission to the Museum. We meet in front of the Museum."

A nice play area for kids to roam and discover the Swedish Museum. The 3rd level play area depicts life in immigrant times including boarding the boat, farm house cottages and also kitchy cabins. There's also a small area honoring Neil Armstrong as you prepare to blast off in Apollo. The 3rd floor is a play area. The 1st level is a nice space that had a Swedish comic exhibition. The staff was well informed and provided a good look into Swedish culture. Good times.

The Swedish American Museum is still one of the cultural anchors of the Andersonville neighborhood. The $4 admission is not too bad if you feel like experiencing a bit of Swedish history and culture. Check out the exhibit on the top floor called "The Dream of America: Swedish Immigration to Chicago." It's not a huge museum, but a visit here should be a low-key and pleasant experience. Recently they had sort of a rummage sale on the main floor with some interesting merchandise at deep discounts.

A small museum devoted to the Swedish immigration story in the heart of Andersonville. The gift shop is quite large in comparison. The store is well stocked with crafts and books in addition to the usual keychains and so forth. It is a fun place to shop for unique small gifts

Located in a busy Andersonville neighborhood, this small museum is surrounded by small retail shops, eateries, and bars! I've always passed this establishment up partly due to all the meter parking vs free parking in the area. I was told this museum has its own lot and have to register the car in the front desk. Well if it's free, it's for me I always say! Upon entry, the museum store is to the left and pay admission fee. We passed up in buying trinkets, makes sure you check out the Christmas clearance rack, dalas, peppi longstockings, and chocolates! The 2rd floor is the exhibits section. I love the replica Viking ships, and the life like mannequins. Too dark and creepy for my 4 year old, she believes these were real! I also love the religious section that has the wedding crowns. The 3rd floor is a interactive part of museum, better known as Brink Children's Museum of Immigration, where we spent the most time. My daughter opted out wearing the old fashioned Swedish costume for her pretend play. The props I found cute were water pump, washboard, cream separator, fishing poles with magnetic fishes, gardens, and Dala horse! The 3rd floor is divided into 5 sections: 1.) Swedish farm 2.) Ticket booth to a steamship 3.) Viking ship 4.) Inside a Apollo 11 space mission. Wait, what?!?! I thought the space mission section was pretty random until I found out that the 2nd person to set foot on the moon (Buzz Aldrin) is the grandchild of Swedish-American immigrants. I applaud if you read this far of my review: Other random facts about Buzz Aldrin: he was the first to urinate on the moon and the first to perform communion on the moon-at least according to the Swedish American Museum brochure.

Sandi and I have lived in a Swedish community known as Geneva Illinois for almost 16 years. I decided I wanted to learn more about what brought people from Sweden to the United States more specifically. We came up with a group of people from Batavia and St Charles. The museum itself is located in a former hardware store. As we came into the neighborhood we could see that the neighborhood is ethnically changing. As we entered the museum we warmly greeted by the receptionist and our tour guide. We spent the morning not only seeing Swedish stuff but why people from Sweden and why people return. What did it mean to immigrate over the centuries. What did these people offer our melting pot. We learned about Walgreens and their Swedish background. As the neighborhoods continue to change, I believe such museums are important for us to understand what it means to be part of this country. The staff will insure that you experience the past of this country and what brought and brings people here.

I'm torn because I find the small museum to be a very quaint, convenient activity for young kids. The first time I came to the museum, my daughter was two years old and it was a perfect way to spend an hour or two. The price is very affordable and it's not an overwhelming space like other children's museums can be. It's well contained so kids can't go very far. All of this is great and I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you're in the neighborhood. Now the downside of things - the lady I encountered while escorting a preschool field trip. It was a group of 19 four year olds. We all came in, there were probably a good nine to ten adult chaperones. We were seated and I thought it might be a segue way into a story of historical reference or something along those lines, but instead it was so we could be educated on the millions of rules to which we were to follow while in the kids' play area. Mind you, I am in no way a free for all kind of parent, but these are four year olds and the barrage of rules was so intense that I myself found it difficult to focus. The woman appeared to be a very old-school retired teacher who has not learned the norms for courteous interactions with children and adults alike since society reformed decades ago. I stood there as she said that she would be splitting the groups into girls and boys; which I found a bit archaic. She then asked a poor little four year old girl if she was a girl or boy. Luckily, the child didn't take it as a blow, but her poor mom was mortified as was I. Then even though there were 10 adults, she felt the need to walk through the space policing both kids and adults. She informed us as one of the many rules that we were not allowed to use phones for any reason other than taking pictures. As I stood there, setting up the camera on my phone, ready to take a picture of the kids, one of the other chaperones came over to tell me something and I turned to speak to her. A child ran past me and before I could whisper "walking feet," our host came over to tell me - a 35 year old professional - to supervise the children and stop playing with my phone. At that point, honest to goodness, this lady was lucky my child was there and I didn't want to get the school banned from visiting; otherwise I would have reacted accordingly. These were two little examples of many that demonstrate how awful I found this woman to be. The other nine adults and I were joking about "the mean old lady." I hope that she isn't the regular host for visiting preschoolers or perhaps they should not host children that young at all if they feel the need to regulate their every step and tell them things like "dolls don't ride horses" - let the child use his imagination, lady! It absolutely ruined the experience for me. I will bring my children again, sure. However; the museum was on my list of potential birthday party venues for my kids' party and now I will just go ahead and scratch that. Additionally, I will never chaperone a field trip here again nor would I recommend this as a field trip destination for other classes.

I chaperoned a day trip back in March; about 15 seniors and I toured the SAM and had a lovely time. Elsa, our tour guide, was absolutely wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and answered many questions that members of my group had. In all the tour lasted about 45 minutes. We had time to look at the art exhibit on the 1st floor, as well as spend some time in the gift shop. The gift shop had lots of wonderful things for sale. Highly recommend this museum if you're Swedish-American, new to the area, passing through or looking for a great cultural/educational experience. *Note* You may have to call ahead of time if you want a guided tour, otherwise it's self guided and they provide you with a brochure. Would definitely come back!

In 1994, I studied abroad in the Netherlands where I met a dear friend from Sweden. In 1996, I visited her in Stockholm. It was December, and so I was able to experience all the beautiful holiday decorations. Some of the decorations were unfamiliar because they were distinctly Swedish, and my favorite of this lot was the Julbock. The Julbock is the Christmas ram. Before Santa Claus came to Sweden, the Julbock would visit Swedish homes, bringing gifts to to good children and beating the children who had been bad over the past year. Today, the Julbock survives as beautiful straw statues wrapped in ribbon, wooden ornaments, and ginger Christmas cookies. I recently visited the Swedish American Museum for its annual Julmarknad (Christmas market). I was on the hunt for Julbocken (the plural of Julbock). Unfortunately, the Julbock symbol has primarily been replaced with Santa Claus' reindeer, according to my friend's mother. Nevertheless, I was able to find a few items. I was absolutely thrilled to buy a wooden Julbock candle holder that says "God Jul" on the side. I also enjoyed a lussekat (saffron bun) and a cup of lingonberry juice. In addition, I walked through the museum. It had been several years since my last stroll through the museum itself, and I had forgotten how nice it truly is. It shares a bit of Chicago history and American history that is not often regarded. Also, I was absolutely thrilled to encounter a special Donald Duck exhibit! Donald Duck is my absolute favorite cartoon character. In fact, my Christmas tree is covered in Julbocken and Donald Ducks. Watching Kalle Anke (Donald Duck) is a Swedish Christmas Eve tradition. Want to learn more? Visit this interesting exhibit! The children's play area on the third floor of the museum is spectacular. There are traditional Swedish dwelling playhouses, a play steamship that brought immigrants to the United States, and a play viking ship. There's a farm, costumes, a NASA section, a Dala horse, and more! Everything is hands on. Everything is scaled to the size of small children. How wonderful! Oh, and don't skip the gift shop! The museum's gift shop has some of the nicest gifts you'll find in Chicago. I plan to visit again soon for the St. Lucia's Day celebration. St. Lucia is the patron saint of light, and she graces the December 13th darkness with her candles, songs, lussekatter (saffron buns in the plural), and coffee. You should really experience this tradition. The museum offers so many wonderful programs for Swedish Americans, those of us who admire Sweden, for children, and for families. It is such a jewel of Andersonville and of Chicago overall.

Went here with friends. It was only 4 dollar per person. This museum is a hidden gem museum in Chicago.it is little cute museum. Neither of us are swedish but it is so good to learn how they travel to Chicago and culture. swedish I love children playground in the third floor. It is small but fun.

This museum is a pretty cool place. I am loving some of the architecture here and they have a pretty cool gift shop. The customer service here is very great I met this person at the front desk of the gift shop who was really friendly.

A cute museum with interesting history and culture. Spent a short time in this museum exploring the immigration history of the Swedes moving to America. This history is detailed on the wall and displayed with a wooden boat to represent their voyage to America and the farms and houses they built while they settled down. Besides tracing a history of how they immigrated here, the ship, the houses, the farm wagons and etc on display are available for the children to explore and play on. I especially love how this museum is rich with history of years gone past, and it recaptures how lives used to be. This is a great place to bring your children here to have hands on fun and also educational at the same time, while also exploring a migrant's history and culture!

A neat museum to spend an hour or two... especially if you have some Swedish heritage! It was nice walking around and everything can be seen in less than an hour if you need to. Upstairs there are many models and Swedish items, such as clothing, trunks, and more. You can surely learn a lot about the Swedish immigrants to the US... I liked the model of the Vasa Ship in the front of the museum... reminds me of good memories of the real thing in Stockholm!

This is the perfect place for a birthday party. Dana was incredible and helped us with organizing our party. How many times can I thank her. The answer is about a million times. My poor mother was carrying a cake and almost passed out. I was so worried and stressed out that I did not know what to do. Super Heroine Dans came to the rescue and helped me unload my car and set up the party. Everything was a success!!!!! My kid and his friends had a wonderful time! Thank you for all of your help! Loved today!

It must have been temporary but their 51% Swedish exhibit was amazing! We spent most of our time reading every word on the comics. Information was presented in a very user friendly medium that helped talk about a rather serious and difficult to unfold topic. Well worth the price of admission on its own. I do hope they bring it back for those who missed it and that their other exhibits are as good or better! Very good stop and for a low price. The top floor is mostly a themed play place for children.

Learned so much here! A great little museum with plenty of artifacts and interesting exhibits that explain and show how the Swedish people immigrated to USA and made a new life. The gift shop has plenty of nice things too!

I don't understand this place. Do many Swedish people live in Chicago? Why would Swedish people want to live OUTSIDE OF SWEDEN?! The gift shop is filled with stuff no one needs.

The children museum floor is absolutely adorable, and surprisingly informative! Even as an adult, I enjoyed it. And the more traditional style of history museum on the second floor was the perfect combination of information and visually interesting objects. I learned so much about the Swedish immigrant experience and Swedish American history in Chicago. PLUS they have a fantastic little gift shop! All around a really fun place to visit.

This was a really nice way to get introduced to Swedish and Swedish-American history/culture. My tour was led by one of my fellow North Parkers, so it was an extremely relaxed setting. It's always fascinating to see how history unfolded for particular immigrant groups. And seeing as the Swedish Covenant Church established my old school, I thought it wise to see where all that tradition came from. If you're into the whole 'checking out cultures outside your own' thing, this is definitely a stop you want to make.

This is a gem of a place, tucked away on Clark Street in the Swedish area of town. For a few dollars, one can explore three floors of history and culture and art. The bottom floor gallery was set up nicely, with a lot of space and light, and from what I understand, the featured artist changes routinely. The second floor was all the collected artifacts and items of interest from Swedish immigrants, compiled in a display that is overwhelmingly informative, and tells a great story. The third floor is the interactive kids floor, which looked awesome, and the dozens of kids running around and having a blast in the log cabin or crossing the river in a canoe made me a little bit jealous... All in all, this is a great place to eat up an hour or so and learn some new things and see some cool stuff. Also, the folks at the Art Institute - as well as some private donors - were kind enough to donate some old tapestries and other Swedish artifacts to the museum, and the miniature Vasa model only adds to the charming authenticity of this place. Check it out, especially if you're interested in, related to, or enamored with Swedish culture. And stop by the gift shop on your way out too.

Affordable, educational fun for children. The giant ship and little farm houses provided hours of fun for my 2 year old. The fake cow actually has "milk" come out of the utters when you squeeze them. There is also a cool space shuttle simulator with seats that vibrate. Don't overlook the fishing pole and magnetic fish you can catch.

This review will only be pertinent for the Julmarknad event that I attended there today. I don't know enough about the museum as a whole to review it comprehensively, so please keep that in mind. Location: 3 out of 5 Convenient if you don't have to drive or park. There is adequate public transportation in the area, although if you must park - there is metered parking on Clark itself, or you can go a little bit further north, and swing a right on Farragut. Often times you can find free parking on that street. Not the easiest place to get to, but not terrible either. However, the presence of places like Andersenville Wines and Spirits and Simons Pub in the area would sweeten the deal. Admission price: 4 out of 5 We paid 2 dollars a person to get into Julmarknad, which is the annual Christmas Bazaar. Not price gauging by any means, and it's nice that they get some sort of overhead support anyway. Keep in mind that regular admission is 3 dollars, so if you're going to check out the museum on a non-Holiday event quest, it's not going to break the bank, even if you have to accompany 25 school aged children. Service: 5 out of 5 The organizers and people who were working at the Julmarknad were very friendly. They stamped our hands and told us about the self service coat closet. All the vendors were very kind and greeted us with an exuberant, "Hej." Pricing of Items being sold: 3 out of 5 I understand that a lot of the items I saw today were hand made or imported. It's just sad that due to whatever reason, a cool shirt that says, "Got Glogg?" runs you 24.50. The hand made crafts seemed to be better priced: ornaments were around 10 or 11 dollars, and Swedish foods such as meatballs, lutefisk, and pickled herrings were around 6 - 7 dollars. Other notes: Snacks were available for sale in the back, and were about 2 dollars each, comprising of different wafers, cookies, and coffee/tea. Also, it was an interesting choice by the museum to keep the museum shop open during Julmarknad because from what I could tell, more merchandise was being pushed through the shop than through the vendors. Lest you think I'm perfect, we ended up buying a few things from the museum on the way out in addition to the herring and meatballs we got from the vendors. Lastly, there is the obligatory tribute to the Vasa. It's actually a nice wooden model in the window. Just don't put it in the water. haha. Overall: 3 out of 5 Although a pleasant experience, I would probably not go again just to "check it out." However, if I were in the area on a lazy Saturday afternoon, it'd be a nice way to kill about an hour or two.

This is really a cute small place, but the gem is for little kids in the childrens mueseum part. If you have kids from 3-7, this is a decent place to go on a cold day to stay indoors. So, its fun, but this is really a neighborhood place and can be overrun with kids. But again, nice little place every now and then for the kids to use their imagination. Please keep in mind its imaginative play, so you wont be entertained, you have to make your fun here.

A smaller museum about Swedish Americans who lived and worked in Chicago. Despite its small size, I learned so much. Mixture of dioramas, artifacts, and hanging wall pieces. There's a children's play area too.

We recently had our wedding reception at the museum. We were very pleased with this venue. All of our guests agreed that it was the perfect space for a small/medium wedding reception. (We had about 100 guests.) The museum staff were very easy to work with and the price of renting this venue was unbeatable. The only drawback is that they don't allow you to setup until 4pm on the day of the event. This was extremely stressful. However, we pulled it off with a lot of help from friends who ran over after the ceremony to get things ready! Overall, I definitely recommend this space for your next event!

Worst management ever. We've booked for our wedding 4 months prior and a week prior the wedding event we weren't allowed to bring in our caterers to the event due to kitchen licenses issues. Our caterers have catering licenses and the proper documentation but management, Karin, refuse to acknowledge them. We ended up using a different venue for our wedding, a week before the wedding. Worst and most strict venue ever. I DO NOT RECOMMEND. Beware trying to book this venue.

Esthetically crisp and clean. Felt interesting, initially. I wandered past the person at the front desk to see the current painting exhibit, featuring the works of Madeleine Hatz. I'd never heard of her but from a distance her worked looked interesting, so I thought I would have a closer look. I took a closer look. The works were colorful, and rich; much like looking down at the oceans and land masses of the earth from a satellite. Now, is this place a museum or an art gallery? I was stumped. The artwork was priced for sale. I haven't been to a museum where the art is for sale. I looked at the prices of her work, and walked out immediately. Range $2,500 - $15,000. It wasn't THAT interesting or noteworthy. Call me narrow, but there is something I find repugnant about fundamentally obscure art that is essentially inaccessible to the masses. For that kind of art, I'd rather go to the Art Institute, where for art I can't afford anyway, the selection is much better.

SAM (Swedish American Museum) is like any other small Museum. You might walk by a dozen times and not even notice it's there or you might forget that it's in your neighborhood until one day (that day being actually Museum day) you get a free pass. Hey! Sometime I'm just as oblivious as you are! Then I found out that the Museum has been around since 1976 and in this Clark Street location since 1987. I'm surprised that my father didn't take me when I was a kid being that he loved this kind of stuff or maybe it was to kill some time. Instead of having me running around like a mad man he would opt for a nice quite museum. Then again maybe we did. Anyways, it's a pretty descent sized space and they make great use of it. They really pack in the history and there is year-round fun with classes, events, and guided tours. SAM goes all out for the kids, even opening the Brunk Children's Museum of Immigration exhibit which is completely hands on. They even host birthday parties, I know where my next one is going to be!! The exhibits themselves are obviously historical but I actually found a few things to be quite interesting. Some where a little freaky (why you gotta have freaky wax-like humans laying around?!) but overall it was a descent way to spend near two hours and I would probably go again. Even if you don't visit the museum check out their gift shop, it has just about everything Swedish you can imagine. You know you want a "GOT GLÖGG?" t-shirt!!

This place is great! Very clean, cool layout and awesome children's area! I really have nothing else to add :) The location is perfect for me and you can't beat the price! Come check it out if you are ever in the Andersonville neighborhood!

This museum is underrated in the city, I think. It's jam packed full of interesting facts about Swedes in America and in Chicago in particular. The exhibits include a lot of true artifacts -- not just pictures -- and it's a museum you could rush through or also spend hours reading every little story. The museum store is also definitely worth a run through.

If you were ever wondering where you can go in Chicago to learn to speak Swedish, this is the answer. The Museum offers classes every 6 months starting with a beginner level all the way up to conversational. We just started taking lessons this month, and I am already fluent. No, just kidding. But I can introduce myself in Swedish. That is a start! There are also a ton of Swedish programs and information on Sweden and Swedish heritage, so a good resource for all of your Swedish needs.

I love learning the original history of a neighborhood, and even though Andersonville is known for being "Ladies Town" the Swedish people made it was it was and now IS !!I this museum even thought it was small, had soo much character. the man who started Walgreen's was SWEDISH! My mom and i came here and this place was really lonely and empty-even though truth be told i like places like that, i wish there were more visitors

I attended the Glogg tasting here on Nov 21st. If you have the chance to do it next year do it! We had such a fun time 'judging' all the different gloggs. I noticed one theme - the ones that did not have a strong alcohol taste were the ones I picked to win. Guess what - they ended up being the winners. Remember that for next year contestants :) The museum also provided snacks - cucumber sandwiches, meatballs, cheese and crackers. I would love to see the museum during a non-event and highly recommend the Glogg tasting for the holidays.

We used groupon, which was $4 admission for two (2) people. The lady who served as the receptionist was super nice and gave us a little overview of the museum. The museum was well done and provided a wealth of information on Swedish immigration to Chicago. We also receive a 10 percent coupon for the gift shop. The clerk there was also very nice and friendly. Even though Andersonville isn't the most "touristy" spot in Chicago, it's a nice area to stroll around whenever the weather is nice, not to mention that it's a short bus ride from the Wrigley Field. It can potential be a pre-game activity to pay a visit to Andersonville, and this lovely museum. Hope they will raise enough fund to rescue the Water Tower that was highly damaged during last winter season.

It was an interesting museum. I like learning about history. The scavenger hunt was cool. The kids part was ok but not for adults. I like the part with the paintings. The people working there were super nice. I like starbursts but they didn't have them there.

Andersonville is Chicago's Swedish community enclave and there is no where in the city that has such detailed collections of their history than the Swedish American Museum. The artifacts and pictures bring fond memories, not just to the people in the neighbourhood, but also to visitors who wants to learn about everything Swedish and Andersonville. They also used to offer Swedish language courses which I took. Not sure if they still have them now. They were taught by Swedish natives and I enjoyed the class very much. The museum is not located in the most convenient location unless you take the Clark bus but if you're strolling along Clark on a nice day, make sure you stop by and learn something new about the community at the Swedish American Museum.

This museum is not huge but it is extremely impressive for the $4 entry fee. It has a permanent exhibit showing the journey that Swedes took to America during the largest periods of migration. This exhibit has dioramas and donated artifacts. If you have an interest in Swedish American History, or just the immigrant experience this is a very educational exhibit. In addition to the permanent exhibit they have two rotating exhibits. When we visited, one was a chicago modern photographer and the other was on Scandinavian architecture. Finally, they have a children's museum. The children's museum is basically a giant. Swedish village. The kids can touch everything, interact, and engage their imaginations. It is a great indoor playspace. They also have a staff of four genealogists who help with researching family trees. I'm planning to join their genealogical society, which is $10 per year. Whether you are Swedish or not this is a great way to spend $4.

My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception here last year. Every step of the way, Karin made it easy for us. She was so accomodating and made us feel like we could really make the place our own for the day. They have a piano (which Karin had tuned for our use at no charge), coat check room, sound system, back kitchen for catering... And of course, limited decorating really required in the gallery since it has such lovely artwork. It was perfect. We also had full run of the upstairs museum for the night, which gave our guests something to do while we flipped the room between activities. The offices and classrooms upstairs were used as bride/groom prep areas. Party 'til midnight, and after party in Andersonville! 4 stars only because the museum itself isn't that impressive for adults. Kids LOVE it though.

My boyfriend and me visiting from NYC stumble upon this museum a Sunday afternoon. It was a great short visit, not overwhelming at all. We had a great talk with the receptionist which explain to us the exhibit. Though the museum was empty we really much enjoyed walking by and imagining what it was to first arrive to America. It is a great museum for children.

I liked my visit to this small museum today, though it was a bit smaller than expected. The price is very reasonable, the staff friendly, and the exhibits informative. And the gift shop is very cool! Also seems like a great place for kids. Took the red line to Berwyn and walked a nice half mile here. The current exhibit downstairs about alcohol is very interesting.

We were fortunate to score free admission to this place during the Midsommerfest. We got to check out and learn about Swedish history. They have cool historical artifacts. If you want to learn about Swedish history in Chicago, then this is a good starting point. They also have a lot of used books for really cheap.

Nice little storefront museum highlighting the Scandinavian experience here in Chicago. I just spent a very pleasant afternoon sitting with a dozen musicians who were playing music in the gallery, in a once-a-month jam session they hold here, from 1:30-3:00 every second Saturday. The music was great and free of charge and even a bit subversive--much of what they were playing in the Swedish Museum was Norwegian (gasp! lol). The session was instructive, as different musicians introduced tunes to the group (much of folk music is transmitted by oral/aural tradition, even today.) While the music was playing, museum goers came and went, browsing the paintings and photographs on the gallery walls, then pausing to listen to the music--and smiling before moving on. Though small, this place is essential, as the center of Swedish culture here in Chicago. There are a number of events held here each month, and it's the place to go if you want to find out what's going on in the way of Scandinavian music and culture around the region. At the end of the musical jam session, there was much discussion of upcoming musical events at Wasa Park ( a Scandinavian park in South Elgin, Illinois) as well as music at the Norwegian-language Minnekirke in Logan Square and other ethnic venues. On the way out, I browsed for a few minutes in the little gift shop and almost bought a T-shirt for the "Viking World Tour" which listed various countries the Vikings robbed and pillaged during the 12th Century. As I left the museum, I paused to overhear a small group of middle aged adults sitting near the door--conversing in Swedish. Nice!

The Swedish American Museum is a very pleasant place to visit to learn the cultural history of Sweden and Swedish American immigrants. Located in the center of Andersonville, it is an oasis of consumerism on Clark Street. The exhibits are quite detailed in describing the hardships endured by immigrants. I was struck by what people in those days considered essentials to take with them on the voyage. People were starting new lives in another country and their belongings could fit into a modern-day carry-on bag of airplane passengers. One wonders if we would be up to the task. I'm confident we could and would. After all, I don't believe it was a matter of choice but necessity. I understood from the museum hosts that the museum is newly refurbished and better than ever. So, if you have a couple of hours to spare, stop by and experience the richness of Swedish culture and the experience of Swedish immigrants.