American Swedish Historical Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1926 |
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| Location | Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Public transit access |   SEPTA bus: 17 |
The American Swedish Historical Museum is the oldest museum in the United States that focuses on Swedish-American history. You can find it in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park in South Philadelphia. The land it sits on was given a long time ago, in the 1600s, by Queen Christina of Sweden to the first settlers of New Sweden.
Contents
History of the Museum
In 1926, a group of Swedish-Americans formed a committee. Their goal was to remember and celebrate the New Sweden colony, which started in 1638. A famous historian named Amandus Johnson led this group.
This committee decided to build a Swedish museum in Philadelphia. On June 2, 1926, Sweden's Crown Prince, Gustaf VI Adolf, helped start the building by placing its first stone. Later, in 1928, an artist named Christian von Schneidau painted beautiful murals inside the museum's entrance.
The museum officially opened on June 28, 1938. This date was special because it was 300 years after the first Swedes arrived in the Delaware Valley. Swedish Prince Bertil and Princess Louise were there for the dedication.
Museum Building Design
The museum's design looks like Ericsberg Castle, a large house from the 1600s in Sweden. The architect, John Nydén, was a Swedish-American from Chicago. He mixed Swedish and American styles. For example, the outdoor arches look like those at Mount Vernon. The copper dome on top is a copy of the one on Stockholm City Hall in Sweden.
The museum has 12 main rooms, called galleries. These galleries show many interesting things about Swedish history and culture. Three of these rooms tell the story of the New Sweden Colony. This colony was started in the Delaware Valley in 1638. Other galleries show more recent Swedish contributions, from art to inventions.
What You Can See Inside
The museum has many permanent galleries, each with a different focus:
- Golden Map Room – This room is one of three about New Sweden. It shows what Sweden was like in the 1600s.
- New Sweden Room – This gallery tells the story of life in the New Sweden colony.
- The Stuga – "Stuga" means "little house" in Swedish. This room looks like a Swedish farmhouse from the 1800s.
- Nord Library – This is a research library. It has books and information about New Sweden and Swedish people moving to America in the 1800s.
- Linnaeus-Kalm Room – Named after famous scientists Carl Linnaeus and Peter Kalm. This room shows Swedish decorative art, especially glass and plants.
- Fredrika Bremer Room – This room celebrates the achievements of Swedish women. It's named after the Swedish writer Fredrika Bremer.
- Jenny Lind Room – This gallery is about Jenny Lind, a famous Swedish opera singer. It shows how popular she was in America.
- Chicago Room – This room honors Swedish-American architects and builders who helped shape cities like Chicago.
- John Ericsson Room – A large painting here shows John Ericsson. He is presenting his design for the ironclad ship Monitor (USS Monitor) to Abraham Lincoln's team during the American Civil War.
- The Balcony – Here you can see paintings and sculptures by Swedish-American artists. There is also a collection of Swedish furniture.
- Changing Exhibit Gallery – This gallery features new exhibits about twice a year.
Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Award
The American Swedish Historical Museum gives out the Spirit of Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Award. This award goes to people or groups who show great kindness and help others. They must have made a big difference to stop suffering or unfairness, without expecting anything in return. The award is named after Raoul Wallenberg. He was a Swedish diplomat who helped save many Hungarian Jews during World War II.
The award includes a cash prize and a special bowl from Orrefors, Sweden. Past winners include A. Leon Higginbotham for his work helping children and human rights in South Africa. Dr. William P. Magee, Jr. and Kathleen S. Magee also won for starting Operation Smile. Per Anger was honored for working with Raoul Wallenberg to save Jews. Reverend Dr. Haruun L. Ruun of Sudan received it for his efforts to bring peace.
Images for kids
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Bust of Jenny Lind, 1850. She kept this in her home, and her son later gave it to the museum.
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Bust of Lind's husband Otto Goldschmidt
See also
In Spanish: American Swedish Historical Museum para niños
