Museum of Danish America facts for kids
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| Established | 1983 |
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| Location | Elk Horn, Iowa |
| Type | History Museum |
The Museum of Danish America is a national museum located in Elk Horn, Iowa. It used to be called the Danish Immigrant Museum. The museum's main goal is to "celebrate Danish roots and American dreams." This means it helps people learn about Danish heritage and the dreams of Danish people who moved to America.
Contents
History of the Museum
In 1979, two teachers from Dana College had an idea to create a museum. They wanted it to save and share the history of Danish people who moved to America. Their idea was liked, and a year later, a group called the Danish American Heritage Society (DAHS) started looking into it.
In 1983, they decided the museum should be in the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton, Iowa. The museum's board became official in May. In July, the Elk Horn Lutheran Church gave 20 acres of land for the museum. The museum started collecting items and worked out of a building on Elk Horn's main street for several years.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the museum's current building happened in 1988. However, the museum building did not open to the public until June 1994. On October 11, 2013, the museum changed its name. It went from the Danish Immigrant Museum to the Museum of Danish America. Today, the museum has more than 35,000 items in its main collection.
Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park
On September 22, 2010, the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton, Iowa, joined the Iowa Great Places Program. This program helps develop special places. Part of their plan was to create the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park at the museum. A farmer named Wayne Alwill, from Manning, Iowa, left the museum $1.3 million when he passed away in 2008. This money helped make the park possible.
The Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park was designed in 2011 and built the next year. Jens Jensen was a Danish immigrant who became a famous landscape architect. The park celebrates his life and work. It was designed by his great-great-grandson, also named Jens Jensen, and Bill Tishler. Bill Tishler is a professor who studies Jens Jensen's work.
The park uses native plants and has two "council rings." These are special circular seating areas that were a trademark of Jens Jensen's designs. In 2013, an outdoor exhibit with information panels was added near the park's entrance. Later that year, nine pieces of Danish-designed outdoor fitness equipment were placed along a walking path in the park. There is a free mobile app that helps people find the park and learn how to use the equipment.
The park also has a 0.6-mile paved path called the Friends Walk. This path connects the museum's main building to Bedstemor's House.
Museum Exhibits
The main museum building has three levels. Each level offers different exhibits and experiences.
Lower Level Exhibits
The museum's main exhibit, Across Oceans, Across Time, starts on the lower level. This exhibit explores the journey of Danish immigrants and their families. It covers the years from 1840 to 1940.
The lower level also has a special area where many of the museum's items are stored behind glass walls. This allows visitors to see more of the collection. There is also a multimedia room on this level.
Main Level Exhibits
The Across Oceans, Across Time exhibit continues on the ground level. This part covers the years from 1940 to the present day. This level also features the Danish-American Artist Series exhibit. This exhibit shows the work of a different Danish-American artist every six months.
Past artists featured include the famous performer Victor Borge. His exhibit, The Victor Borge Legacy Award: Celebrating 10 Years of Music, was shown in the multimedia room. Besides exhibits, this level has the museum's Wall of Honor. It also displays the first piano owned by Victor Borge. Visitors can also find the museum gift shop and a Lego play area here.
Kramme Gallery
The Kramme Gallery is on the upper level of the museum. This gallery is used for temporary exhibits that change regularly. A recent temporary exhibit was Tradition and Change: Weddings in Danish America. This was followed by the exhibit Papirklip: A global and Timeless Art.
Other Museum Locations
The Museum of Danish America also has other important properties nearby.
Genealogy and Education Center
In 1996, the museum's research library opened inside the main building. It was first run by volunteers. A librarian was hired in 2002. The next year, the Genealogy and Education Center opened at its current location on Elk Horn's Main Street.
This center has many books and resources to help people learn about their family history. It also offers services like translation and research for a fee. You can also attend genealogy workshops there to learn how to trace your family tree.
Jens Dixen House
Just north of the museum building is an old cabin. This cabin was once home to a Danish immigrant named Jens Dixen. He settled near Kenmare, North Dakota around 1901. Jens Dixen was a schoolteacher and a preacher. He taught boys from the local area in this small house. When the winter weather was bad, some of his students would even sleep in the small space above the main room.
The Jens Dixen House was moved to the museum property in 1999. It was then restored by a group called the Cedar Valley Danes. Visitors can explore the house during the museum's regular hours.
Bedstemor's House
Bedstemor's House is a historic house museum in Elk Horn, Iowa. It is located at the corner of Union and College Street. This two-story Victorian home was built in 1908 by a Danish immigrant named Jens Otto Christiansen. He intended the home to be a gift for an engagement. However, his marriage proposal was not accepted, so he rented the house to local families. Christiansen sold the house to the Salem Old People's Home in 1933 for just one dollar.
From 1946 to 1982, a woman of Danish descent named Meta Mortensen lived in the home. In 1982, Mortensen sold the home to the Elk Horn-Kimballton Arts and Recreational Council. The Council named the house Bedstemor's House, which means Grandmother's House in Danish. They operated it as a house museum for seven years.
Bedstemor's House was given to The Danish Immigrant Museum in April 1990. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1997. Today, the house museum shows what life was like around 1910. Bedstemor's House is open from 1 PM to 4 PM from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. You can also visit by appointment during the rest of the year.
A three-part video documentary called "The Story of Bedstemor's House" is available on the museum's official website.
