Swedish American Museum

03/22/2023

The Brunk Children's Museum of Immigration will be open full days during the first week of April, from 10 am - 4 pm on weekdays and 11 am - 4 pm on the weekend.

03/22/2023

Join us for Hejsan! Story and Craft next Thursday, Mar. 30, at 2 pm as we read "The Lights that Dance in the Night" by Yuval Zommer.

03/21/2023

This Friday, Mar. 24, the Nordic House is hosting Swedish writer, speaker and political commentator Tove Lifvendahl at 6 pm. This event will be in Swedish. Pizza dinner will be served and must be pre-ordered on our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/nordic-house/

03/21/2023

Events this Weekend

Events this Weekend -

As part of Andersonville InSidewalk Sale the Museum is hosting a Tantalizing Treasures Sale. Come find your treasure among things old and new during regular Museum hours. No admission to the sale.

03/21/2023

Read or download past issues of our newsletter, Flaggan, on the Museum's website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/past-flaggans/

Artwork by Åse Larsjos

03/20/2023

The Museum will be hosting a pop-up cafe on both Saturday, Mar. 25, and Sunday, Mar. 26, from 11 am - 3 pm. Join us Saturday for our Waffle day pop-up. Stop by to try the Swedish variant with fresh whipped cream and jam. Sunday's pop-up will also host Knit Club from 1 pm - 2 pm.

03/20/2023

Join the Museum for another genealogy session as Seema Kenney discusses understanding the naturalization process in the United States this Saturday, Mar. 25, at 10 am.

There are six ways to become a U.S. citizen. We will review each, concentrating on the court option which produced a paper trail and can help with your family genealogical research. This presentation also covers ways in which citizenship was lost & perhaps regained at a later date.

Seema is an experienced software instructor and a professional genealogist. Her known roots are in New England, England, Germany, and Sweden, with DNA adding The Netherlands. She has a certificate in Genealogical Research from BU, completed ProGen, and is an active member of several societies, including the Swedish Ancestry Research Association (SARA) and part of the New England Regional Conference planning committee.

Cost is free for Swedish American Genealogical Society members; $10 for non-members to participate (use our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/genealogy-session-online-23/). Member reservations are appreciated and can be made via email to [email protected] or by calling the Museum at 773.728.8111.

03/19/2023

The "Arctic Highways" exhibit is at the Museum until Sunday, April 2, at 4 pm.

This exhibit discusses the exploitation of Indigenous land and how imposed borders of nation-states have erased the natural land borders used by Indigenous peoples. Nine Sami artists and three Indigenous artists from Canada and the United States want to use this exhibit to start a dialogue, raise questions, and establish waypoints between their culture and ours. This exhibit takes us on a journey through an Arctic highway of culture and life, stretching from the past into the future.

More information can be found at https://motesplatsgrano.se/arctic-highways-virtual/.

03/19/2023

The Swedish author Maria Bouroncle will be at the Museum today, Mar. 19, at 11 am.

An economist by profession, she spent over 25 years in the field of international development before publishing her first novel in 2018. It Came to Me on a Whim has been translated into several languages and is currently used on the Scandinavian Crime Literature course at UCLA. She lives in Washington, DC.

Maria’s book tells the story of her great-aunt who killed her three children at the age of twenty-seven in 1929. Through exhaustive research, she has strived to shed light on what led up to this tragedy, which had been a tightly guarded family secret for over seventy years.

”Maria Bouroncle takes us deep into a story of real-life murder to show us the humanity – even love – behind the crime. A riveting read – haunting, atmospheric, and ultimately, heart-breaking”, writes Manil Suri, author of bestseller The Death of Vishnu and a former contributing opinion writer of the New York Times.

At the event, Maria will also show film director Carl Eneroth’s short documentary ”The Child Murderess in Vesene”, based on her book. It was the winner of ”Best Short Documentary” in London, New Jersey and Miami in 2021.

For more information: www.mariabouroncle.com/home

03/18/2023

Join us online for another session of cooking classes on Mar. 28 at 4 pm. We will be making gratin and banana pancakes. For this online class, you will receive the recipe in advance. You can then either cook alongside or watch and try later. It is an interactive Zoom, so you will be able to ask questions.

The cost is $10. You can buy tickets on our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/cooking-class-online-22/. The Zoom link will be sent out shortly before the class.

03/18/2023

Step out into Spring as dancing with Linda and Paul returns To The Museum! Tonight, March 18, from 7:30 pm - 11 pm, join the fun with mixers and set dances. Twirl around the floor with a waltz, polka, hambo, schottis, polksa or bugg. Whether a seasoned pro or testing the waters, we’ve got you covered with hundreds of tunes to dance the night away.

No partner needed. Cost is $10 and includes some light food, buy tickets on our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/scandinavian-dance-night/.

03/17/2023

Join us on the last Thursday of each month at 2 pm at the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration for a Hejsan! Story and Craft. All ages are welcome to attend with a caregiver for this free (with admission) program.

03/17/2023

If you are looking for a birthday party venue that is unique, fun, interactive, educational and promotes imaginative play, then the Brunk Children’s Museum of Immigration is what you are searching for! Children and adults alike will enjoy exploring everything from Vikings to visionaries. Play in our Swedish farmhouse and pioneer cabin, set sail on a steamship, take a journey to the Moon and much more!

Parties include free admission to guests during the party, 1.5 hours of party time, private use of the classroom adjacent to the Children’s Museum, and a birthday party docent (two for private parties).

Have any questions? Visit our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/birthday-parties/. You may also direct bookings and questions to the Museum at 773-728-8111 or email the Children’s Museum at [email protected].

03/16/2023

March's genealogy session will host Seema Kenney as she discusses understanding the naturalization process in the United States next Saturday, Mar. 25, at 10 am.

There are six ways to become a U.S. citizen. We will review each, concentrating on the court option which produced a paper trail and can help with your family genealogical research. This presentation also covers ways in which citizenship was lost & perhaps regained at a later date.

Seema is an experienced software instructor and a professional genealogist. Her known roots are in New England, England, Germany, and Sweden, with DNA adding The Netherlands. She has a certificate in Genealogical Research from BU, completed ProGen, and is an active member of several societies, including the Swedish Ancestry Research Association (SARA) and part of the New England Regional Conference planning committee.

Cost is free for Swedish American Genealogical Society members; $10 for non-members to participate (use our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/genealogy-session-online-23/). Member reservations are appreciated and can be made via email to [email protected] or by calling the Museum at 773.728.8111.

03/16/2023

Last chance to sign up for Easter crafts

Last chance to sign up for Easter crafts -

What do witches, decorated branches, and Easter have to do with each other? Come learn about and celebrate Swedish Easter traditions at the Swedish American Museum! We will serve a Swedish pancake breakfast while kids can do Easter-themed crafts and activities, including making their own paskris –...

03/16/2023

Don't miss out on the fun and pancakes this Saturday, Mar. 18, with our Easter Crafts and Pancakes event, from 9 am - 10 am.

We will serve a Swedish pancake breakfast while kids can do Easter-themed crafts and activities, including making their own paskris – colorful, decorated branches that are found all over Sweden around Easter. Guests will also learn about the Swedish tradition of Easter witches, where children dress up as witches on the Thursday before Easter and go door to door asking for treats. After breakfast, we will have an Easter egg hunt and scavenger hunt in our Children’s Museum.

Cost: $15 members (adults and children two and over); $20 non-members (adults and children two and over); $5 children aged 12-24 months; Infants are free.

Prepaid and confirmed tickets are required, and no refunds are available for cancellations within five days of the event. To buy tickets, visit our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/easter-crafts-pancakes/

03/15/2023

Next weekend, as a part of Andersonville InSidewalk Sale, the Museum is hosting a mini Tantalizing Treasures Sale during Museum hours from Friday, Mar. 24 to Sunday, Mar. 26. Come find your treasure among things old and new during regular Museum hours. No admission to the sale.

03/15/2023

This Sunday, Mar. 19, at 11 am, the Museum will host Swedish author Maria Bouroncle.

An economist by profession, she spent over 25 years in the field of international development before publishing her first novel in 2018. It Came to Me on a Whim has been translated into several languages and is currently used on the Scandinavian Crime Literature course at UCLA. She lives in Washington, DC.

Maria’s book tells the story of her great-aunt who killed her three children at the age of twenty-seven in 1929. Through exhaustive research, she has strived to shed light on what led up to this tragedy, which had been a tightly guarded family secret for over seventy years.

”Maria Bouroncle takes us deep into a story of real-life murder to show us the humanity – even love – behind the crime. A riveting read – haunting, atmospheric, and ultimately, heart-breaking”, writes Manil Suri, author of bestseller The Death of Vishnu and a former contributing opinion writer of the New York Times.

At the event, Maria will also show film director Carl Eneroth’s short documentary ”The Child Murderess in Vesene”, based on her book. It was the winner of ”Best Short Documentary” in London, New Jersey and Miami in 2021.

For more information: www.mariabouroncle.com/home

03/15/2023

Events this Weekend

Events this Weekend -

What do witches, decorated branches, and Easter have to do with each other? Come learn about and celebrate Swedish Easter traditions at the Swedish American Museum! We will serve a Swedish pancake breakfast while kids can do Easter-themed crafts and activities, including making their own paskris –...

03/14/2023

Summer is fast approaching, and the Museum will host two summer camps this year for kids ages 6-12!

Our Midsommar Camp will take place June 20 – 23; kids will explore the natural world, make their own flower crowns and midsummer crafts, construct a Maypole, learn songs and dances, make and eat Swedish foods, and play games outside during the longest days of the year!

Swedish Sommarläger will take place Aug. 7 – 11. A hands-on camp with a different theme every day! Kids will play Viking games, do traditional arts and crafts, dance, tell stories, become inventors, and explore the outdoors!

For more information or to sign up for camp, visit the Museum website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/summer-camp/.

03/14/2023

Visit the Nordic House in the South Tower of the Wrigley Building to see the "Sustainable Houses in Cold Climate" exhibit.

The exhibit features twenty-two examples of sustainable houses in Sweden built in 1994-2014. It highlights the wide range of design that is possible when focusing on sustainability in architecture.

The houses are presented through a series of photographs, descriptions and comments from their architects. Adaptive re-use, passive energy concepts and traditional building methods are just a few of the ideas these designs explore in their attempt to preserve natural resources and contribute to long-term ecological balance.

03/13/2023

Step out into Spring as dancing with Linda and Paul returns To The Museum! On March 18, from 7:30 pm - 11 pm, join the fun with mixers and set dances. Twirl around the floor with a waltz, polka, hambo, schottis, polksa or bugg. Whether a seasoned pro or testing the waters, we’ve got you covered with hundreds of tunes to dance the night away.

No partner needed. Cost is $10 and includes some light food, buy tickets on our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/scandinavian-dance-night/.

03/13/2023

The Swedish American Museum is your passport to teaching about immigration, Chicago history, or Swedish culture in new, exciting ways! Guided tours and activities are available to all groups ages PreK through high school.

Our most popular school tour explores the 19th century immigration experience through an interactive, imaginative tour of our Children’s Museum. For children in PreK through first grade, this tour is accompanied by a craft and activity related to Swedish culture or immigration, and for students in 2nd grade and up, it includes a guided tour of our regular exhibit that focuses on push and pull factors, ship travel and Ellis Island, the Homestead Act, Chicago immigration history, and Swedish American culture.

We are happy to discuss tailoring our tour to the educational needs of your class. Self-guided tours of the Swedish American Museum are also available but must be scheduled through the education department.

Please note that as of February 2022, our Children’s Museum is fully open but our Dream of America exhibit (typically included in tours for 2nd graders and up) is currently closed for renovations until Fall 2023. In lieu of the regular exhibit, we offer a smaller version of the exhibit with many of the same artifacts, combined with relevant activities and tours of our interactive Children’s Museum.

For more information or to book a field trip, visit our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/field-trips/

03/12/2023

Join us this Saturday, March 18, from 9 am - 10 am, for a morning of Swedish Easter crafts and pancakes.

We will serve a Swedish pancake breakfast while kids can do Easter-themed crafts and activities, including making their own paskris – colorful, decorated branches that are found all over Sweden around Easter. Guests will also learn about the Swedish tradition of Easter witches, where children dress up as witches on the Thursday before Easter and go door to door asking for treats. After breakfast, we will have an Easter egg hunt and scavenger hunt in our Children’s Museum.

Cost: $15 members (adults and children two and over); $20 non-members (adults and children two and over); $5 children aged 12-24 months; Infants are free.

Prepaid and confirmed tickets are required, and no refunds are available for cancellations within five days of the event. To buy tickets, visit our website at https://swedishamericanmuseum.org/event/easter-crafts-pancakes/

03/12/2023

The Museum is hosting a pop-up café today, Sunday, Mar. 12, from 11 am - 3 pm, in honor of Mazarin Day. The Mazarin is an almond-filled pastry that is a classic on the Swedish fika table. We will also serve other Swedish treats and sandwiches.