American Swedish Historical Museum

American Swedish Historical Museum Sharing Swedish Culture in America! Connecting Cultures and Community.
(316)

This is the LAST WEEK to see Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland at ASHM!Come learn about Finnish and international ...
03/03/2025

This is the LAST WEEK to see Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland at ASHM!

Come learn about Finnish and international sauna, take photos inside out model sauna, or share your own experiences with sauna in our memory book. If you haven't made it out to this beautiful and fascinating exhibit, this is your last chance!

Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland is on view through March 9th. The exhibition was organized by Nordic Northwest, Portland Oregon and made possible by the generous support of Finlandia Foundation National.

Have you taken a sauna at ASHM yet? Time is running out! This is the last month for the Ebba Sparre Sauna Collective’s o...
03/01/2025

Have you taken a sauna at ASHM yet? Time is running out!

This is the last month for the Ebba Sparre Sauna Collective’s outdoor saunas on the Museum terrace. Book a barrel sauna visit for you and up to three friends, and experience this Scandinavian tradition while the weather’s still cool. More info: https://www.ebbasparresauna.com

The Ebba Sparre Sauna Collective is operating on the ASHM terrace through March 29th. ASHM receives 10% of the revenue from the outdoor saunas.

The extrABBAganza is less than two weeks away! Join us for a dance party to remember, featuring throwback hits from DJ R...
02/26/2025

The extrABBAganza is less than two weeks away! Join us for a dance party to remember, featuring throwback hits from DJ Robert Drake and a Drag Queen ABBA tribute from Summer St. Cartier, Miss Troy, Amerie Jameson, and Morgan Morgan Morgan!

Plus:
• Dancing and costume contests
• Retro Swedish-inspired eats
• Themed cocktails & mocktails and more!

Wear your 70s best, and we’ll see you on the dance floor!

Tickets here:

Culture comes alive during the many events hosted by the American Swedish Historical Museum throughout the year. Join us and discover the food, music and holidays of Sweden, experience our newest exhibitions or check out of educational programs for both children and adults.

Join us for next month's New Sweden Legacy Lecture! Evan Haefli will present the virtual talk, "New Sweden's Colonists U...
02/25/2025

Join us for next month's New Sweden Legacy Lecture! Evan Haefli will present the virtual talk, "New Sweden's Colonists Under Dutch Rule, 1655-1664."

The third talk in our 2025 New Sweden Legacy Lecture Series will explore the years immediately following the fall of the New Sweden Colony and the relationships of the remaining Scandinavian colonists to their new Dutch rulers.

This virtual lecture sponsored by the New Sweden Alliance Incorporated is free to attend, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Spaces are limited. Be sure to register today here: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/new-sweden-legacy-lecture-series-new-swedens-colonists-under-dutch-rule-1655-1664-evan

In honor of the Eagles' impressive Super Bowl victory, this month's object highlight is the ASHM Eagle that often lives ...
02/21/2025

In honor of the Eagles' impressive Super Bowl victory, this month's object highlight is the ASHM Eagle that often lives at the top of the Grand Hall stairs.

Originally a gilded ornament atop one of the flagpoles that flanked the Museum's façade, this eagle has spent nearly 100 years with our building. In 1990, the flagpoles were taken down leaving just this ornament, still attached to its flagpole mount.

Historic images: ASHM, c. 1940; Salvaging the Eagle before the flagpoles came down, 1989.

Are you an ABBA lover? Put on your dancing shoes and best 70s attire and step out on the dance floor at ASHM’s annual ex...
02/19/2025

Are you an ABBA lover? Put on your dancing shoes and best 70s attire and step out on the dance floor at ASHM’s annual extrABBAganza Dance Party!

Join us in the decked out ASHM Grand Hall as DJ Robert Drake takes us back in time! Wear your best 70s fashion for the costume contest and see if you have what it takes to be the night’s Dancing Queen! Plus: don’t miss a Drag Queen homage to ABBA performed by Summer St. Cartier, Miss Troy, Amerie Jameson, and Morgan Morgan Morgan!

Tickets include a fun Swedish-inspired retro food buffet and a cash bar with themed cocktails. $35 members, $40 non-members. 70s attire is encouraged! Follow this link to get tickets:

Culture comes alive during the many events hosted by the American Swedish Historical Museum throughout the year. Join us and discover the food, music and holidays of Sweden, experience our newest exhibitions or check out of educational programs for both children and adults.

Don't miss Toddler Time TOMORROW! Join us as we learn all about our five senses through interactive stories and activiti...
02/17/2025

Don't miss Toddler Time TOMORROW!

Join us as we learn all about our five senses through interactive stories and activities. Families will visit different rooms in the Museum, including the Sauna is Life exhibition, and test their senses. Then kids can try out different activities and crafts all about how we touch, taste, see, hear, and smell!

Join us for a virtual lecture by Jay Smith: "An Introduction to John Morton: America's Finnish Founding Father." This fr...
02/12/2025

Join us for a virtual lecture by Jay Smith: "An Introduction to John Morton: America's Finnish Founding Father." This free lecture is sponsored by the Finnish American Society of the Delaware Valley.

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link, and space is limited, so register today here: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/new-sweden-legacy-lecture-series-introduction-john-morton-americas-finnish-founding-father

In this lecture series, explore the fascinating history of the New Sweden Colony and the legacy the settlement and its people had on Philadelphia and beyond. Thanks to generous organizational sponsorships, all lectures are free! Upcoming lecture dates are: March 19th (virtual) and April 12th (in person at ASHM).

There is less than one month left to visit Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland at ASHM! Come by to learn about sauna...
02/10/2025

There is less than one month left to visit Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland at ASHM! Come by to learn about sauna traditions in Scandinavia and beyond and share your own memories of sauna.

Can't make it to the exhibition in person? Join us for a free virtual exhibition tour on Wednesday, hosted by curator Brett Peters: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/virtual-sauna-life-exhibition-tour

Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland is on view through March 9th. The exhibition was organized by Nordic Northwest, Portland Oregon and made possible by the generous support of Finlandia Foundation National.

Today it’s  World Pizza Day!Did you know that Sweden has their own style of pizza, called Kebab Pizza?Kebabpizza is a Sw...
02/09/2025

Today it’s World Pizza Day!
Did you know that Sweden has their own style of pizza, called Kebab Pizza?

Kebabpizza is a Swedish twist on pizza that blends Italian and Middle Eastern flavors. Created by Middle Eastern immigrants in the 1980s, this unique pizza typically comes topped with savory kebab meat, onions, friggitelli, and a deliciously creamy kebab sauce (yogurt or sour cream + spices).

Toppings can vary from place to place, but some pizzerias even go all-in with classic kebab sides like fries and lettuce right on the pizza!

Try ASHM's take on kebab pizza next month at the extrABBAganza Dance Party! (Tickets here: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/extrabbaganza-abba-dance-party-1)

Fly Eagles Fly! 🦅 All of us at ASHM wish the best of luck to our Pattison Avenue neighbors tomorrow. Need something to d...
02/08/2025

Fly Eagles Fly! 🦅 All of us at ASHM wish the best of luck to our Pattison Avenue neighbors tomorrow.

Need something to distract from pre-Super Bowl anxiety? Come by on Free Second Sunday - we're open from 12 to 6.

Go Birds!

Toddlers explore the world using all five senses! This month at Toddler Time, kids will reinforce their knowledge of the...
02/07/2025

Toddlers explore the world using all five senses! This month at Toddler Time, kids will reinforce their knowledge of the five senses through interactive stories and activities. Families will visit different rooms in the Museum, including the Sauna is Life exhibition, and test their senses. Then kids can try out different activities and crafts all about how we touch, taste, see, hear, and smell!

Today we celebrate Sami National Day, a day to honor the culture, history, and resilience of the indigenous Sami people ...
02/06/2025

Today we celebrate Sami National Day, a day to honor the culture, history, and resilience of the indigenous Sami people of Scandinavia.

From their stunning traditional clothing to their deep connection with nature, the Sami continue to inspire with their rich heritage and enduring spirit. The Sami are best known for semi-nomadic reindeer herding, but they are also coastal fishers, sheep herders, and fur trappers.

The colorful Sami clothes are called Gakti, and they are worn both while working and in ceremonial contexts, particularly when herding reindeer. The colors of the official Sami flag, inaugurated in 1986, come from this clothing.

National Sauna Week is just a couple weeks away! Celebrate by joining ASHM for a guided tour of our current exhibition, ...
02/05/2025

National Sauna Week is just a couple weeks away! Celebrate by joining ASHM for a guided tour of our current exhibition, Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland.

If you haven't made it to the exhibit in person, or if you're interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibit, be sure to join us!

This is a free event held via Zoom, please RSVP online and the meeting link will be emailed directly to you: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/virtual-sauna-life-exhibition-tour

Tickets are on sale NOW for the annual extrABBAganza Dance Party!Break out your bell bottoms and platform shoes! There's...
02/04/2025

Tickets are on sale NOW for the annual extrABBAganza Dance Party!

Break out your bell bottoms and platform shoes! There's no better place to celebrate the iconic music of ABBA than the American Swedish Historical Museum. Philadelphia's own DJ Robert Drake will spin the classics as everyone lets out their inner Dancing Queen.

Highlights of the evening:
• dancing and costume contests
• Drag Queen homage to ABBA performed by Summer St. Cartier, Miss Troy, Amerie Jameson, and Morgan Morgan Morgan
• Swedish-inspired retro food buffet dinner
• Cash/credit bar with themed cocktails & mocktails

70’s attire is encouraged, but come as you are to dance the night away!

Get tickets here: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/extrabbaganza-abba-dance-party-1

Start February off with a delicious Swedish tradition!Enjoy a rich semla, a fluffy pastry filled with creamy almond past...
02/03/2025

Start February off with a delicious Swedish tradition!

Enjoy a rich semla, a fluffy pastry filled with creamy almond paste, and pair it with a hot coffee and a Swedish film. Semlor are traditionally enjoyed before Lent, making this your perfect early “Fat Tuesday” treat!

Event tickets: $16 in advance, $20 at the door (includes one semla). Extra semlor? Just $6 each! Walk-ins welcome, or secure your spot by pre-registering online TODAY: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/semlor-and-movie-2

Can’t stay for the movie? No worries! You can still grab your semla to-go on Saturday, February 8th

Join us for this month's lecture in the New Sweden Legacy Lecture Series!Explore the fascinating history of the New Swed...
01/29/2025

Join us for this month's lecture in the New Sweden Legacy Lecture Series!
Explore the fascinating history of the New Sweden Colony and the legacy the settlement and its people had on Philadelphia and beyond.

On February 19th, Jay Smith will give and introduction to John Morton, America's Finnish Founding Father. John Morton descended from a long line of Swedish and Finnish families who first settled along the Delaware River in the 1640s. During his short life, Morton held many important government positions ranging from justice of the peace to Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

This month's virtual lecture is sponsored by the Finnish-American Society of the Delaware Valley and is free to attend, but registration is required to receive the Zoom link: https://www.americanswedish.org/events/new-sweden-legacy-lecture-series-introduction-john-morton-americas-finnish-founding-father
Spaces are limited. Be sure to register today!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Pea Soup Dinner last Saturday.It was a fantastic time with lots of soup to warm ...
01/28/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Pea Soup Dinner last Saturday.
It was a fantastic time with lots of soup to warm up with in this cold weather.
A special thank you to our Pea Soup Committee for making and serving the soup.

Address

1900 Pattison Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19145

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

(215) 389-1776

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when American Swedish Historical Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to American Swedish Historical Museum:

Videos

Share

Category