Swedish_American_Museum Knowpia

Swedish American Museum
Established	1976
Location	5211 North Clark Street ; Chicago, Illinois 60640
Coordinates	41°58′36″N 87°40′05″W / 41.97666°N 87.66814°W
Type	Heritage Museum
Visitors	43,000 (2008)
Director	Karin Moen Abercrombie
Public transit access	UP-N Ravenswood; Red Berwyn
Website	www.samac.org

Swedish American Museum is a museum of Swedish American topics and the Swedish emigration to the United States, located in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago.

The Swedish American Museum in Chicago was founded by Kurt Mathisson in 1976. It moved to its current location on 5211 North Clark Street in 1987. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was present at the museum's founding and at its move to its new home.^[1] The museum is housed in a 24,000-square-foot (2,200 m²), three-story building and has a collection of approximately 12,000 objects. It is a core member of the Chicago Cultural Alliance, a consortium of 25 ethnic museums and cultural centers in Chicago.

The Museum observes many holidays, often partnering with the historically Swedish neighborhood to celebrate. Andersonville annually celebrates Midsommarfest (a take on the traditional Swedish Midsommar celebration), Santa Lucia, and Julmarknad (a Christmas market with traditional Swedish handcrafts).^{[citation needed]}

The iconic water tower above the museum was removed on March 20, 2014, after being damaged during the harsh winter.^[2] It was later returned in August 2017. ^[3]

In February 2024, the Honorary Consulate of Sweden, Chicago moved to the Swedish American Museum.^[4]

References edit

^ Cliff Terry. Chicago Off the Beaten Path. Globe Pequot, 2005. 96.
^ "Andersonville water tower removed today". Retrieved 12 April 2018.
^ "Swedish flag water tower returns to Andersonville". Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^ "We are moving!". Honorary Consulate of Sweden, Chicago. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2024 – via Facebook.