Political strife, social upheaval, overcrowding, and agricultural disasters in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark caused a surge of emigration starting in the middle 1800s and continuing until the early 1900s. Nearly a third of the Nordic population migrated to the US. Most landed in New York harbor and made their way west to homesteads in the Midwest or fishing and shipbuilding centers in the Pacific Northwest. As with all immigrant groups, they brought their customs and beliefs - building saunas and establishing cooperatively owned farms, dairies, and stores; and taking an active part in labor unions and social reform movements.
The museum has very good exhibits that cover life in the Nordic countries from the era of the Vikings up to the present day. Emigration stories along with many artifacts give details about individuals from each country - why they left, what they thought of the US, and where they settled and found work.
The museum is accessible.
Parking for large vehicles is very limited in the Seattle area. Small RVs will fit in the lot (small fee) behind the museum. Large RVs may fit on the street in front of the museum but due to street construction those spaces were closed when we visited.
Museum 47.66825, -122.39146
Thank you, I put that museum on my list! Nice review!
ReplyDeleteFree with a NARM museum pass!
DeleteMy Scandinavian grandparents settled in Iowa, not the northwest! This is another of those museums you guys find that looks so interesting. What's a NARM pass?
ReplyDeleteNorth American Reciprocal Museum pass. We use it so much that it pays for it still quickly. The one we buy is a Contributor Membership from Winterthur Museum and Gardens in Delaware because it's good for both museums and gardens.
Deletehttp://www.winterthur.org/membership/benefits/reciprocal-admission/