Learn About Nordic Arts and Culture at the National Nordic Museum

My son is passionate about Scandinavia. His ancestry on his mother’s side hails from Sweden and he did a country report a couple years ago in school. His passion is deep. He tries to speak the language and eat the foods. As I was looking at activities in Seattle for our family vacation this summer, I came across the National Nordic Museum. I knew it was a place he would love to visit. Turns out, it was pretty much everyone’s favorite stop of the entire trip.

The National Nordic Museum is full of so much information about the culture of the Nordic people. There are videos, artifacts, interactive touchscreens, art, history and more.

You may be just as surprised as me to learn of a Nordic museum in Seattle (who’d have thought). But if you’ve got plans to visit The Emerald City, I recommend spending some time at the National Nordic Museum.

Tickets, Finding the Museum and Parking

First of all, the National Nordic Museum is only open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lucky for us, those days worked perfectly for our travel plans. Hopefully your travel plans will allow for you to visit this really amazing museum.

Purchase your tickets online in advance of your visit. You can select the date of your visit and then the number of tickets you want. Ticket prices range from $10-$20, depending on age. One advantage to purchasing your tickets online is to ensure you don’t book tickets for a day the museum is closed. Plus, the first Thursday of every month is Free First Thursday, so all admissions are free.

You can purchase tickets at the door, so don’t miss out on visiting the National Nordic Museum just because you didn’t get tickets online in advance.

RELATED INFO: Check out Visit Seattle’s “Things to do in Seattle” page

The museum is located about five miles northwest of the Space Needle, across the Lake Washington Shipping Canal and Salmon Bay. It’s just east of Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks. Parking is available on the south side of the museum. After finding a parking spot, use the parking kiosk at the bottom of the stairs to pay for parking. It’s $2 per hour, so you’ll just need to guesstimate how long you’ll be there. Plan on at least two hours, but pay for three so you don’t feel like you have to rush.

Once you park, head up the stairs to the back entrance and to the admission desk. Check in with your tickets or purchase your tickets and you’re all set.

Special – and Temporary – Exhibits at the National Nordic Museum

The National Nordic Museum has various special exhibits at any given time. During our visit, there was a small area all about Nordic ski jumpers. That area has been replaced by a new exhibit featuring the artwork of Danish-American artist Dines Carlsen.

But the largest exhibit that really intrigued – and influenced – my 12-year-old son was about Finnish art. Among Forests and Lakes: Landscape Masterpieces from the Finnish National Gallery. The art was borrowed from the Ateneum Art Museum in Finland. It’s one of three museums that form the Finnish National Gallery.

While most of the family navigated through the exhibit at a pretty steady pace, he took the time to read about each piece of art. About 20 minutes after we had moved on to other areas of the museum, he showed up and all he could talk about was the Finnish art.

In fact, as we looked at the gift shop on our way out, he found a poster of one of the pieces of art from the exhibit and bought that as his souvenir for the whole trip. The artist was Akseli Gallen-Kallela and he plans to frame it and hang it in his bedroom.

So, be sure and check out any special exhibits during your visit. The Finnish art will be on display until mid-October 2021.

Nordic Journeys – A Permanent Exhibit

After touring the special exhibits on the first floor, head out the door to the backyard gallery. There you’ll find an old Nordic sauna, a large Viking ship and a runestone (a large rock with carvings in it). It won’t take too long to see the artifacts on display in the garden area. Head back inside and find the stairs to the second floor.

At the bottom of the stairs, you’ll find a rundown on the various countries and areas that make up the Nordic countries. There are sections for Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Watch the short video to gain a broad understanding of the culture of that corner of the world. Check out the artifacts on display, too. Then make your way up the stairs.

A looping video highlights some of the beautiful landscapes across the Nordic countries. It definitely excited me to make a hop across the pond in a few years to explore as much beauty there as I can. I know my son’s excited to explore it. Well, now I am, too. The long hallway has numerous artifacts and info about the Nordic lands. One wall explains several of the myths and origins of the people – including mentions of Thor, Odin and the nine realms (all stuff you learn about in the Marvel movies (Thor).

Don’t pass by the touchscreens or the drawers that pull out with extra information and facts about the people and their culture. During my visit, there were two quotes I really liked:

“Culture is a way to think, feel and believe.”

“It’s much better to think ahead than to think afterward.”

The exhibit at the far end is a great spot to think about numerous social issues the world is tackling. Use a touch screen and share your thoughts on social justice, education and more. After completing that initial long hallway to learn about the Nordic people in the Nordic countries, cross the bridge for the next section of exhibits.

Emigration from Nordic Countries to the United States

Through the years, Nordic people moved to the United States. In fact, my kids ancestors were from Sweden. They moved to northern Utah. He was a wood worker and decided to build caskets. As a result, the family became one of the most prominent cemetery and mortuary businesses in Weber and Davis County. Maybe that’s why my son is so passionate about Sweden and the Nordic countries – it’s in his blood.

That said, the museum focused more on the Nordic people who moved to the Ballard region of Washington State (northwest Seattle). There are photos, artifacts and much more to explore on this side of the museum.

One of the more interesting parts to explore were all the artifacts. We saw a restaurant sign, fish-canning machine, log cutter, grandfather clock and so much more.

Events at the National Nordic Museum

The National Nordic Museum hosts various events throughout the year. Check out their online calendar to see if there are events happening during your visit to Seattle.

There are lectures, kids activities, crafts and so much more. And while you’re at the museum, you can also grab a snack at their café or some Nordic art, books, artifacts, souvenirs and more.

The Details:

Address: 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107

Cost: $20 per adult; $16 for seniors; $15 for college students (with ID); $10 for youth (ages 5-18), and kids under five are free. Purchase your tickets online or onsite.

How Long to Spend: I would plan on about 1-2 hours to tour the museum. If there’s an event, you may plan to stay longer so you can participate.

Parking: There is a parking lot behind the museum. Pay for parking at the Parking Box and leave the receipt in the window of your car. You can pay with credit card.

Hours: Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Website: https://www.nordicmuseum.org/

Phone: (206) 789-5707

Disclosure: My family received complimentary admission tickets to the National Nordic Museum for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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