Viewers getting a preview of the new Nordic Museum in March – Image Credit: Joe Mabel (CC by 4.0)
Since 1980, the Nordic Heritage Museum has operated out of a schoolhouse in Ballard, a neighborhood historically influenced by Scandinavian immigration early in its history. Now the re-christened Nordic Museum has moved to a new 57,000 sq ft facility, which officially opened to the public on Saturday. The new building designed by Mithun is evocative of modern Scandinavian architecture while also drawing influence from the fjords of the Norwegian coastline. The museum contains exhibits on the history and culture of the five Nordic countries of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland, as well as the experiences of Nordic immigrants to North America and their descendants. In addition to the exhibition space, the museum also features a performance and gathering hall that can seat up to 374 individuals. The new facility has extensive climate-controlled storage space which was severely lacking in its previous incarnation. The outdoor space around the museum, also designed by Mithun, features Viking longboats and a 100 year-old Finnish sauna that may one day be fully functional.
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