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Stavkirke is a Norwegian-style church located on Washington Island, Wisconsin, and is a popular tourist destination.
ADOBE STOCK
Discover Midwest Traditions
& Scandinavian Culture
Intriguing pockets of Nordic heritage close to home—no passport is needed for these journeys.
By Virginia Brown
Whether slowing down for “fika,” a Swedish afternoon coffee break tradition, exploring historic churches and ships that illustrate the rich community connections of early settlers, or experiencing a Viking battle reenactment, the Midwest is packed with Scandinavian heritage. From North Dakota to Iowa, here are some ways to sample Nordic culture on your next Midwest road trip.
The Gol Stave Church Museum, Scandinavian Heritage Park, North Dakota
North Dakota
The first northern Dakota Scandinavian immigrants settled in the Red River Valley in 1869. Today, their heritage lives on. In Minot, stop by the Scandinavian Heritage Park, couched as the world’s only outdoor museum that represents all five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The 14-acre site, managed by the Scandinavian Heritage Association, features the Gol Stave Church, a replica of a 13th-century Norwegian church, constructed without nails; a Finnish sauna; an imposing, 25-foot-tall Swedish Dala horse; a Danish windmill; and a traditional Norwegian log house. While the park is open year-round, the buildings are seasonal.
Fall ushers in Minot’s annual Norsk Hostfest, North America’s largest Scandinavian festival. Held September 24-27 in 2025, the popular event spans the entire North Dakota State Fair Center and features a lutefisk eating competition (people tend to love or hate the traditional dried-fish dish), live cooking demonstrations with traditional Nordic recipes, dances, musical performances, and a lively Viking Village that hosts battle reenactments.
The Välkommen House at the Gammelgården Museum in Scandia, Minnesota
HUNTER PANOCH
Minnesota
Drawn by economic opportunities and rich farmland, Nordic immigrants flocked to Minnesota in the mid-1800s. At the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, explore a life-sized Viking ship and learn about the historical significance of stave churches. Summer brings the Midsommardagen festival to the Gammelgården Museum in Scandia. The highly anticipated event marks the longest day of the year and closes the book on the region’s harsh winter. Experience Swedish food, live art demonstrations, crafts and a freshly decorated May Pole.
The American Swedish Institute’s Midsommar Celebration
AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE
Minneapolis is home to the American Swedish Institute, a museum and education center that features a Swedish cafe and the Turnblad Mansion, known locally as “the castle.” The circa 1908 home of Swedish immigrants features 11 kakelugnar, or tile stoves, imported from Sweden, plus a rare blend of architecture.
Explore the rotating art installations about Norwegian culture at the Mondale Galleri at Norway House, a Minneapolis cultural hub that features hands-on classes in woodcarving and flute-making, plus Danish hygge-style happy hours. At Christmastime, Norway House hosts Gingerbread Wonderland, inspired by the world’s largest gingerbread village in Norway. Before you head out, stop in Ingebretsen’s, a Nordic-inspired shop that’s been around since 1921, and pick up a few Swedish keepsakes or sign up for an art class.
Danish Windmill, Elk Horn
Iowa
Since 1967, over 1.5 million visitors have flocked to Decorah in northeast Iowa, to celebrate Scandinavian culture at Nordic Fest. The buzzy affair features a parade of floats, fireworks, food, dancing, and more. Indulge in kringa, a sweet, pretzel-shaped pastry with a soft crust, or try lefse, a Norwegian flatbread; rosettes, Swedish ornament cookies; or sweet lingonberry ice cream. The Bunad Show, an event highlight since 1973, showcases intricate Norwegian folk costumes, and the community waits the whole year to see performances by the longstanding Nordic dancers.
Explore Danish culture in Elk Horn, Iowa, home to the Museum of Danish America. Inside, three floors of exhibits showcase the rich culture of Danish-Americans. The museum also features a genealogy and education center, and the Bedstemor’s House, a charming example of a Danish-American home in the Victorian era.
At Christmastime, be sure to experience Julefest at the Danish Windmill. This festive holiday event features traditional Danish food and drinks, like glögg, plus arts and crafts, live music performances and more.
Björklunden (Stave Church) in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin
DESTINATION DOOR COUNTY/MIKE TITTEL
Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s northeast Door Peninsula is a hotbed of Scandinavian culture, with its longstanding fishing culture and Norwegian and Swedish heritage. Ephraim, a small town on Eagle Harbor, commemorates the end of winter with a raging bonfire at the Fyr Bal Festival. (In 2026, the festival will take place on June 20.) While in Ephraim, make reservations at the Old Post Office Restaurant and experience a traditional Scandinavian fish boil. Join in as dozens of guests sit around a boiling metal kettle filled with freshly caught whitefish, potatoes, and onions. Once cooked—and after a fiery spectacle—the whole culinary community then heads inside to share the meal, topped with lemon, butter, and special spices, plus a side of coleslaw and a requisite slice of Door County cherry pie.
A Swedish Cardamom Coffee Cake, Fika Bakery and Coffee House, Wisconsin
FIKA BAKERY & COFFEE HOUSE
The food experiences continue with homemade Swedish meatballs and sweet treats, like danishes, cakes, cinnamon rolls, and more, at Fika Bakery and Coffee house, a family-run bakery named after the Swedish afternoon coffee-break cultural trend. Beloved diner Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant has served up tasty go-tos for decades—like Swedish pancakes topped with lingonberries or Door County cherries and more. In summer, a pack of goats grazes on the roof, attracting onlookers to beautiful Sister Bay.
Goats graze on the roof of Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant and Butik in Sister Bay.
DESTINATION DOOR COUNTY / Dan Eggert
For a glimpse inside a Norwegian-style stave church, be sure to visit Björklunden, a peaceful campus blending woods and meadows that hugs the rocky, pristine Lake Michigan coastline in Baileys Harbor. You can also take the Washington Island Ferry Line from Door County to Washington Island to reach Stavkirke. Built to honor the area’s Scandinavian heritage, the wooden church is open year-round and is free to visit.
Talk to a knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent for exploring Scandinavian culture.
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