Question 1

Where is the museum?

Accepted Answer

The museum is at 107 James Ave in Swedesburg, Iowa. Look for Iowa's largest Dala horse; it marks the museum.

Question 2

What are your hours?

Accepted Answer

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9 AM – 4 PM. We're closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. Hours can change, so please call 319.254.2317 before making travel plans.

Question 3

How much is admission?

Accepted Answer

Admission is by free-will donation. Groups of 10 or more pay $3.00 per person (ages 4 and up). Please call 319.254.2317 ahead of a group visit so volunteers can be ready.

Question 4

What will I see at the museum?

Accepted Answer

Highlights include Iowa's largest Dala horse, the 14-foot 'Ole'; the 1875 stuga (lake house) buildings; the Huckster wagon; and the Scandinavian gift shop. Exhibits trace the journey from the Atlantic crossing to early prairie life in Southeast Iowa.

Question 5

Is Ole hand-carved?

Accepted Answer

No — Ole, our 14-foot Dala horse, is made of fiberglass and came to Swedesburg from Wisconsin. The Dala horses in our gift shop are the real thing: hand-carved and hand-painted in Dalarna, Sweden.

Question 6

Is there a gift shop?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The gift shop carries books, Swedish memorabilia and treats. The selection changes, so call or email for current availability.

Question 7

Who runs the museum?

Accepted Answer

The Swedish American Museum and Historical Society is a nonprofit organization celebrating Swedish heritage and history in Swedesburg, Iowa.

Question 8

Can I volunteer at the museum?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The museum is run by volunteers. Email swedish@iowatelecom.net or call 319.254.2317 to find out how you can help.

Question 9

Why did Swedish immigrants come to Southeast Iowa?

Accepted Answer

Swedish immigrants arrived in Southeast Iowa in the mid-1800s and established some of the first Swedish settlements in the Midwest. Many were drawn by the chance to own farmland, which was scarce back home in Sweden.

Question 10

What is a Dala horse?

Accepted Answer

A Dala horse (Dalahäst) is a carved, hand-painted wooden horse from the province of Dalarna in central Sweden. Woodcarvers have made them for centuries. The horse became a national symbol after a giant one was displayed at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Question 11

What is kurbits painting?

Accepted Answer

Kurbits is a folk-art painting style from Dalarna, popular in the 1700s and 1800s. Its swirling, stylized flowers and leaves decorate Dala horses, furniture and walls. The name comes from the Swedish word for gourd, after the Bible story of the gourd vine that shaded Jonah.

Question 12

What is Midsommar?

Accepted Answer

Midsummer is one of Sweden's most beloved holidays, celebrated on the Friday between June 19 and 25. People raise a flower-covered maypole (midsommarstång), wear flower crowns, dance in circles, and share pickled herring, new potatoes and strawberries.

Question 13

What is Saint Lucia Day?

Accepted Answer

On December 13, in the darkest time of the Swedish year, a girl wearing a crown of candles leads a procession of singers dressed in white. Saffron buns called lussekatter are traditionally served.

Question 14

What is fika?

Accepted Answer

Fika is the Swedish tradition of pausing for coffee and something sweet, often a cinnamon bun (kanelbulle), with friends or coworkers. Sweden even has a Cinnamon Bun Day on October 4. At the museum, join us for fika on the first Monday of every month at 2:00 PM.

Question 15

What does "lagom" mean?

Accepted Answer

Lagom means "just the right amount": not too much, not too little. Many people describe it as a core part of the Swedish outlook on life.

Question 16

What is the Swedish Yule goat?

Accepted Answer

The julbock is a goat made of straw, a Christmas decoration with roots in old Scandinavian traditions. The most famous is the giant Gävle Goat, raised in the city of Gävle every year since 1966.

Question 17

What is a nyckelharpa?

Accepted Answer

The nyckelharpa is a traditional Swedish keyed fiddle. The player draws a bow across the strings while pressing wooden keys to change the pitch. It has been played in Sweden for centuries and is often called Sweden's national instrument.

Question 18

How do you say "hello," "thank you," and "welcome" in Swedish?

Accepted Answer

Hej (hello), tack (thank you), and välkommen (welcome).

Question 19

What is the capital of Sweden?

Accepted Answer

Stockholm, a city built across 14 islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea.

Question 20

How many people live in Sweden?

Accepted Answer

About 10.5 million people.

Question 21

What language do Swedes speak?

Accepted Answer

Swedish, a North Germanic language closely related to Norwegian and Danish. It has three extra letters at the end of its alphabet: å, ä and ö.

Question 22

What do the colors of the Swedish flag mean?

Accepted Answer

The blue and yellow come from Sweden's coat of arms, which shows three gold crowns on a blue field. The flag's design is a Nordic cross.

Question 23

When is Sweden's National Day?

Accepted Answer

June 6. It commemorates Gustav Vasa's election as king in 1523, and the adoption of a new constitution on the same date in 1809.

Question 24

Does Sweden have a king?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy. King Carl XVI Gustaf has been head of state since 1973, and parliament (the Riksdag) governs.

Question 25

What currency does Sweden use?

Accepted Answer

The Swedish krona (SEK). Sweden joined the European Union in 1995 but kept its own currency instead of adopting the euro.

Question 26

What is allemansrätten?

Accepted Answer

The "right of public access" lets everyone walk, camp for a night and pick berries and mushrooms almost anywhere in Swedish nature, as long as they respect the land, wildlife and landowners.

Question 27

Can you see the northern lights and the midnight sun in Sweden?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Swedish Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle, the northern lights appear on dark nights from roughly September to March. In summer the midnight sun stays up around the clock for weeks.

Question 28

Who were the Swedish Vikings?

Accepted Answer

During the Viking Age (about 793–1066), Norse seafarers from what is now Sweden traded and traveled mostly eastward. They sailed rivers through present-day Russia and Ukraine as far as Constantinople.

Question 29

What is the connection between Sweden and the Nobel Prize?

Accepted Answer

Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist who invented dynamite, created the Nobel Prizes in his will. Most of the prizes are awarded in Stockholm each December 10, the anniversary of his death. The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway.

Question 30

What are some famous Swedish inventions?

Accepted Answer

Swedes gave the world the three-point seatbelt (Nils Bohlin at Volvo, 1959), the Celsius temperature scale (Anders Celsius), and the first implantable pacemaker (1958). Swedish-American engineer Gideon Sundback perfected the modern zipper.

Question 31

Why did so many Swedes emigrate to America?

Accepted Answer

Between about 1850 and 1930, roughly 1.3 million Swedes, about a fifth of the population, emigrated to America. Crop failures, a shortage of farmland, and the famine years of 1867–1869 pushed many to leave. Cheap land and religious freedom drew them to the Midwest.

Question 32

Where did Swedish immigrants settle in America?

Accepted Answer

Many settled in the Upper Midwest, especially Minnesota, Illinois (Chicago), Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. There they built farms, churches and towns, including Swedesburg, Iowa.

Question 33

Why do so many Swedish last names end in "-son"?

Accepted Answer

Swedes traditionally used patronymic names: Anders' son became Andersson, and Johan's son became Johansson. Andersson, Johansson and Karlsson are still among the most common names in Sweden today.

Question 34

How can I trace my Swedish ancestors?

Accepted Answer

Swedish parish records are some of the most detailed in the world. Many churches kept "household examination" rolls (husförhörslängder) that tracked every family member year by year. Start with names, dates and home parishes from family papers, and feel free to contact the museum about local Swedesburg history.

Questions & Swedish facts.

Visiting the Museum

Swedish Traditions & Culture

Sweden: Facts & History

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