A beautiful museum/house in Minnesota is the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. The castle is the only one of it kind in the Twin Cities. The museum is dedicated to the culture and history of the Swedish. The museum has textiles, fine artworks and Swedish glass. The have immigrant artifacts as well recording and diaries. The photographs depict the life of Swede's in Minnesota. The museum is open all year long and has extended hours in November and December on Saturdays as well as Fridays after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The house has thirty-three rooms as well as a grand entrance hall two stories high. The mahogany, walnut and oak interior is just elegant looking. The house was built in 1908 for Swan Turnblad who was a newspaper publisher. When you enter the house you will find the kakelugnar, which is a porcelain tile stove. The house has eleven of these stoves inside. The mission of the American Swedish Institute is to preserve the historical building and continue the Swedish heritage.
One nice thing that the city and the library did for the residents is to provide a Museum Adventure Pass, which you can rent from the library with your library card. It is just like checking out a book. This pass allows entrance into the museum and the house as well as other area historical sites as well. When visiting the Minneapolis area or the Twin Cities, you will not want to miss seeing this spectacular monument with so much history.
