Reviews of National Nordic Museum. (Museum) in Seattle (Washington).

National Nordic Museum

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Museum

Museum

2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107, United States

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Information of National Nordic Museum, Museum in Seattle (Washington)

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Reviews of National Nordic Museum

Jodi Jameson

Very interesting museum of Scandinavian-American history. A gem in Seattle. The gift shop is nice too. Where else can you buy licorice sea salt from Iceland? Check out the surrounding Ballard neighborhood for quirky shops and restaurants.

ZihSiang Syu

I spent like 2 hours here and found it is interesting. Even though the museum is not big (only like 4 to 5 exhibition hall), I had a good time here. It helps to give you a big picture about Nordic history.

Bret Perry

We went on the first Thursday of the month, so it was free. The parking was $2 an hour. It's clean and minimalistic like an Ikea inside. I liked the carvings and the rune stone. But the videos didn't hold my attention.

margaret heitzmann

Very nice building. Attended a private event. It isn't huge and I wouldn't say it is especially kid friendly. One of the smaller museums I've been to, but we'll spaced exhibits, informative, and makes connections to northwest history. Cool projector area with screen, feels like you're in a forest.

Lisa Ingram

Fabulous photography exhibition here in the Osho gallery. Entirely worth the general ticket price just for that, great museum. I mean, fish skin shoes with hand knitted insoles, yes please! Very good shop too. Catch the 40 bus to lovely Ballard.

Daniel Park

Tucked away on the far side of Ballard past all the noise and bars, this museum is a sweet little treat. Especially if on a hot summer's day, the air-conditioned space is a cool respite from the heat. When I visited there was a borrowed collection of paintings (1500-1900s) from Sweden's NationalMuseum, but otherwise the permanent collection includes artifacts and replicas throughout history in Scandinavia as well as from the Pacific Northwest. Free for NARM members.

Diana Joan Nazziwa

Listen, I am only at N.N Museum when I am catering, hence my Amazing food pictures, but it has grown on me and makes for an amazing event space. Space is plentiful and staff is really friendly and professional. Someone is always available as soon as you walk in to help you as needed. I'm inspired to check it out of my own when I am not working. What do you recommend there!?

Diana Gonzalez

Small, but entertain museum, good for the whole family. For the tour you do it yourself, but the person at the front desk will help you getting around.

Jennifer Corning

Fantastic museum with a great collection and beautiful architecture. Well worth a visit and very reasonable, especially with the AAA discount.

Robert Meier

There is a mixture of art, history of Nordic countries in Europe, and history of Nordic influence in America. Everything is generally well presented (granted with a clear political message). However, it was $20 for really a pretty darn small museum- like yes it was clean and well done but there really isn’t that much and that price is quite considerable in my opinion. And the only really unique exhibit was a “meditation room” so to speak with a large TV showing scenes from the Nordic countries that was nice to sit and think in.

Eleonor Walston

It was clean and lots of different interesting things to see. I absolutely loved seeing the old Viking swords and utensils.

Steve Hanson

We enjoyed the special exhibit comparing Norwegian and American photographers of the late 1800's. Also it was very nice to see the regional dresses (bunad) worn by Norwegian women.

Catherine North

We went on the first Thursday so it was free. My wife uses a walker so it was nice they had a wheelchair we could use. The exhibits were very interesting and we enjoyed reading all about them. At one point I tripped on the wheelchair and fell. I was fine but the staff there was amazing, making sure I was all that right. We spent about 2 hours there and enjoyed every minute. Highly recommend.

Randall Marsh

A very informative experience. Videos were good. Plenty of exhibits demonstrating life on both sides of the Atlantic. Well worth the time. (2-3 hours). Good selection of books in the gift shop. Cafe could offer something a bit more substantial than cakes and cookies.

Atle Straume

Honorable Consul Kim Nesselquist's bench, is located inside the National Nordic Museum in Ballard, WA. This bench was dedicated in Consul Kim Nesselquist honor, during a meeting at the new Nordic Museum in Nov 2018.

Bill Clugston

The National Nordic Museum does an excellent job of presenting the history of the Scandinavian nations in Northern Europe and the immigrants that helped build America. There are temporary art installations as well as permanent exhibits. Also check out the gift shop for real Scandinavian items.

Michelly Calzadilla

What a neat place to learn about Nordic history! The museum is informative, organized, clean, and offers just enough to remain digestible instead of overwhelming. The immigration stories were very neat and helped connect a lot of dots for the Pacific North West's development. Overall, highly recommend visiting this museum - it's a Seattle gem.

Aracely Herrera

Beautiful museum, that details the history of the Nordic communities, their culture and migration to Washington state.

Melinda D

Some northern European history nestled in Ballard, Seattle - a neighborhood that has strong historical ties to Scandinavia. You get to see milestones in world history through the lens of migration from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the Sami people. Educational and impressive in it's collective overview and historical scope.

Les Plus Belle Choses Dans Le Monde

This museum contains an impressive collection of cultural artifacts and fantastic and informative exhibits. I thought there would be more variety of souvenirs at the gift shop but that's no big deal. It is a bit of a trip if you are staying around to downtown like I was, but it's worth it and Ballard has a lot to see and do as well.

Steve Markovitch

This is a really great museum with lots of cool ships.

Brianna Kadem

This museum is beautiful and modern, but for those who have visited and grew up with the old museum, it leaves much to be desired. The old museum was designed in a way where it was like you were traveling through time. You started in ancient Norway and eventually walked your way through to the 20th century. Along the way you saw what it was like for Norwegian and other immigrants traveling from Europe to America and what life was like for them once they arrived. The exhibits were super cool especially for children and mimicked old buildings, homes and even a passenger ship from the early 20th century. Two words come to mind when thinking of the new museum. Unorganized and boring. You are presented with a lot of words on walls with pictures to look at. There are artifacts yes, but they are presented in a cluttered way. Almost like a garage sale sitting in the middle of the floor. You just don't get that same connection you did with the history of Norwegian people and immigrants like you did at the old museum. So if you have never been to the old museum then yes you will probably enjoy it because you have nothing to compare it to, but for those that grew up going to the old one like me, it's better to stay home and reminisce about the wonderful memories of the old one.

Molly West

Starts off slow with the painting gallery which is nice though not enthralling but finishes strong upstairs with beautiful and well documented displays including a great walk of the nordic culture and history through time. Wish I had taken a picture of that for my review but now you'll just have to go see for yourself!

James Woodard

The Nordic history tied to Seattle is wonderful in every way.

Jorn Lundin

It was such a great experience. The staff were very helpful and the exhibits were very informative. This is one of my all time favorite museums.

Garrett N.

Beautiful architecture surrounds this modern tribute to our local Nordic heritage. The structure is so thoughtfully designed with ample natural light that interacts with the space and the artifacts it contains, like the gorgeous glass birds soaring above you. The exhibits themselves are nicely curated and focus on each Nordic country (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway). The cafe and gift shop on the first floor also do a nice job of giving guests a taste of a Scandinavia. Worth any visit!

Grace Thomas

We finally made it to check out the Nordic Museums new location and it was beautiful! They have an incredible collection of artifacts and the layout is very well thought out. Not to mention that we were there for the special Viking exhibit which was incredible to see. I also recommend checking out their cafe. I had the quinoa salad with their smoked tofu which was so so good as well as some french press coffee that served on a beautiful wooden block and with a fun textured mug.

Andrew Lee

I enjoyed my visit to the Nordic Museum. It’s great that such a premier Nordic-American museum is located in Ballard. I don’t remember visiting the museum before the remodel, but the museum was designed with a lot of intention. The architecture evokes Nordic design in its beautiful simplicity and functionality. The exhibits were interesting and specifically the one about Nordic immigrants to the Pacific Northwest in particular. While it is a visually striking and overall good museum, I think it could be even better. While it a Nordic Museum in America, I hope down the road they could have an about face on how the Nordic countries were involved in the slave trade. A deeper dive into relations between Scandinavia and the Sami people would also be enlightening. While history is not always pleasant, I think reflecting on it and asking critical questions is extremely important. Overall, I do believe the museum is a great place to learn more about the Nordic people and their stories and do recommend people to visit.

Jon Barley

Excellent museum to learn about Nordic history and how their past shaped present day Nordic countries. Spent about 1.5 hours there and enjoyed every minute!

Kaitlin Serai

I loved this place, such a great experience!! I didn't even feel the two hours go by.

momo

They have an exceptionally curated Viking exhibit on display until April. Although it’s very small, its worth the $5. The museum itself has a very informative permanent exhibit. There are also replicas of boats isn’t the museum, which they allow you to touch, unless otherwise stated. It’s a neat addition to Ballard and worth the visit.

T. Bolt

We just visited the Nordic museum at their new location. I have a convenient moment-priced parking. Admission is $15 per person, with special discounts for seniors and AAA. On the first floor is a state of the art presentation of the early history of the Scandinavian people. On the second floor is a large and well-organized historical presentation. There is a small restaurant featuring Scandinavian inspired meals. We ordered Scandinavian hotdog make some ground chicken served on a pretzel bun with cream cheese and pickled onions, delicious. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Erik U

Went to the grand opening ceremony on May 5th and got to hear the President of Iceland, the Crown Princess of Denmark, the Seattle Mayor, among others speak. We had reserved tickets for the 3:00PM showing. The museum itself is very spacious and beautiful - definitely inspired by Scandinavian Design. The exhibits were very well done and give a good history of Scandinavia from stone age to present as well as displays on immigrants to the area and their impact on the region. Since it was the opening and fairly crowded, I want to go back and get a better look at the exhibits in the future when I have more time. This is great cultural addition to the Seattle and THE museum for Nordic history in North America.

Kimberly

Beautiful, newly built Nordic museum. We stopped by on the first Thursday of the month, when they offer free entry and we were really glad we did. They have a nice little cafe and museum store as well.

Margo Jodyne Dills

I was accompanied by a 13 year old who is very interested but still, we didn't do over 2 hours. I need to go back because I only saw about a quarter of the museum and it is incredible. The history here is so rich and Scandinavia brought so much to this part of the Americas. The art is so beautiful and there were many pieces I fell in love with. I'm half Danish so I luckily I'm very familiar with the food of Scandinavia and my granddaughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal that we had. We also had dessert, of which was hard to make a choice... they all look so good. The gift shop isn't overwhelming and has some really lovely items, not all Ikea-like, which some might expect. Parking is easy and very reasonable. I miss the old museum because it just felt like a lot of my Scandinavian memories but this place makes up for it in beauty and charm.

Anatoliy Maslyanchuk

It's a great place to learn a lot about nordic countries and how vikings played a role in their culture. The museum is brand new and was very clean. It's a great atmosphere and nice place to relax while exploring the nordic history and cultures.

Sean Ramey

It is a nice museum with well presented exhibits and art. I think the old museum was better as it presented a much more interesting and interactive view of Scandinavian immigrants to the United States, especially Ballard. The new museum is more about art (including the beautiful building/space) and focuses a lot more on Scandinavian culture and environmentalism. For comparison, the old museum had a walkthrough immigrant boat deck and a reconstruction of Ballard streets. The new one grouped a handful of these items into a cluster and most of the info was on screens you had to touch to access. I went to the old museum 3 times and would have gone again. I enjoyed the new one but am not sure yet if I will return.

Sorayah Surkatty

Inspiring and minimalist, The Nordic Museum is not just a place to learn about Nordic life in yesteryear's, but a place to gather. The exhibits are thorough in past and contemporary life, from antique lace to ikea furniture. The Osberg hall is a gorgeous setting for live performances with it's all wood interior and star-lit light fixtures. There is a viewing room with a rotation of landscapes, which is inspiring to meditate in.

L

I was impressed with the detail of each display and the depth of knowledge regarding my ancestry. Attending at the time of the Marimekko showing was extremely fortunate! This museum is a gem, hidden away in a residential neighborhood. It has the potential to grow with some more investment and expansion, but even now it is a wonderful experience. I would love to know more about where the organ came from, as well as the immigration ledger..... the little information about the organ hinted at a family that was key to our little town I grew up in, and there appeared to be family members listed on the page of people coming overseas! Those two exhibits alone really made my day. It was fun to see all of the connections to my life and my history. A must-see for any Scandinavian who is in the area!

Franklin Furlong

Having just returned from singing in Song Festivals in Finland and Estonia, I visited the Nordic Museum to remember my lovely visit to Helsinki. The Nordic Museum, now the National Nordic Museum, has an expansiveness translated by the ongoing film on the second floor, and the open and dramatic grand staircase. It is a wonderful uplifting feeling being inside the museum. I visited the Studio 54 photography exhibit that features the work of Swedish photographer, Hasse Persson. The advance publicity for the show emphasizes his photos of what some might say the libertine, privileged, and trendy scene at Studio 54. However, it is his photos if poor blacks in the Southern US, photos of Cassius Clay, and political campaign photos from the Nixon Era that stay with you longer after the visit. The Studio 54 life was ephemeral and worthy of a little, but not much attention in the long term. However, the plight of minorities and political culture in the US remains today still worthy of our attention.

EKta Purswani

It's a great place to know and understand the history of Nordic/Scandinavian people. It also tells us about the evolution of politics, culture, art, and traditions from the past to the present.

Heather B

Such an interesting museum. Relevant to the history of the area. Would definitely recommend a trip here.

Ben Conner

This is a beautiful museum with a well thought out layout. The exhibit presentations are amazing and rival larger museums. There is a lot to do and see at the museum. The museum is also in a great location with lots to do around it. I would recommend a day trip to the museum and visit the Locks.

Mark Tellius

The Nordic Museum (previously Nordic Heritage Museum) is a museum dedicated to the heritage of Seattle's Nordic immigrants, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish Americans. It was founded in 1980 and is in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The museum serves as a community gathering place and shares Nordic culture by exhibiting art and objects, preserving collections,and providing educational and cultural experiences.

Damon Holzer

The spaces are beautiful and the galleries are informative. If you have any interest in Nordic history and its huge influence on Seattle's culture, you should plan a few hours here. The cafe is worth a stop too. The entire place is a celebration of Nordic design, and the building is as much of an attraction as the interpretive displays.

Sam Guse

Beautiful space. The interpretative displays were well done and interesting. I particularly enjoyed the Viking boats, the video of scenes of the different countries, and the stained glass seabirds.

L.E. Waters

Really enjoyed the visit here! Lots of things to see, very informative, visually stunning, has a nice gift shop. The cafe was not open at the time so I can't comment on that.

Annastacia Lough

Nice staff and amazing history, there's always more to read! Definitely check out the gift shop.

Ryan Ebert

This museum is good for anyone interested in Nordic history and the influence of Nordic people on Pacific Northwest culture and living. Check Groupon for deals we were able to get tickets for seven dollars compared to the usual of $20.

stan yan

It's a very nice small history collection place with two floors and has a documentary videos of a current life in those countries a parking is on a back of the building and it was $2 per hour a tour took me about 3 hour this is Vikings little history museum next to the amazing break fast place called portage bay cafe so all I can say it was a nice and time we'll spend!

Sam Ling

The museum was small but had a comprehensive coverage of the Nordic culture, values, and the Nordic people's life after immigrated to to North America.

Karlo Garcia

I went to the Nordic Museum for their special exhibit 'The Vikings Begin'. It was $20 including all the exhibits ($15 of you're a student). The museum itself was pretty and the parking fee is reasonable. They also have a mini restaurant inside. All in all, it was nice to know more about the Nordic countries. Definitely check it out if you have time!

Maxim Flemdan

Extremely cheap to go inside, with art paintings, artifacts, and videos of the Nordic lifestyle. Overall a basic experience but can learn a few things here and there about some interesting facts

Victoria Hedlund

I really enjoyed this place. I wish the cafe was open but the interactions and exhibits were interesting. Spent about and hour and a half here. Giftshop was cool too, tons of nordic products ranging from fair to outrageous

Chris Sinner

Very cool museum currently offering an art exhibit on the first floor. Overall, the museum did not disappoint and plan to go back with my parents the next time they visit. The second floor offers a great insight into the contributions Scandinavian culture has made towards US culture.

Hamish Wallace

Small but pleasent museum. Friendly staff and good parking

Cynthia Nelson

Loved it. Everything I wanted about Northwest Scandinavian history. Cafe is an extra plus. We attended the special exhibit of paintings by Ring a Danish painter. Extra cost for this. Building's architecture has bridges transitioning from the old country on one side to America on the other. I'm sorry I missed gift shop.

Tom Ward

Beautiful new museum cebrating Nordic culture and traditions. If you only have a few minutes, pop in and take part in the Swedish tradition of Fika (coffee and a delicious pastry) at their wonderful cafe. Try some pickled herring, Swedish meatballs or Ulis sausage. It's always a delightful treat if you're in Ballard.

Ivonne Granda

Interesting collection about the history of the Nordic countries and how their culture influenced our continent, both in antiquity and in the present. And the building is beautiful.

John Yost

I enjoyed this Museum. It shows development of National Governments and Global Government bodies. History of the first UN meeting and development of Nations. And it shows a clip about Nordic Beautiful lands. (I want to live in Sweden, Finland and that part of the world). I hope you will enjoy the Nordic Museum as I did. NOTE: 396 WAS MY CLAIM TICKET FOR MY BACKPACK. I WAS NOT HAPPY TO LEAVE IT IN CUSTODY. SO BE ADVISED THEY DON'T ALLOW BACKPACKS.

Chad P

Intriguing museum which truly shows the Scandinavian cultures' various crafts and accomplishments. I recognized artifacts and their similarities to others I've witnessed in Norway and Iceland on a past holiday.

RON TANZI

The new structure of the Nordic Museum is Seattle's best new museum celebrating the Scandinavian heritage of so much of Seattle's history. A beautiful space designed as a stylized fjord with exciting, interesting exhibits.

Tope Eletu

Where do I start? I learnt so much from this place about Nordic culture. It's pretty amazing! Students get a discount.Check out those viking boats and learn about the immigrants who settled in Seattle.

Avalon Woods

I was expecting a tiny, dusty and only mildly interesting museum. Wow was that far from the truth for the Nordic Museum. The exhibits were fresh, accessible and had a lot of really fascinating information. I only recently found out more about some missing but very recent Scandinavian roots so for me it was particularly cool. The only info I would have liked to have seen was something on the Saami. Time for a new exhibit :) PS: Unlike other places in Ballard, the Nordic Museum has a large parking lot.

Ro Rose

Such an expressive and passionate array of images. Creative and unique museum with videos aligning the walls to depict Nordic culture from the beginning to now. Must see

Scott Kerrison

Having recently moved to Scandinavia, I was excited to see what a Nordic museum had to offer in Seattle and why indeed Seattle had such a specialised museum. And now I know. The museum is a bit out of the way from the city centre, but easily accessible by bus. The weather on the day if my visit was conveniently typical for Bergen, so very appropriate. The location does feel a bit out of place. Perhaps not a lot of government support, and has just ended up where it is because that's where people happened to find some space. The outdoor area that I first walked past isn't very large, and mainly displays a replica Viking ship. But not too much really to see there. The exhibition space on the ground level was displaying a photographic exhibition at the time of my visit, but didn't really spark my enthusiasm too much. So in hindsight I could have saved the cost of that extra entrance fee. Moving on is a short video on the people of the Nordics and a small collection of stereotypical items from each of the Nordic countries on display. But the real star to understand Seattle's connection with the Nordics is on the upper level. The 'forest' one first walks through is underwhelming and one of the screens wasn't working. But passing through is an extensive amount of information on the history, and further back on the other side as well with multiple pieces on display. Finalising my visit was a trio to the on-site cafe selling, naturally enough, Nordic inspired food. It was a bit messy trying to eat a curved sausage in a straight bun, but tasty nonetheless.

Marjorie Diddams

This is a beautiful, modern museum that orients visitors to Nordic cultures and includes exhibits on immigrants to the Pacific Northwest. It has interactive touchscreens, several videos (with seating), lots of art and artifacts to look at, an outdoor exhibit space featuring a longship, and a cafe where you can eat Nordic inspired foods. I would plan 1.5-2 hours to go through the museum, plus an extra 30 minutes for the special exhibit, and some time for a snack at the cafe.

Dara Grey

Excellent detailed exhibits. Freya Cafe's selections: fabulous! Gift shop items: too tempting.

Rashree Patram

We went to the Yule Fest. It’s a small, but beautiful museum. Great for the Norwegian culture here in Ballard.

Andrew Lingbloom

Beautiful new building, friendly staff, well-lit cafe (though relatively few vegetarian options), compelling exhibits. The space really suits the exhibits. The size, and the price, is just right (logom). The rotating exhibits bring something exciting to anticipate! 🇩🇰🇫🇮🇫🇴🇮🇸🇳🇴🇸🇪🇦🇽

Eugene Lin

I’m not a big Museum fan but this one wasn’t bad. The building is super modern and clean, like Ikea built a museum. There was a good mix of multimedia like videos, photos, artifacts, paintings, and paragraphs of text that made learning all this stuff more interesting. I didn’t even realize Denmark was part of the Nordic countries! I wish it had a snack bar. And saunas I could go into.

Sunny Choi

It is a beautiful setting with interesting exhibits including paintings and Nordic heritage history. The building is truly beautiful and well designed. We went there as family with little kids and there is a small outdoor space for kids to run around, but overall this museum isn’t really for family. All the bathroom has automatic setting that small kids can’t operate on their own (too high to turn the water, etc) and didn’t see any exhibits or space for kids.

Kelly Thynes

Loved all the exhibits! Really like how as you exit the exhibit from the second floor it takes you directly to the museum shop.

Jon Veis

Displays and narratives are very well set up. Great Uppsala items presently. The cafe is also worth the visit.

Sue Frause

One of my favorite museums in Seattle. Such a gift to those of Nordic heritage here in the Package fic NE.

Luke Shy

Beautiful new modern building and a great museum of Nordic history and local heritage. A must visit for locals and visitors to Ballard and Seattle.

Madeleine Brekke (Brekkemo)

This my first visit to the newest location of the museum. The new building is absolutely beautiful and the displays are well thought-out. Each room is big and has a lot of space whereas the old build felt more crammed. We were missing some of the walkthrough city and immigration process. Viking exhibit was great! Worth the extra 5$. One thing they should definitely add is a northern lights exhibit and more scandinavian scientists like Kristian Birkeland.

heather eide

Nice new museum. Some nice artifacts from 6-9 BC up through the 20th century. A little obvious with their insertation of Leftist politics in sections which I didn't appreciate, but the museum itself was nice.

Katherine Wijenaike-Bogle

Amazing exhibits for both Nordic history and the immigrant experience. The cafe is a must try.

Dorothy NEUFELD

Went to their yulefest. Very popular, lots of folks. Good gift shopping and great food and drink.

Simone Hanson

Very nice museum! Loved going there and two hours was enough to see everything there.

Stacey Eliason

Allow enough time because after paying for parking and tickets you'll want to stay all day. Dont forget the outside area (like we did).

John Boland

Really cool history of the Seattle area and Nordic history. Definitely give yourself 2 hours plus if you want to read everything

Jadranka Keener

First time visit, and it happened to be during their Jubilation Holiday event. Beautifully done interior and exterior, with tons of information about the Nordic culture as well as its immigrants to PNW. Will come back again!

ann busker

Fascinating history of Nordic culture. My girls and I loved on our Seattle trip.

Laszlo Vass

A very well designed and comprehensive museum focused on the contributions of Nordic peoples in the Pacific Northwest. Learned quite a bit here and I've been to several of these countries. Worth a couple of hours if you are interested in local history.

Lisa Barnhart

This was a nice way to spend 2-3 hours!

Tony Joy

As anyone with Nordic ancestry might tell you, half the fun is in the journey and indeed this beautiful-looking, fascinating place is a little out of the way when visiting Seattle but worth exploring. Not only did the museum leave us refreshingly informed and richer for having absorbed the wonder of Nordic design but the excursion itself led us to as well discover some of the wonderful shops, pubs, and oyster eateries in Ballard. It was a terrific half-day trip from downtown Seattle.

杨宇辰

A restaurant inside a small plaze. It is not easy to spot. This is popular among students who live nearby. The dumplings there are good. They have also other good food such as sticky rice. The sticky rice there is sooooo good. I like that style. The pot stickers are also very good.

Craig Hoots

A really interesting museum to visit with all kinds of exhibits on the Nordic countries from ancient history to modern day!

B E S

Not a super impressive collection compared with other Nordic museums I've visited. A lot of information printed everywhere on the walls. The freestanding electronic info kiosks weren't working the day we were there and we weren't told this at the desk when buying our tickets, and we were definitely charged full price. That seems a bit unprofessional plus there was a lot of info we couldn't access.

Blaine Rollins

Great way to learn about the history and culture of the Nordics and how they made their way to the PacNW. Would highly recommend for any Scandinavian or aspiring viking.

wenya luo

This museum is not big, but the collection here is very meaningful. This is a museum about the main body of the Nordic countries.

Mary Timmol

Great place. First time there and it easy to get around and see things

Jennifer Wujcik

Very nice museum devoted to the Nordic countries and the Nordic community in WA state. Interesting traveling exhibits as well as permanent exhibits. Museum shop and cafe on site. Paid onsite parking as well - easily explored in 2 hours.

Anna Strygina-Kay

Great place to visit and learn about Nordic culture

A K

An interesting little place with a lot of propaganda This is a smaller museum but has some cool art exhibits

jason merchen

Very informative and excellent exhibit of Scandinavian cultural influences. Must be why Ballard is so cool, lots of Vikings!

Sue Frause

What a wonderful addition to Seattle's cultural offerings. World-class museum celebrating Scandinavia in the heart of Ballard.

Melissa Thiel

Super clean museum. Small as far museums go. Diverse collection within the topic. Seemed a little pricey for the display presented.

YEN SHI

Great place to learn about Nordic culture and lifestyle. Beautiful building !

Megan Breedlove-Speece

Wonderful exhibits and education. We had a wonderful afternoon wandering through all the rooms.

Håkon Kinck Borén

Surprisingly interesting and fun to visit for a Norwegian, especially to see how well-balanced the exhibition is about how Nordic people are portrayed and how their lives became in the new world.

Matthew Johnson

Absolutely beautiful museum. Great explanation of Nordic American culture and history.

Patrick Graham

Brand new museum celebrating the traditions of Nordic culture from early Seattle. Excellently displayed. No rushing to get thru. Pay for parking $2/hr.

Thais Melo

Such a fun museum, really interesting artifacts, beautiful space, really lovely staff. The cafe is pretty tasty too. Gorgeous event space.

Arian Martínez

A hidden gem in Seattle, a very beautiful museum with good permanent and temporary exhibitions, not usually crowded compared to other museums in the city, so you can see the exhibitions in detail and tranquility.

Spencer Nilsson

The artifacts on display were really neat... It's just that there wasn't much of them I suppose. I'm not sure if this museum presents a very good value proposition in comparison with other Seattle museums. I think it'd be fair around the $15 mark for admission.

Brad Cash

I've walked by so many times and finally went in on a date and it was absolutely fantastic. The traveling expedition was phenomenal and the permanent exhibition upstairs was really superb. I learned a great deal about the Nordic countries influence on the world.

R Mac

Very well done museum. Has Nordic history from early times to today. Explains how the Vikings fit into their history and why. It also has Nordic migration to the US, where they settled and the lives they lived. Very well done.

Russell Little (Yarrlowbeard)

Amazing history brought to light. Far more art than I would have imagined. They need to update some things (e.g. Max von Sydow is shown as still alive, and some of the electronics are on the fritz) but all-in-all a great experience!!!

Alena Zorin

One of my favorite places in Seattle, though, I am for sure biased by my origin. And it is hard to see this place just as a museum, it is more like a journey home, or a to-go-spot when you feel homesick or you lack harmony. The space is fantastic. But, please, add some language lessons! Finnish and Swedish would be awesome add-ons! And may be rethink the cardamom knot recipe 🙃❤️

Marie Kuranishi

A very thorough, pleasant walk through history with, currently, an exhibition of Edvard Munch photography (we didn't know he photographed as well as painted). Nice parking lot, reasonable rates, beautiful space, lots of light. The signage directing our self-guided tour could have been clearer at times, but we managed to make it through. The outdoor section seems like an afterthought. I wish they did more with it. It could be a really nice space with some more work. Definitely worth a visit!

Jesica Michels

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon! So much history

R. Joy Rush

This museum showcases the history, culture, and art of the Nordic cultures, tying it all together with the immigration to the Pacific Northwest. Though it is not a child friendly museum, it is very well kept, informative, and educational. I would plan about 2 1/2 hours to read everything and enjoy all of the exhibits.

Erik Hammarlund

I like this museum a lot, both the permanent collection and the rotating exhibits. I like the breadth of topics, from international to domestic to Seattle-specific (although I wish there were more of a local emphasis), and the experiential focus of many rooms. The building is beautifully designed. The cafe and gift shop are pretty conventional but they're worth checking out. Make sure to stop by the locks and the botanical garden while you're within walking distance.

Chase Harrison

Nice place not terribly large, wouldn't say it's worth the 20$ entry

Kuni Alki

Fun time today at Julefest! Enjoyed Nordic art booths, food, and music. Plus a beautiful day outside. Would be nice to extend the festivities beyond one weekend.

Kori Speece

The museum was pretty great. The Viking exhibit was amazing.

Jayne

Very thoughtfully put together exhibits. Beautiful building. Really worth a trip if you enjoy history and learning about the roots of the Scandinavian population of Ballard and the Seattle area.

Kristine Nicholls

Lovely! Our kids enjoyed the activity book and interactive displays.

shawn mcgarr

Great building with some amazing history. Love that Nordic lifestyle.

youngerrice Rice

Beautiful building, would like more artifacts but the stories in the videos were fascinating.

Cadence Baugh

My husband and I love this museum so much. It is a serene experience learning about fascinating cultures. I’m not sure if this is the correct terminology, but it felt very “hygge” from the moment you walk in!

Ashley Slater

This is a cool little hidden gem in Ballard. There is a lot to read within the museum but more interestingly there are so many unique things to see! There are a couple things outside, so be sure to check those out as well! You can get through this museum relatively quickly.

Amelia Shekitka

Fascinating exhibit of Nordic cultures (February 19 through July 2022). Well worth visiting, viewing the various videos, and reading the old news articles also on exhibit, in addition to all the memorabilia.

Darma

As third generation Swedes and Norse descent, we made a point to visit the National Nordic Museum while near Seattle. It’s housed in a modern building and with Scandinavian crisp design. Exhibits were well curated. It took just an hour to tour the museums — we wished there had been more on display. Hoped to bring back a gift from Norway to family member from gift shop but no luck! Hope this museum grows over time. If you have the opportunity, it’s worth a visit.

Kati Koszegvari

This is a terrific museum! Fabulous in every way. For the person who commented on the strange location, he should know that its in Ballard, the historic center of the original Scandinavian community in the area. So much so that there is a real live Syttende Mai parade down the main street with original folk costumes and all.

Jo Ellen Burkholder

Beautiful space with informative displays and poignant storytelling. Highly recommended. Lovely cafe attached, worth a stop even with a visit to the museum.

Margie Bodas

Excellent job of presenting history of Nordic immigrants and Seattle in both an informative and entertaining manner. Our whole group enjoyed it.

Kelsey Doncaster

Awesome museum!!!! Exhibit of Finnish paintings until October - wow!

Yuan in Texas

Very informative! well organized museum

Andrea Dobbs

Loved it! I’m part Norwegian and Swedish so this place was fun for me to see what my ancestors were up too. I really enjoyed looking around and thought they did a great job during Covid! Well done. We will be back with our children to show them around too. Although I’d have to say, this museum is probably better suited for adults than children.

Annelie Arthursson

Definitely more content than I expected. It is a beautiful museum - my favorite section is the "sense of place" exhibit - which really brings you to Scandinavia. The first floor seems to go by pretty fast, but there is so much on the second floor! You could spend hours reading what is there. There are some kid-friendly activities, but I wouldn't expect to take on the entire museum with young kids - just because, again, you could read for hours there. You definitely learn a lot and get to connect with that history - seeing every exhibit at least partially through an object. It brings things to life!

Philip Gissen

In a modern, streamlined building, designed to represent an aquatic vessel, the National Nordic Museum represents the Scandinavian tradition of Seattle. The atavistic Nordic relationship with the sea is handled well, at this tribute to the men and women who settled Seattle, and in particular Ballard. Ideals such as independent spirit, hard work, equality for all, and an open mind are stressed as a Nordic way. The displays are well done, and the museum is easy to navigate. Personally, I felt the museum was lacking exhibits on Scandinavian design and architecture, two aspects of the Nordic countries the world tries to emulate. In addition, the "Scandinavian Noir," prevalent in literature, film, music and all the arts, was mostly absent. While sometimes looked at in a negative way, the "Scandinavian Noir" has motivated greatness and creativity. It is integral to any Nordic conceptual view. Whatever my criticism may be, the National Nordic Museum is a wonderful addition to Seattle, and it honors the people who helped make Seattle a uniquely wonderful place to live and visit.

Robert Howard

Gave blood there recently. Very nice concert hall where the blood drive took place. I also liked the clean restrooms & the spic & span hallway floors.

Amy Spens

Great museum with rotatin exhibits of art borrowed from the National Museums in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, etc, and permanent collections that tell the history of Nordic immigrants to Seattle.

Chung T

We wish the cafe was open. More interactive things would be great

Chandra Wu

The new space is light and airy. Beautiful historic crafts and modern exhibitions - the Finnish paintings currently on exhibit are perfect for a fall visit and reminiscent of the PNW climate too.

Jason m

Had a lovely time visiting with my brother! Really well designed displays that were easy to understand and contained compelling artefacts. Staff was super friendly and helpful. The food and coffee at the cafe were excellent!

Tim Sneath

Fantastic center: fully updated with modern, interesting exhibits that tell the story of the Nordic peoples on their own shores and as immigrants. Plenty here to occupy someone for 2-3 hours.

Susan Pare

Awesome place to learn more about my Great grand parents and their countries. Finland and Sweeden. Very friendly people from museum, to cafe, and gift shop. We had a wonderful experience.

Mihaela Froehlich

Fantastic new site for the Nordic Museum. Building is magnificent: airy, open and reminiscent of open spaces of Nordic countries. The wealth of exhibits and arrangement is extremely well done. Children enjoyed scavenger hunt. The special exhibit on early viking times was impressive.

Annette Olson

What a wonderful cultural experience!!! I loved my time at the National Nordic Museum. The cafe is excellent and the bookstore/gift shop is terrific. Oh, and I happened to catch the Uppsala University Viking Exhibition on my birthday visit. The Viking Exhibition was well done and very educational. Signed, A proud individual of Norwegian ancestry.

lisa kane

I was very impressed by the Nordic Museum. From the convenient parking, (no easy task in Ballard), to the surprisingly good cafe and everything else in between. They have done a beautiful job on setting up the exhibits simply so it's engaging and interesting. And the the Viking exhibit alone was worth the drive over from Yakima.

Thabata Regiani

This museum is definitely worth a visit! Located in northern Seattle, it is a beautiful combination of architecture and history. The building itself is a work of art, and the exhibits shed a light on Nordic history and the history of the Nordic people in America. They also have a temporary exhibit space (that happened to be housing a viking exhibit at the time of my visit) and a cafe that serves snacks and coffee beverages. The cold brew was fantastic after roaming the museum.

lindsey beadle

This was a great place to visit with my dad for his birthday. We are partly Norwegian and we had recently dug up some of our family history, which made the experience more meaningful and also helped us flesh out our family's story and timeline. I would recommend it. Even if you're not Norwegian. My school age kids enjoyed it too. We spent just over an hour there, which was not quite enough. Come see.

Julia M.

Great place to learn about viking culture and history! Definitely a must-see while in Seattle!

Daniel Knutson-Bradac

Beautiful Scandinavian art. Great travelling exhibits. Wonderful museum.

Aaron White

Nice museum that is very specific. It's important to remember that it is a heritage museum and not a history museum, which isn't all that bad. I would have liked more history about each of the Scandinavian countries which I feel gives more of a background to their culture. The museum itself is amazing and really nicely built. Fun features like the staircases and the skybridges make it really unique.

Deanna Marinello

Very cool spot!!!! Incredibly knowledgeable and educational. Will be back!

Danielle M

Lovely place. Self guided tour. Limited capacity, advanced tickets required at time of posting. Took us just shy of two hours to wander through the exhibits. Not much for younger children.

Amy Kinnunen

Never went to the old Nordic museum but this remodeled version was beautiful and well laid out. My 10 year old son was very impressed by the kids passport program and it keep him interested in the museum so my husband and I could enjoy it fully. Go at least one time just to see it, it is worth one look.

Shane Y

Really enjoyed my visit. The place isn't huge by any means, but there is a lot packed into the space and a TON of information to go along with it. There's a little cafe inside which I didn't stop at, but it went from being dead to packed in the time that I was in the museum so maybe I missed out a little! Tons of gorgeous art, pieces from older times, and intriguing info about everything inside. There's a little room with some trees and rock pillows/cushions with a little repeating movie of many of the sights across the different Nordic countries, which made me feel so at home! If you're in the area and interested in Nordic culture I would 100% recommend coming here and checking it out! It's a good place to at least start learning about it!

Ross Weatherly

What a beautiful museum. Starting with a wonderful lunch at the cafe, you’d have no idea what treats were in store for you. Whether it be lemon dill honey as a part of your cheese plate, or horseradish ketchup on your dog, the flavors are great! The museum’s architecture is stunning and a treat to walk through. And knowledge about Nordic heritage or how Nordic people came to America, you’ll see artifacts and details galore. Loved it!

Brian Downing

Spacious and well-designed, but a fairly quick visit. To make it worth the trip, buy the special exhibit, too.

Andrew Prentice

I have been twice, once for the Julefest holiday event. Beautiful museum with a lot of stories and pictures, but surprisingly not many physical artifacts. The quality of the building is beautiful, nice seeing money put into the museum. But make sure you are prepared to read, would not recommend for kids.

Heidi Bohan

The cafe' is great, and the exhibits of Nordic culture are well done, interesting, updated; and they have some good classes as well. The new building and Nordic-themed landscaping are wonderful. I always enjoy my time there.

Yullia Pierce

A lovely, modern, very Scandinavian space, filled with light. The ceilings are extra tall, the space white with bursts of color in the form of artwork including glass birds soaring from the ceilings above, photography, furniture, textiles, and more. One is inspired by the innovation, impressed by the quality and truly enjoys the novelty of thoughtfulness in design, both of the museum itself and the articles contained within its walls. The gift shop is open and bustling! Especially on the first Thursday of the month when admission is free to all. Normal admission applies to everyone over for the age of five years.

Leif Arnseth

Beautiful update to the Nordic museum! Very clean and easy to navigate. Staff are always very friendly and helpful

Jim Murphy

Good general knowledge exhibits. If you have already been reading about your Nordic (not just Scandinavian) heritage you might learn something new. Good place to bring visitors from out of town. Not like the old museum at all. No more mockups of granddad's barn. Nice, well laid out history with interesting artifacts.

Per Flygare

Lots of open space, there could had been more exhibitions at the same time. The current Viking exhibition was interesting. Anticipate to spend between three to four hours. The general admission was 20 dollars per adult, which is at the higher price tag. If less the Nordic Museum would receive five stars.

Elaine Bradtke

More than a museum, it's a cultural center with all sorts of educational and entertaining events. The handicrafts on exhibit are exquisite and the historic exhibits give a good look into the history of the people who first settled in Ballard. They've just broken ground on a new building a mile or two to the south, where they will have more and better space for everything they do.

M. Elisabeth Spong

A beautiful space with a bright and cleanly (but not ostentatiously) modern aesthetic. The "Viking" era collection is small but captivating in a darkly dramatic short walk-through chamber enhanced by evocative music. The limited collection could benefit from more detailed information and images depicting context and use from the age. Other exhibits are more mundane and abundant. Still, worth the trip and worth keeping apprised of coming events. Some of the staff are curt.

Janice Hope

This was a Christmas gift for my family. There was seven of us that were able to attend, ages 6 to 76 and we came from Everett to Rochester and out to the coast. It was a marvelous day even though it rained most of the day. The history was enlightening. I wish we lived closer so we could return often. My only down side was the parking spaces. There are not enough. And of course the traffic was terrible. Still glad we were a leader to see such amazing artifacts especially in the Viking exhibition. Highly recommend, especially if you are of Scandinavian descent.

Ann H

Spectacular new building, beautifully curated exhibits, great Ballard location. Highly recommend for everyone, and if you are of Scandinavian heritage you MUST SEE this museum! Check out the lovely gift shop too!

Leiðulfr Link

Great place with adequate and reasonably priced parking ($2/hr). Veterans get a buy-one-get-one-free admission ticket discount, which isn't listed online for some reason. I wanted to see more historical artifacts on exhibit, but this time that room was showing a photographer's work. Still worth the time and money.

Jessi Thompson

Beautiful space and well made exhibits. I enjoyed that there was history about each of the countries in the Nordic region, as well as tying in local Seattle/PNW/American history. Engaging for adults with some areas to participate, and it seemed like there were activities for kids.

Zach Olsby

Really cool history and facts. Items have great stories behind them. Can easily spend a few hours here. The viking exhibit, although small, is very fascinating and worth the extra 5 dollars. Definitely worth going to on a day without much to do.

Paul Jacobson

A wonderful place to learn about and connect with the Nordic history and culture...the only museum in north America featuring all the nordic countries. Gift shop and cafe add to the experience. Waiting for the next Viking themed event.

Elizabeth Holmes

Really enjoyed the Viking exhibition but hoped there were more artifacts, its a lot of reading, which is great too! Just not what I expected. Happy to have had the chance to learn about Nordic culture. Please note if you're coming for this "special" exhibition on the free Thursday, it is still a $5 fee.

Sonja Moore

The Nordic Museum was fabulous. The museum has an exhibit that tells the story of Scandinavians emigrating to America that reaches present day, and another exhibit that focuses on Pacific Northwest Scandinavian heritage. This museum is a hole in the wall place that I would totally recommend if you’re in the area looking for interesting things to do/see!!

Cecilio Orta

I like the exhibits as they were quite informative. I had never heard of the Sámi people or the autonomous Åland Islands prior to my visit. I also like the fact that there is available parking behind the building.

Andrea Becker

This is great small museum! I'm glad they moved closer to the heart of Ballard and the locks. Plus they now have a cafe/ bar. I went for an event so haven't seen the new galleries yet. I'm looking forward to coming back on a rainy winter day.

Daniel Bartleson

There aren't too many old (pre-1800) artifacts to view, and some are recreations. The info cards of the artifacts aren't very informative either. There is a wall describing the history of the Nordic region, from the neolithic to the modern age, but the information here is limited. Anyone with a basic understanding of the region shouldn't expect to learn much from it. The whole museum is a really broad overview, without much depth. The best experience was the "Freya" cafe, which serves Nordic food. I had a cheese sampler with pickled vegetables and pickled herring. It was very filling and incredibly flavorful. Overall, it's a good place to bring kids to learn about their ancestry, but if you're looking for a bit more depth I'm afraid you will have to visit Scandinavia and bear the taxes.

Denise Zbozny

What a great place! We really appreciated the various exhibits and the historical information provided. Took a break in the cafe and enjoyed some drinks and the cheese plate. The gift shop had some interesting items for sale. Thanks!

A W

Super amount of information. Fun for a cool afternoon of historic pacific northwest stuff. The Cafe was just coffee and three pastries. The gift shop is great with local and international stuff.

Nancy Schuldt

Beautifully done museum, but Jul Fest was so very crowded that we only stayed a short time and did not really take in the exhibits. Jul Fest also needed wider variety of crafts for sale. Ablesivers were delicious and serving well managed. Entry line also well managed.

SJ Cook

Very well designed, peaceful space that informs and inspires simultaneously.

Joshua Osiris

They had a lot of super cool artifacts, but the actual architecture of the building it was in was very modern and didn't blend well with the exhibit. It was also extremely quiet which was kind of cool at first, but made the expirence seem kind of dull near the end. I still think it deserves a 4/5 because of the quality and quantity of information, but I would of presented it differently.

john burke

Well worth an afternoon. Beautiful art exhibits. Wonderful artifacts of Scandinavian influence in the northwest.

Graham Johnson

This is a fantastic museum with an incredible collection. It's easy to get lost in all the rich Nordic heritage of Seattle and this museum does a fantastic job showcasing it. My 6 & 8-year-old kids enjoyed it too, especially when we got to the top floor and saw the Lego displays. It's a special place and the people who volunteer here are very special too.

Henery A

Nice upgrade at the Nordic Museum. I love the new building but miss all of the artifacts. The structures steals the show and there is LESS to see but I do think it is a net positive. The simplified focus on the positive thinking and progressive culture that Scandinavians have and bring to Seattle is refreshing. Very informative and fun. I hope the shame that the Pacific Fisherman Shipyards brought with their immature behavior at the opening party will eventually fade. Ballard is for all.

B M

The old one was less spacious but seemed to have more content. the new building seems more suited to offices than the study of Nordic heritage. The auditorium though that's very nice. It seems to have very good acoustics.

Patrick Joos

Clean, comfortable and very Scandinavian. Wish there was a little more dedicated to folklore and they seem to have forgotten to include Scandinavian American Contributions to US culture but the gift shop is nice.

Carl Sgambelluri (Spamlover Spambelluri)

Very informative experience. We are truly a nation of immigrants and indigenous people.

Zacaffeine

Expensive entrance fee and very disappointing cafe that promises Swedish pancakes but doesn’t actually have Nordic cuisine. The art exhibit was closed as well. Small amount of things to see. Interesting artifacts though and the exhibits we did see we’re enjoyable. Parking is not free but street parking can be found free.

Croweykid M

It's pretty spiffy. A little on the small side, but still plenty to look at for an hour. There are many excellent relics and seeing the traditional ship construction explained was rivetting. The craftsmanship of the boats is a feast for the eyes.

Ellen Kaandorp

Went to the 41st Jule Fest w/ some friends. Have been to the old location couple of times as I lived in the neighborhood back then. And what a difference!! Sure, there was this price tag of $20 million (I heard), but, walking thru the new museum I was in awe. Much more interactive displays. Artifacts displayed in between, in every room, event spaces, seating everywhere; I was impressed.

Kim Brooks

What a gorgeous building and event space! Love the café, gift shop and amazing new venue. Went here for an event and was very impressed. But TBH, the exhibits were somewhat lackluster. The same smaller life-in-Seattle as the older museum, and not much in the way of a large centerpiece attraction. The new "Vikings Begin" exhibit was small pieces and large placards without a big 'wow' moment. Hoping that the collection will grow into the space eventually.

Jamie King

Gorgeous new space/location for the Nordic museum in Ballard. Has a very contemporary Scandinavian feel and an awesome collection of everything from Viking brooches to more modern pieces and Seattle maritime history. Great cafe and gift shop as well. Visit here and keep Old Ballard alive!

Evan Maxim

The new facility is very cool. A very Scandinavian design amid a good mix of different kinds of displays (eg video, art, artifacts, etc.) Not ideal for young kids (younger than 10 or so). No play area. Restaurant and gift shop.

Judy Byles

I was very disappointed with the museum and it's layout. As others have stated it lacks depth. The old museum was overflowing with donations of many items from the past - donations from many local Scandinavians. Where did they go. It felt like a sanitized version of nordic culture. And all the platitudes about Nordic culture without corresponding proof. The architecture is not Nordic but warehouse. Need to bring back some museum directors from the past!

Matthew Gilkey

An enjoyable museum. There are rotating special exhibits, a section on Nordic history, and a section on Nordic immigrants in America and the Pacific Northwest. The on site cafe is pretty good. They also offer a lot of other events and services like concerts, movies, guest speakers, and wood carving classes.

Jeff Whang

Gorgeous museum. Nordic culture is more than IKEA and Vikings (although these exhibits are cool in their own right). Def worth a visit.

Leo Lam, Ph.D.

Definitely a pride for Seattle. This is, indeed, the NATIONAL Nordic Museum, representing the Nordic countries in the United States. The Ballard neighborhood is an early settlement point for the Nordic immigrants, and holds a special place in the Nordic immigrants' history in the States. My wife is Danish, and we do come here often. The building is stunning, people kind, and the occasional food festivals completely unmissable. Highly recommended.

Mark O'Deady

I attended a Western Washington University Alumni Event at the Nordic Museum this evening which included a guided tour from one of their docents. I've been wanting to check it the new museum for some time now and I'm still not sure what took me so long. This world class facility is one of the best museum experiences I've had in years. If you've been waiting for some reason, DON'T!

Craig Simpson

New building from the old school it use to housed in. It is big, open easy to move around in. Lots of interactive stations to help bring the exhibits alive. If you are interested in cultural museums, this is a must go to when you are in Seattle.

Austin S. Lin

Hidden treasure just outside Seattle proper. Core exhibits across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland curated and assembled by local heritage volunteers alongside museum staff. Rotating exhibits on the other two floors of this former school give cultural history of the Scandinavian region as well as the role of immigrants from those regions in Seattle's early history. And if you need one more reason to visit, there's a Lego recreation of the mythological Viking castle, Valhalla.

Saumya kmath

Must visit Museum!!! Enjoyed the Nordic culture and history. Vedio on on storytelling of Nordic places such as Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway. Bamse exhibit was cute and lovely. Baggage/Food/water bottle not allowed. Strollers are allowed that made my hand easy. I will definitely visit it once again.

Jill Johnson

What a gem! Lots of information on the history of the Scandinavian countries, with wonderful videos of Scandinavian scenery, interesting facts & artifacts on the Scandinavian immigrant experience, including famous Scandinavians in Seattle, great display of Scandinavian design & a delicious and reasonably priced cafe. Parking is also reasonable, and is in the back of the building.

Ric Mayer

This is a marvelous introduction to 12,000 years of the cultures and peoples of the Nordic countries. The impressive building houses a pleasant cafe and (of course) a gift shop, both of which can be reached without paying the admission fee of $15 ($12 for seniors and $10 for students). The exhibits are heavy on memorabilia. Examples of clothes and tools, for example. Several well-done videos capture the similarities across the Nordic nations. Unfortunately, one not already steeped in one of these cultures comes away with an unclear picture of the ways in which each country is different from the others. Nonetheless, the experience is well worth the time.

Danita Day

First visit, went to see paper cutting exhibit. Wonderful museum! Wilk definitely be back. Nice gift shop and cafe. Follows covid protocols.

Annalise Meyers

We visited the museum on a rainy day while in Seattle. It is a beautifully curated museum, detailing Nordic culture from ancient times to modern times, specific to the Seattle area. If you are at all interested in Nordic culture, this is a great way to spend half a day!

J Med

Very nice gem of Scandinavian architecture in Ballard! Really interesting content which provides a good overview of the Scandinavian countries and their influence in Seattle and the world. Having lived in Denmark for a few years, this place takes us back in time to great memories of living in Copenhagen and appreciating the Danish and Scandinavian culture in general. As a bonus, the food in the cafe is phenomenal and have not had such a good Danish open face sandwich anywhere outside of Denmark. Their hotdogs are also killer!

Tiahnan Trent

I love the interactive diorama set up that this museum has, I thought it was so much more engaging and all ages inclusive than most museums. I love other museums, but this one was just surprisingly fun, and it's gift shop had a while bunch of actually cool practical items to buy that would be good trinkets as well as functional items.

T S

Well-designed and informative museum. However, the old Viking longboat was not open to the public, which is one of the primary attractions. Also, the price tag is a little high for what you get, so make sure you really want to contribute to the continued prosperity of Nordic culture. I'd say it's worth the $15, but I am profoundly fascinated by the descendants of the culture that raided, ruled over, and integrated with my Scottish ancestors prior to the emergence of the UK.

Renee Taylor

Very cool museum in Ballard. The staff was very helpful when we visited and our self directed tour was very fun. The exhibits highlight each of the countries and cultures. We especially loved the large boats on display

Mike Monteleone

Good small museum hidden in the Ballard neighborhood. Some kid-friendly activities on some Thursdays, nice little playground, and interesting Scandinavian exhibits. Has always been uncrowded during the week.

Harold Rodenberger

Good Nordic exhibits in the museum rooms with excellent, modern meeting rooms for rent to the public. Rental rooms range from large to more intimate classroom sizes. Food from the in-house cafe can be catered into the rental rooms if desired. Nordic ambience throughout.

E Ostasiewski

Beautiful architectural upgrades and better location. I enjoy the events that they have been putting on there.

Ryan Meyers

Well laid out museum, starting at early Nordic culture, all the way up to modern day, plus Nordic settlement in the US. Lots to read if you choose, but you don't feel like you're missing out of you skip a few areas. Really good gift shop and amazing restaurant.

Derek Bergey

Excellent museum to spend 2-3hrs reading and exploring. A beautiful building with Cafe inside offering wine, beer and light dishes. Location is great and close to many restaurants in Ballard.

Mike and France Bertram

Really detailed look at the experiences of Norwegian immigrants and their impact on the region.

Marianne Chandler

It is very interesting and I like it a lot. I have no personal link to Nordic heritage, but it was nice to learn. The museum is kind of small, and limited, but they have much room to grow which I hope they do.

RickSeattle

Small-scale museum with interesting mix of recurring and rotating exhibits. Good for 1-2 hours. Very professionally done. Recommend listening and watching revolving videos within sections.

Dawn Miller

Great place to check out your heritage

Wynton Roussel

A historic Nordic experience

Vicki Svensson

I've been to museums in Norway so in comparison this was okay but would recommend for those wanting to learn about the Scandinavian cultures. There is an area for purchasing upper scale souvenirs and a food area which I didn't visit that day. At the check in area they said they would have to keep my purse which was average size and I was astonished to see many women with much larger purses in the museum so they need to get their staff trained to adhere to policies and my phone was in my purse so I couldn't take any pictures. Picture opportunities for old sea boats by nextdoor marina area. Visit Scandinavian Specialties store when in this area for great lunch and food and cooking items to make yourself at home.

Jacob Wong

Lots of fun Nordic history packed into one museum, giving plenty of details on each of the countries that make up the Nordic region. There were a few volunteers hanging around that gave mini tours when we had questions.

Chris Overdorf, ASLA PLA

While I knew I would enjoy it, I was surprised at how much the museum and exhibits engaged my daughters. Fantastic place that that really captures the story of the Nordic immigrants whom built Seattle and continue to influence the mindset of the region.

rita & Jim Schwarting

A work in progress. Lovely facility. Parking is made for compact cars. Few cowboy caddillac slots. Wonderful staff. Has rooms for conferences. Small kitchen that puts out enjoyable Scandinavian meals. Try the Aquavit flight.

rod mason

This place tells a great story in a beautiful space. It has clean 7 foot high by 5 foot wide plate glass windows which are hazardous because they appear more like passageways than windows. Correct that issue and this place gets an easy 5 stars.

Nathan

A fantastic place to learn about Nordic history and immigration into the US. While there's only a few exhibits, they are all very dense with information, artifacts, and displays. And the building is so appropriate for it's subject matter.

Daniel S

Vast collection of artifacts, unique and interesting story telling with immersive, historically-inspired environments. Step onto (and off of) a transatlantic ship into street scales of early America, view heritage themed villages in Scandinavia, and more! The new venue will provide an updated look with its own unique story, but will lose some of the theatrical charm now on display. Go visit while you can!

Audrey Furtney

Cost was 20 dollars each for a museum that didn't have a whole lot of information. I liked the artifacts, but the Viking exhibit that we started with left a lot to be desired. Would have liked more original or descriptive information

Mia McCurdy

Love the exhibits and the old school house feel, I will miss it when they move next year! But I am excited for the new building. Highly recommend taking classes here. It is fun, educational, and multi-generational.

Katie Bassett

It's a nice modern museum but it lacks character. Feels sterile. I had a free pass.

Julie Sutherland

What is here in this new Nordic museum is well presented and worth seeing but it feels as though there must be more exhibits yet to come. There is a nice gift shop and a cafe, but missed it this time and hope to try it in the future.

Ancilla Sequeira

Love this museum for its beauty, collection, love and sacrifice of people.. If you ever get a chance don't miss to visit this incredible museum. The museum depicts the journey of 5nordic country people to USA. I was clueless about this incredible history until I made a visit here. Very well presented and helpful volunteers. Hard to find this place. But they said, they are goign to relocate it close to the Ballard market place. They also have a beautiful store, but it's bit expensive.

Ben Slivka

Most of the exhibits relate to the history of immigrants from Nordic Countries to Seattle. Some fascinating artifacts -- cultural, mechanical, and nautical. The only odd thing is the emphasis in the newer exhibits asserting a long tradition of left-wing progressive communist ideals among all Nordic cultures. Perhaps this is Seattle, and those ideals are in vogue. But I couldn't help but wonder how faithful that "cultural portrayal" is to the history of the Nordic cultures.

Christine Dong

This place makes those with Nordic blood in them proud to be Nordic, and for others we wish we had some Nordic blood in us ..... But realize all successful immigrants have SISU within themselves :)

Matthew Stoll

The cafe had a nice selection of Nordic dishes. Great exhibit on Vikings. Just don't make the same mistake going out the rear door (we got locked into the courtyard..)

Marcus Vorwaller

Visit it here while you can. They'll be moving from their cozy neighborhood setting to Market Ave in Ballard soon. It's a small but nice museum with regular events that draw pretty big crowds and are usually a lot of fun for families.

Benj Shasha

Just about the right length. Was able to soak in a lot of the history and culture before running out of steam. A nice mixture of video storytelling, placards and cool objects on display. That said, my favorite part was the cafe up front!

Lynn Snickets

My Nephew and I, originally went to this Museum, because it was needed for a class in his school. We stayed way longer than intended, because it is a very interesting place. We will be back this summer, to take our time and go through much slower. Thank you for being better than the norm.

Aaron Tucker

I went for a talk. So I didn't get to see the museum, or at least not much of it. The room where the talk was at was gorgeous. The staff were friendly and helpful. Before going for the talk I didn't have any plans on going. But now I would like to go see the full museum.

Kurt Mueller

Excellent museum - very beautiful and peaceful space that conveys not only the history of Nordic people and their relationship to the US, but more critically, their culture. Well worth a visit.

Glenn Sellar

Beautiful building, excellent exhibits. Spans from the middle ages to present day, with a focus on migration from Scandinavia to the US. Oddly ignores migration from Scandinavia to Canada.

Robert Wahl

Amazing experience, with descriptions of the countries, the history, art and current strengths. I learned more than I've ever learned at a restaurant.

Shay Moore

I can't believe it took me so long to visit this place. What a fantastic museum. I am sad they are having to move out of the old school house, which has such amazing character, but am glad the district is going to make use of it, AND that the NHM is going to get their own brand new location on Market Street! How exciting!

Tulsi Ezhilan

Superb Museum. Learnt a lot about Nordic culture.

chris ruiz

fantastic place. friendly staff

Todd

TIP: Free admission on the first Thursday of the month at the Nordic Museum. #localguides

Aubria Boynton

So many interesting objects related to the NW.

Moments in Time

Great Scandinavian history of the region, including traveling exhibits!

Edward Aites

Beautiful and interesting little museum covering Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. It concentrates on the "immigrant experience" but spans more than that. They are moving to a new location along the waterfront and Market St. in Ballard when they finish construction of the new and more high-profile building...

Condie Scarcity

thouroughly enjoyed visit. though we only had limited time, we found easy access to all information. beautifully designed and very pleasant ambience. staff was very helpful eager to make suggestions and give out added information. sorry i did not get membership then. plan to return soon as a member.

Erika

Beautiful interior: spacious and airy. V Scandinavian. Excellent timeline upstairs depicting Nordic emigration to and history within the US. I loved the exhibit on the first floor depicting differences between Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, etc. cultures. The cod lamp is the best. Charming gift shop: something for every Norski on your Christmas list. We really enjoyed the cafe. We had a hotdog/sausage thing and a smorgasbord plate between 2 people. Gravlax, spicy mustard, pickles and so on. Small, polite potions, but tasty and plenty to be getting on with. My herbed aquavit cocktail was deliciously fresh tasting. An uplifting place to visit in winter around the holidays.

Cliff Larsen

This place is awesome - completely captivating with delicious food at the understated cafe in front which offers cocktails. Never a bad moment with the right company and ideal spot to see a background of Scandinavian heritage.

Eric Muller

Really nice museum. The staff was friendly. Includes plenty of really interesting history. The cafe was great too with interesting Nordic style food and drink

Elizabeth Higgins

Went here last summer and it was amazing. Love the displays and they had and amazing gift shop and more. Really want to go back. They even have a library that you have to get permission to enter, but still makes this a place I want to support.

Angela V

Just went to the museum for a quick bite. The smorgasbord was great. Salmon smoked perfectly. The best pickled egg was a great surprise. I will definitely be going back the Freya Cafe.

Mark Cohagen

Interesting, but should have more depth. At the present moment it's well organized hodge-podge. Also, consider incorporating interactive stations for the younger crowd. My 7-year old grandson loved taking the surveys, over and over. The displays on the other hand did not capture his attention.

Bob Keller

Great exhibits. Cafe was small selection. Guidance was a little ambiguous. Suggest improvements in signage to guide visitors.

Chris Wright

Amazing museum in the ballard area. Great artifacts and information about Nordic history and its influences on the world and the pacific northwest.

Roger Knopf

Beautiful facility and extensive exhibits covering Nordic history and culture with emphasis on the migration to Seattle area.

Patrick Donnelly

Stunning building, great cafe and wonderful exhibitions. It did seem a bit packed, but the visual experience made me want to hop a flight to Scandinavia right away!

Carol Lang

Elegantly designed museum with lovely exhibits. Depending on your reading speed it won't take more than a few hours to see everything. Parking is reasonably priced for the location.

Jeff Roubal

Lots of interesting displays. Beautiful facility. Easy access. Convenient location. Not crowded.

Teresita Beuschlein

Welcoming and Educational. Great customer service! Discount for AAA members!

Windy McDaniel

Awesome place to visit!

Brian Moore

Excellent exploration of Nordic history and culture

Julia Marino

Freya is completely a hidden gem here in Seattle. Whether you think you like Nordic food or not, experiment and try a few things off the menu - all top notch ingredients, beautifully executed with a creative hand. A perfect way to start or end a trip to the museum.

Samantha Samtastic!

Newly opened from C19 restrictions, it is still really neat to go look at everything. Some items are restricted and all tickets are 2hoir blocks that they ask you pay for online, but it's very much worth it.

Peter Anderson

A very well done museum on the Nordic American experience. The traditionally Norwegian Ballard neighborhood loses a bit of that identity every year, and this place helps to keep that heritage alive.

Nathaniel Dizon

Friendly staff and rich with information throughout the world's history.

Lindsey Scully

Visited for the first time during Julefest 2018, lots of vendors throughout the rooms and hallways. Really enjoyed the brief time I was able to see the exhibits and will definitely be back to look again.

Shasta Willson

My Swedish heritage husband really enjoyed the connected storytelling from Viking to modern Seattle times. Our teen insisted on five stars too, after spending four hours touring, so that's really all you need to know, right?

Terry Kaylin Smith

Wonderful Viking exhibit. I learned so much!

SC Dolfan

Lovely building, nice gift shop and cafe. I wish that the European part of the history had more artifacts. More focus on Nordic history in America than I needed since it's not my heritage.

Shalley Lane

This was wonderful! Stylish, but even better, it was an immersive & visually engaging history. I had no idea how much the Nordic language & customs have become part of our Melting Pot.

Erdmann Rogge

This is a great museum with a fantastic display of Nordic culture

SF Connoisseur

Great place to learn about Nordic culture

Chris Tobola

Great new upscale venue for this museum. Missed the old quaint place but worthwhile to see. Lots of history of the Scandinavian immigrants. Looking forward to the Viking exhibit.

Howard Andersen

It is a nice but small museum. Plan for about two hours to go through it. I especially enjoyed reading the history of the people from the vikings forward.

Mark Lucht

Really a great space! Love the architecture, the exhibits, the history... everything. Great place for locals and out-of-towners. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Jaffrey Bagge

Such a wonderful museum. Beautiful space, thoughtful and interesting exhibits, friendly staff, and delicious cafe!

Alexey Rakul

It is amazing that they are a big part of Ballard experience!

Dave Aitel

This museum is a little weird in terms of scope but the cafe is 100% worth going to.

KA Millison

A good story on Nordic influence to culture and economy of Ballard. It's new and collections are thin but many under development. Likely will only get better.

Lise J. Niggemyer

Exhibits very well done, with interactive interpretation for visitors. Loved the scenic upstairs forest. Lots of artifacts from old world/new world immigrant experience.

Joyce Kenyon

A very beautiful building. Staff is friendly and ready to answer questions. You can have a bite to eat and there is a gift shop.I would recommend this museum to anyone.

Seth T

This is a brand new Nordic meuseum in ballard. We didn't get to go through all exhibits. But it is beautiful with high ceilings and lots of Nordic history. Worth coming for an event or exhibit!

Rachel Green

Really enjoyed the special photography collection and main exhibit. The design of the space is beautiful and I'm looking forward to coming back for different events they host.

Eric B

Being mostly Finnish, I liked seeing how the Nordic culture affected the USA. It was neat to read about the cultures. Finns drink a ton of coffee.

Mark

If you live in Ballard and you like local history, you definitely need to check this museum out. You can walk through it and see the main displays in about 2 hours, or you can take longer and see more details.

Michael Jacobson

The Nordic is moving soon but this original location is charming in an old school. Telling the story of the Scandanavian immigrant experience to America and the Pacific Northwest, the museum also has cutting edge exhibits on Scananavian design that often originate from host countries. Regular music series and other events (woodcarving, Finnish beer making) keep the place busy with actual Scandanavians and those who appreciate the unique cultures of the North. Small but nice gift shop; there is also a coffee pot always perking.

Austin Harris

Incredible place. Learned so much about the culture and history which I am proud to be a part of! (Even if only 10%) 😁 The Viking addition was exceptionally cool, can't wait to visit again! ⚔️ …

Lisa Pizzuto Whittaker

Stunning new structure in Ballard! Well thought out and purposeful exhibits. However, the parking should have been more of a consideration when planning the new facility.

Sherice Halvorsen

So much information about all the Scandinavian countries!!!

Scott Loners

Excellent Museum, nordic history and culture in film, art, mapping, sculpture, and many historical examples. Creative structure, clean, well lit with restaurant and gift shop.

Maria Regina

The building architecture typifies Scandinavian design and the collection is well laid out. Don't miss the gift shop. On site parking is free.

Jeff Johnson

Great museum with excellent displays showing Northern European history, migration patterns, cultures and artifacts. Enjoy the scandanavian cuisine in the cafe too.

Jaffrey Bagge

Great place to learn about the Scandinavian history of our area, and a fun spot to hang with a friend(and kids)! I also love the various events they have throughout the year. Love it!

Jeff Benson

A new museum for Seattle area which does an excellent presentation of the Nordic immigration to the northwest. Friendly staff. Pleasant space and easy to follow narrative.

Barbara Kramer

We only went to the cafe. The coffee drinks were uniquely delicious . P.o arrives were very good.

Michael Buell

Really balanced between history, art, and culture. Beautiful new building. People working there are rightfully proud of the place.

Michael Myers

Came for the viking festival and stayed for the new friends and beer. Also they let you perform a mock battle with wooden swords and shields. Had a great time hitting my friends.

Kathleen Wilson (Kat)

This was just as good as visiting the history museum in Denmark itself! Really well organised and easy to understand explanations of items. Would highly recommend a visit.

Alex Rupple

Very interesting museum. Did not realize the cultural ties to the north west and nordic regions. Takes about 2 hours to walk through. Definitely worth checking out

Mark Erickson

Immersive experience tailored to the local area!

Bailie Duncan

We had a great Rosemaling class with Marilyn. I wish I lived in Seattle to come back sooner! The restaurant "Freya" was good and the exhibit was well laid out.

D Haber

The new facility is gorgeous. Well worth the price of admission. Details the rich history of nordic cultures in a well thought out way. Would visit again.

Atari Betamax

Fascinating, top notch recreation scenes complete with sound effects. Wonderful displays and informative movies. A good reminder of what coming to America used to look like.

Chris Olszewski

Great exhibits for those who enjoy reading at museums. Wouldn't suggest taking young children here. Spent 2 hours here and saw most everything.

Sam Miller

Nice way to experience how the Nordic people added to our way of life.

Ryan F

Cool museum. We went during julefest and it was very busy. Lots of stuff to look at and lots of stuff to look at for my little guy. There is a cool Viking ship outside.

Jeffrey Homme

The museum has a great layout and provides an interesting look into Seattles history.

Michelle L Morby

They are a fantastic museum keeping the history of Nordic cultural traditions alive and well. They just hosted their first Nordic Food Conference which was a total hit, headlined with Magnus Nilsson.

Lori Schley-Knight

Smaller museum which makes it easy to spend time really learning about the life and history. The employees/volunteers were helpful and were eager to share information.

Leslie Gilbert

Fun hour or two experience

Ash K

Great staff and well maintained space :)

Ruth Wirkkala

New museum is very well staged! Was pleased to see my Great Uncle Oscar Wirkkala's inventions on display, a local inventor.

Merlin Kirby

A great overview of Nordic history and its influences on today's society. There is an area focused on the Pacific Northwest along with the greater migration of Nordic people and culture to the USA.

Scott Lindberg

A super fun place to visit with the family. From my 6 year old son to my 70 year old mother, we all found something that interested us! We even became members.

Katherine

Displays are extensive and beautifully done. The museum has some amazing artifacts, and they are very well presented.

Quinn Millegan

Super cool museum. Definitely my favorite museum now. Will come again. You guys should sell havamals, prose eddas, and other ancient Norse stuff in the gift store

Alan Jackson

Nice museum. Not many original artifacts, but good reproductions and good summary of history. Learned a few new things, what else can you ask?

Holly Stewart

Great museum that covers nordic countries, native populations, and migration to the US. Be sure to make time for lunch or fika in the cafe. The food is delicious!

Wayne Haight

Great small museum with a wealth of Nordic information and artifacts from pre-history to the present day.

Priscilla Wood

Very nice museum with well-labeled exhibits. There's a play area for kids. The city bus stops right out front.

Tiffany Han

Cool museum! It could use a bit more information.

Terra

Very interesting museum. Takes you from pre-Viking age to modern day. Many artifacts and digital content. Discounts offered for students.

Veronica Beckerleg

Beautiful displays in well designed building. Text gives brief history of Nordic History. Facility is spotless.

Carl Siegrist

World glass museum. Thought I knew a lot about Nordic culture and history, but I learned a lot there. New, modern museum with a nice flow to it. And a wonderful restaurant for lunch!

Kathy Harrill

Small, but well worth it! Parking is a little tight, so carpool if possible or take the bus. Don't forget the longboat in the courtyard!!

Jason Rice

Being of Swedish decent, it was a very special day to bring my youngest Son to the museum for the first time...absolutely beautiful building and exhibits.

S.P. Dudley

Amazing museum expierence. Well worth the visit. A great historical and current view of Nordic heritage and it's impact in Seattle.

Clayton Thomas

A more appropriate name might be the Nordic Emigration Museum, as that seems to be the focus. Not as rich an experience as can be found in Scandinavia, but still an interesting place to stop by

Tim O'Halpin

Beautiful space, perfectly organized, informative and meaningful exhibits. Personal, factual, historical fun. Unbelievably positive space and employees. Maximum recommendation.

Christine Gagne

Must see visit! Interesting exhibit in a modern style building. Could have stayed longer, visited for two hours. Will go back!

Caleb Sutton

It’s one of the best museums I’ve been to. Well laid out. Just wish it had more stuff and that the shop had more art.

Sky Iolta

Great museum covering a wide spectrum of the history of both the Nordic pale and their influence in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard and the PNW in general.

Shaun Kuo

Cool museum, enjoyed the splash of local history too

Elf Flame

I'm so glad to have a museum about some of my ancestors in my city. A wonderful account of the Scandinavian and Nordic people, and how they came to the US and Seattle.

Kai Groves

Amazing museum that houses rotating exhibitions along with fixed collections of culture and history from the Nordic countries. The gift shop has a little something Nordic for everyone!

Maura Witzel

This place is beautiful! Beautiful architecture, and the exhibits are well-composed and very informative. Highly recommend to everyone!

Kawaii Tea

Lots to view and learn. Was here for a field trip with young kids. They were rather board though. More of a teens to adult kind of museum.

Amy Kilian

Beautiful but a bit expensive. Exhibits are well done and informative and the building itself is beautiful. There is a small gift shop and café on site as well.

Sean Daniels

I am biased! My ancestry is Norwegian. I greatly enjoyed the museum. And the Ballard Locks and gardens are nearby.

Andrew McNaughton

I have never seen such a thorough look at Nordic culture both in the Nordic area and early America. Definitely taught me some things I would have never even considered before visiting.

Christopher Horton

Beautiful but small musium about Nordic heritage and culture. Check out the amazing restaurant Freya. You won't regret it.

Aaron Larson

Went for Father's day of 2019, great historically educational and found some inner calling and resounding connections with the old Nordic side of Seattle.

Tim K

A very impressive museum. Great attention to detail makes the experience fun as well as educational. Museum shop is also well done.

Brian Connolly

The museum upgrade brings it to the present. The upgrades are beautiful and seamless, but the narrative arc of the old exhibits was lost in the move.

Libby Hawkins

We enjoyed the museum very much, but were stunned to receive a $76 parking fine because we did not see the sign upon entering. BEWARE

Aiko Son

Beautiful, well-made museum. We got to join a tour, and it was very informative. Definitely coming back.

Marijo Hoffmann

It was ok, but I think you would have to be Scandinavian to appreciate it. Should have more on Ivar and/or the captain from Deadliest Catch liven it up a bit.

Lawrence McGill

Great Viking exhibition, soon to leave.

John Hereth

Nice Museum to get a taste of Nordic Culture...

Michelle Heimerl

The new museum space is incredible!!! Can't wait to go back and check out the upcoming Vikings exhibit.

A

Parking requires payment. Staff members are pleasant. Very clean and well kept facility. Lots of educational information to obtain.

JeTCaR B

It is a fun and interesting museum that doesn't take all day to enjoy. It is definitely enjoyable for anyone of Nordic heritage.

Rich Childs

Nice location in Ballard for a very informative space about Nordic culture and their influence in North America. I especially liked the boats.

Aleksei Safin

Very inspiring

Virginia Serna

Great museum, lots of history of the Scandinavians, their entire history prior to settling in the US, and current world views.

Jim Mattox

Pros: Very large place with lots of cool info. Cons: few actual artifacts and very little to actually see. Mostly just writing about history

Kristine Hulet

New building, great staff, unique displays. Parking behind building is reasonable hourly rate, using card rather than cash.

Karina Nunez

It's a very nice event center. It's warm , good lighting, friendly staff. It was available on time

Heidi P

Good museum describing Nordic nations and influence through immigration and design. Also goes into Pacific Northwest Nordic communities.

Anthony Muljadi

Fairly interesting but quite small. I would go during free thursdays

Christopher Griffiths

Lovely meeting, I especially liked the exhibition of Finnish art 🙂 …

theredviking29

The best museum i have ever attended to learn about my Nordic ancestors. Its a must-go if you have any Nordic blood in you

Kale Hinthorn

I can't believe I didn't know this was here before! Cute little museum with interesting exhibits and helpful workers. I had a wonderful time and learned a lot!

Kevin Ruffcorn

Wonderful museum. Great exhibits, very informative. The restaurant has delicious food.

J E

It was nice representation of Scandinavian culture and history. There is a gift shop and a restaurant. You have to pay for parking.

Britt Sellers

Moving to a new location. A little sad to say goodbye, grew up going to this place. Great place! New museum will be even better, I'm sure.

Ano Nimo

Awesome museum! Bonus: they recommended the taco place in the liquor store kitty corner from the museum which was terrific!

Michael Bishton

It's a great place to get a time-lapsed view of the Nordic peoples history and culture, and their transition and contributions to this country.

Yordanos Minda

Amazing place. Dont miss out first thursday of every month free admission.

Kathy Herrmann

Incredible museum. Plan to spend at least three hours to fully experience all the exhibits.

Brendan Geffe

Very nice architecture in the museum. On the small side but all exhibits are interesting.

Christina Szirmai

Great way to beat the heat on a hot summer day. Great artifacts, good interactive content, a lot of fun.

Selena

Very informative. Some of the display areas were close to being empty. But overall a good experience.

charles cranfill

It was OK. Maybe a bit expensive for what they had. I was expecting to see tons of authentic artifacts, maybe some weaponry and whatnot. There didn't seem to be much of that.

Sgt Elias

Nice building, good layout, well done... exhibits are good but just a little lacking on depth and breadth

Clarissa Mellin

The culture and history of the Nordic countries and their impact on America via immigration and trade. (Fun Fact: Nokia is a Finnish brand!)

Helen Jackers

Beautiful museum with interesting overview on Nordic and American Nordic history. Cute cafe as well.

Sarah Paramore

Very interesting and full of history. The traveling exhibition was not worth the extra money to pay.

Haakan Richards

Awesome pieces from all eras. Not just from centuries ago, but from the 20th century. Great open atmosphere, and tons of incredible pieces.

Christopher Williams

A beautiful, insightful, pleasurable museum. Well worth a visit up in a very cool spot in Seattle that is Ballard.

Gary Gibson

Great museum. So well designed, very educational and worth the wait for it's opening.

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