American Swedish Institute

Absolutely beautiful museum! We really enjoyed our time here and learned a lot. Looking forward to going back and trying their restaurant!

Café FICA is not your regular cafe. It is more than a cafe. The foods are consistently great! Service is great!
My go to is Toast Skagen. But always ask for today's special and get that. Whatever special is usually amazing. I trust the chef(s) totally! All the pastries are also sooo yummy. The bread pudding is extra yummy because they're made off cinnamon bun and cardamom bun. So leave some room for dessert(s) and cocktails

This is a real educational experience. The Christmas decor just added to the enjoyment. An amazing job presenting interesting Swedish & Islandic information that I was not aware of before visiting. Great ideas for decorating. The cafe was also amazing. The wait was LONG - they said 45 mins but it was over an hour! Put your name in the list BEFORE starting your tour if the line isn't too long. Will definitely return

Amazing location. Friendly staff and lots of knowledgeable people. I would recommend.

I went here with Debra R, Jose R and some other people a few days ago. We saw the big building and had a tour. I enjoyed the experience and it had a good gift shop.

Need a Scandinavian getaway that's both traditional and modern, tot-friendly but decidedly adult? Look no further, ASI ticks all the boxes. The "new" wing is modern and sleek, hosting the gorgeous Fika restaurant and drool-worthy gift shop & small gallery, the upstairs lecture/flex-space (I've been to lectures, craft bazaars, poetry readings, and dance parties all in this same great space), modern bathrooms and locker area, and classroom area. Through the breezeway or across the great lawn is the "mansion" or "castle" as we like to call it, which is a work of art unto itself, but which also houses installations and of course, the incredible holiday show. This has become my favorite easy art space to visit. Plus, you can't beat the coffee and thumbprint cookies.

Was lovely attending summer sommnar at the institute with great music, food, people, art, and history. We had a wonderful time and will definitely go back again.

My friend and I were both visiting Minneapolis for the first time over Memorial Day weekend and both felt that a visit to the American Swedish Institute (ASI) was a must do. We had lunch at FIKA (the café at the Institute) before visiting the ASI; I recommend eating there if you're visiting the ASI. The highlight of visiting the Institute was definitely the historic Turblad Mansion. They offer guided tours, but we just did a self-guided tour of the mansion. It's really incredible - gorgeous (the stained glass, the wood, the ceilings...!). There is also a small exhibition space, where we saw a cool exhibit on a Swedish-American glass artist. I did wish that there was more of a permanent collection (I thought there would be a bit of a history museum decided to the Swedish-American experience, but the museum is mostly the mansion plus the exhibition space). It has a great gift shop, but the museum portion wasn't exactly what I was expecting! Still worth a visit - for the mansion itself!

Not sure why it took so long for me to visit this museum but I'm glad I finally made it.

The Morning Dip was the main exhibit on display. The very stoic pics of Swedes in their fancy bathrobes after a traditional morning dip in the chilly waters provided colorful art to view as you toured the museum. You even get a chance to take your own Morning Dip pic without the cold water.

One of the main attractions is the mansion on the museum grounds. The wood working and ceilings were my favorite. The ceramic fireplaces were stunning as well. The staff is so amazing and enthusiastic about their role in educating patrons about the history of the place. I almost felt like I was on a personal tour. Loved it.

I also stopped into the gift shop and bought a few things. So many interesting, unique items in the gift shop.

My visit also included an artistic cocktail at Fika on the patio of the museum grounds. Try the Water Under the Bridge and you won't be disappointed.

A free parking lot next to the museum is another perk. I'll be back soon!

I'm Swedish, and when I found myself in Minnesota last month I felt compelled to visit. The museum was a bit dull, I walked through in about half an hour and felt that I got the gist of it.

Visited the gift shop afterwards to buy something and show support, and was in there for about 15-20 minutes browsing and it wasn't until I walked up to the counter to make my purchase that the cashier acknowledged my existence and said hi. I noticed she spoke to other people that came in, but I wasn't afforded the same hospitality, so that left a sour taste in my mouth. Mind you, this is a small store, a gift shop, and I was in there for 15-20 minutes, so it's not like she didn't see me.

Either way, glad there's a Swedish Institute but it could definitely do with some improvements, both from the exhibit perspective and their customer service. At this point, it's not something I would recommend to anyone visiting Minneapolis.