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.

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!

Its 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.

The mysticism, social structure and simple style of the Nordic countries, their people, architecture, history and food is simply endearing - it makes you wonder where the rest of the world went wrong. A great collection of all elements of everything that has contributed to their current state. Highly recommend especially grabbing a plunge coffee at the cafe downstairs

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.

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.

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.

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.

Its 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 well spend!

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.

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

Go early or Go drunk because if youre not there early the massive crowd that accumulates from 7-10pm will make you wish you were drunk. Its not fun weaving through the crowd and having to stop every 5 seconds so some tourist can take a picture.

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.

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 DONT ALLOW BACKPACKS.

The spaces are beautiful and the galleries are informative. If you have any interest in Nordic history and its huge influence on Seattles 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.

I was accompanied by a 13 year old who is very interested but still, we didnt 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. Im half Danish so I luckily Im 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 isnt 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.

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.

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!

Beautiful, modern building and thoughtful exhibits. Highly recommend.

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 familys story and timeline. I would recommend it. Even if youre not Norwegian. My school age kids enjoyed it too. We spent just over an hour there, which was not quite enough. Come see.

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.

So many interesting objects related to the NW.

Excellent detailed exhibits. Freya Cafes selections: fabulous! Gift shop items: too tempting.

I went to the Nordic Museum for their special exhibit The Vikings Begin. It was $20 including all the exhibits ($15 of youre 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!

The Nordic Museum (previously Nordic Heritage Museum) is a museum dedicated to the heritage of Seattles 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.

Nice museum and big exhibition in this museum of art and designs.

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.

Great place to check out your heritage

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 granddads barn. Nice, well laid out history with interesting artifacts.

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

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.

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.

Inspiring and minimalist, The Nordic Museum is not just a place to learn about Nordic life in yesteryears, 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 its all wood interior and star-lit light fixtures. There is a viewing room with a rotation of landscapes, which is inspiring to meditate in.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Love this place! Excited for it to open up again.

An Ode to Local and International History

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.

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

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

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 thats where people happened to find some space. The outdoor area that I first walked past isnt 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 didnt 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 Seattles connection with the Nordics is on the upper level. The forest one first walks through is underwhelming and one of the screens wasnt 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.

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

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.

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. Buildings architecture has bridges transitioning from the old country on one side to America on the other. Im sorry I missed gift shop.

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.

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

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. Its always a delightful treat if youre in Ballard.

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

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

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

Its 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. Its a great atmosphere and nice place to relax while exploring the nordic history and cultures.

Nice facility with ahistorical and racist content.According to the narrative presented in the captions, the Nordic countries evolved into social democracies because Nordic culture cares about the general welfare of people—Why is that? Were there material, historical circumstances that led to these welfare policies being adopted? According to this museum, apparently not. Which leads to the obvious conclusion that Nordic people have a superior way of life because theyre superior people.Inferior and superior cultures are central to modern racist discourse. According to that worldview, espoused in this museum, its unfortunate that other people or nations (lets say, Haiti) have such poor cultures, which lead them to their own impoverishment and misery.Its a lousy, off-putting celebration of white society.

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

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!

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.

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

Wonderful Viking exhibit. I learned so much!

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

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

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

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

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.

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 didnt appreciate, but the museum itself was nice.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Great place to learn about Nordic culture

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

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.

More interesting than i thought it would be. Lots to look at and learn. Good for at least 2 hours.

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.

My daughter and me went through this place. I qot quite an educational experience.

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!

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 its not my heritage.

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.

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

Great place with adequate and reasonably priced parking ($2/hr). Veterans get a buy-one-get-one-free admission ticket discount, which isnt listed online for some reason. I wanted to see more historical artifacts on exhibit, but this time that room was showing a photographers work. Still worth the time and money.

Well put together museum with lots of connection to our family history.

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

A beautiful peaceful museum with informative interesting educational displays. Loved it!

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.

Beautiful architecture, wonderful Viking exhibition, and terrific and authentic food in the cafe.

Beautiful Scandinavian styled architecture. Teaches the history of the people and their immigration to the US.

Loved the L.A.Ring exhibit. So glad that I caught it. Hes now a clear favorite of mine. He gets it.I love the NNM!

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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