Vesterheim - The National Norwegian-American Museum & Folk Art School

Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum & Folk Art School, is one of the leading museums in the country dedicated toward a single immigrant group. Located in the historic Arlington Hotel/Publishing House building, it boasts the world's most extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts, which number over 33,000 items. Many of these artifacts are displayed in the museum's exhibits in the main building. The museum also manages 12 historic buildings and operates a library and archives. The buildings are located in Heritage Park behind the main building. Highlights of the museum include a 25-foot wooden sailboat, an immigrant log house dating to 1853, and folk art dating back centuries to today. The Folk Art School offers a variety of classes including in woodcarving, weaving, and metalwork. Classes in cooking and the Norwegian language are offered as well.

Vesterheim's roots date back to 1877 when Norwegian Americans started acquiring objects and storing them at Luther College here in Decorah. By beginning to preserve their history, these immigrants laid the foundation for what the museum is today, a widely respected organization that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. A large portion of the museum's collection arrived from Norway in 1927. After years of preparation, 23 crates full of historical objects were sent to Decorah to as a gift to support the museum's mission. Norway's ties to Vesterheim have remained strong. Norwegian folk artists have taught at the school and Norwegian organizations and artists have hosted visits to Norway. Norwegian government officials and members of the Norway's royal family have visited the museum on several occasions.

The main building itself was built in c.1877 as the Arlington House hotel. It is a good example of Italianate architecture, featuring rounded window headers, balconies, and wide overhanging eaves supported by brackets. In 1882, it became dormitory for Decorah College business students. At some point it became the Lutheran Publishing House, which operated in Decorah from 1869 to 1931. Sometime after 1932, it started to house the collection from Luther College. Vesterheim officially opened in 1975 when King Olav of Norway rededicated the building as a museum.

The buildings in Heritage Park explore what life was like for Norwegians and Norwegian immigrants. The buildings include the Painter-Bernatz Mill erected in 1851 (it is considered the oldest building in the city), the 1856 Norris Miller House, the 1852 Egge-Koren House, and the c.1854 Mikkelson-Skree Blacksmith Shop. The main museum building is a contributing property of the Decorah Commercial Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Full, Jan Olive. "Decorah Commercial Historic District." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. August 21, 2017. https://www.decorahia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2017-Commercial-Historic-Dist_Reg-Form.pdf.

"Vesterheim's History and More." Vesterheim. Accessed March 18, 2022. https://vesterheim.org/about.