During your visit to the American Swedish Institute, tour Turnblad Mansion featuring unique exhibits throughout, find Nordic designed products in the American Swedish Institute Museum Shop and enjoy Nordic cuisine at the American Swedish Institute’s award-winning café, FIFKA.
Nelson Cultural Center
Start your visit to the American Swedish Institute in the Nelson Cultural Center, a 34,000-square-foot addition opened in June 2012. Welcoming visitors to the American Swedish Institute, the Nelson Cultural Center features a glass-enclosed reception lobby, the American Institute Museum Shop, FIFKA, an art gallery for traveling and locally originated exhibitions and a modern storage facility for the American Swedish Institute’s collections.
A Tour of Turnblad Mansion
Learn about the Turnblad family, the architecture of the castle, the history of the American Institute and life in early Minneapolis as you explore the exquisite 33-room Turnblad Mansion from top to bottom, including the Mansion’s detailed wood carvings, sculpted ceilings and 11 hand-crafted Swedish tile stoves.
Turnblad Mansion Highlights
Enter into the Ballroom Lobby. During the days the Turnblad family called the Mansion their home, the seating room outside the Ballroom offered an intimate area for guests to rest away from the grand space of the Ballroom. Originally, the Ballroom Lobby completely encircled the Ballroom and lead to guest rooms and servants quarters. Making your way into the Dressing Room you will find a closet and a bathroom behind the mirrored mahogany doors. The Dressing Room also features original carpeting and electrical wall fixtures. Enter the Grand Hall, featuring a two-story, richly hand-carved mahogany fireplace. Supporting the fireplace’s mantel are two carved “barbarians” representing youth and maturity. Surrounding the Grand Hall of the Mansion is the Balcony, offering spectacular views of the Visby window, a hand-blown enamel painted window that depicts the famous painting, Valdemar Atterdag Levying Contributions on Visby by Carl Gustaf Hellqvist. Within the main Bedchamber you will find original rugs and a beautiful Rococo Revival kakelugn made in Uppsala, Sweden. Additionally the Bedchamber often showcases portions of the Institute’s extensive glass collection. In the Reading Room you will find bookcases originally used in Turnblad’s newspaper offices. The Library houses books owned by the Turnblad family. Books in the Library represent only a small portion of the Institute’s large collection. The unique sideboard with both concave and convex glass is the focal point of the Dining Room. The face of the Dining Room’s fireplace is made of marble from Kolmården, Sweden and above the mantel’s shelf is a carving which depicts a scene from a Swedish legend.
The Carriage House
The American Swedish Institute’s Carriage House was originally used to house Turnblad’s automobiles. The Carriage House featured a turntable that was used to turn the automobiles around. Some documentation leads historians to believe that the Turnblads were the first family in Minneapolis to own a commercially manufactured electric automobile. Additionally, Carriage House was used to house servants working in Turnblad Mansion.
Dining at FIKA
You can enjoy the best of new Nordic-inspired cuisine at FIFKA, the American Swedish Institute’s award-winning café. Try espresso, house made pastries, artful salads and modern interpretations of open-face sandwiches all while enjoying views of the historic Turnblad Mansion.
American Swedish Institute Gift Shop
Be sure to stop by the American Swedish Institute Museum Shop. Gifts and household items made by top names in Scandinavia such as Normann Copenhagen, M925, titiMadam and Maxomorra are available to purchase.
- The American Swedish Institute is ADA complaint. Ask American Swedish Institute staff or volunteers at the Information Desk for information on wheelchair rentals.
- Do not forget your camera. You are welcome to take photographs for personal use inside the Turnblad Mansion unless otherwise noted.