Entrance of the National Nordic Museum in Ballard with its tall N sign and a large troll sculpture

National Nordic Museum

Photo: National Nordic Museum via Google Maps

The National Nordic Museum sits on NW Market Street in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, a part of town shaped for more than a century by Scandinavian fishermen, mill workers and their families. The museum tells that story and a much bigger one: the history, art and culture of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Åland and Sápmi, plus the journey Nordic immigrants made to North America.

It is worth a stop because it does more than display heritage objects. The core exhibit spans roughly twelve thousand years, from stone tools to modern design, and it is housed in a striking 2018 building that was planned around Nordic architectural ideas. Add a café serving Nordic food, a museum store and a giant troll out front, and you have an easy half day in one of Seattle’s most walkable neighborhoods.

What You’ll See

  • Nordic Journeys: The permanent core exhibition expands the classic immigration story into a broad look at Nordic life and culture over twelve millennia, with pieces ranging from 4,000 year old stone axes to contemporary design.
  • Loans from five national museums: More than 100 objects in the galleries are on loan from the national museums of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, so you see things that rarely leave the Nordic countries.
  • Ginny Ruffner: Project Aurora: A permanent installation built around a 20 foot tall wall of light that evokes the Northern Lights, using artificial intelligence to mimic the aurora’s natural movement.
  • Frankie Feetsplinters: Danish artist Thomas Dambo’s recycled wood troll stands in front of the museum. Built in September 2023 from well over a hundred reclaimed pallets, Frankie is part of Dambo’s Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King series of sculptures spread across six sites in the region.

The Story Behind It

The museum was established in 1979 to honor the legacy of Nordic immigrants and opened to the public in 1980 as the Nordic Heritage Museum. For its first decades it lived in the old Webster School in Ballard, a building that had served as Daniel Webster Elementary from 1907 until 1979. The museum describes itself as having been the only museum in North America to represent all five Nordic countries.

A capital campaign began in 2003, followed by years of community planning, and in May 2018 the museum moved into its new home on Market Street: a building of nearly 58,000 square feet designed by the architecture firm Mithun. Iceland’s president and Denmark’s Crown Princess Mary took part in the dedication. In March 2019 Congress designated it the National Nordic Museum, recognizing a scope that had grown beyond the original five countries to the wider Nordic region and its Indigenous cultures. The museum also keeps a research library and offers genealogy help for visitors tracing Nordic roots.

Tips for Your Visit

  • The museum recommends buying tickets in advance to guarantee entry, especially on busy weekends and event days.
  • Paid parking is available on the south side of the building.
  • Plan a meal or a coffee at Freya Café inside the museum, which serves Nordic food, baked goods and coffee.
  • The building meets ADA accessibility standards, and the museum offers wheelchair loans and magnifiers for guests with low vision.
  • Docent led tours and genealogy sessions run on a regular schedule; check the museum calendar to time your visit.

Plan Your Visit

Address: 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: 206.789.5707
Website: nordicmuseum.org
Hours and admission: Check the museum website for current days, hours, and admission before you visit.
Directions: View on Google Maps

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