President’s Corner

Welcome to the Scandinavian Heritage Association!

The Scandinavian Heritage Association was established in 1988 with the heritage societies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden coming together with the dream of building a Park that would be a “Remembrance of the Past and a Legacy for the Future,” celebrating the heritages of all five Scandinavian countries.

The Scandinavian Heritage Association has developed and continues to provide for the perpetual care of the Park entirely through membership support, donations and memorials.  We pride ourselves in being good stewards of the donated dollars we receive, and in being able to offer the Park to our visitors without admission fees.

The Scandinavian Heritage Park, located in the center of Minot, ND became a reality and the first building placed in the Park was dedicated on October 9, 1990.  Over the next 20 years, the Park has grown to the beautiful site we have today – with our Gol Stave Church becoming Minot’s signature landmark.

Thousands of visitors visit the Scandinavian Heritage Park and our Heritage House Museum each year.  The Park is also the venue for weddings, reunions, corporate outings and school and group tours.  We host the Midsummer Night Festival each year in June.  Park buildings are open daily from mid-May to September with volunteer greeters present.

Please, take a virtual tour of the park while you are here, and feel free to contact our office if you have any questions.  Donations and memberships can be made online, too, as those sections of our web site are secure.

Liz Gjelstad
President, Scandinavian Heritage Association