Scandinavian Heritage Park is a park located in the Upper Brooklyn neighborhood of

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n countries:

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, Sweden and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

, as well as

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

and

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. The park was established during 1988 to celebrate and preserve Scandinavian heritage. The first building was dedicated October 9, 1990. It is believed to be the only park in the world representing all five Nordic countries. The park is supported by the Scandinavian Heritage Association and Norsk Høstfest, both of which have offices at the park. ''Scandinavian Park Emphasizes Heritage'' (Schramm, Jill. The Minot Daily News. October 1, 2008)

Park Highlights

* Casper Oimoen statue - Norwegian born captain of the ski team for the United States at the 1936 Winter Olympics * Dala Horse - 30 feet tall replica of brightly colored horses from the province of

Dalarna Dalarna () is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in central Sweden. English exonyms for it are Dalecarlia () and the Dales. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Norwa ...

, Sweden * Danish Windmill - working windmill on rock and concrete base built locally in 1928
Finnish Sauna
- authentic free standing sauna built in traditional Finnish style * Flag Display - flags of the five Nordic countries,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

* Gol stave church - replica of the original Gol Stave Church that was built in Gol,

Hallingdal Hallingdal ( en, Halling Valley) is a valley as well as a traditional district located in the traditional and electoral district Buskerud in Viken county in Norway. It consists of six municipalities: Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol. ...

* Hans Christian Andersen statue - Danish writer famous for his fairy tales * Leif Eirikssen statue - bronze statue of the Icelandic explorer * Nordic Pavilion - Arts and Picnic Shelter * Observatory - 48-inch diameter spinning marble globe fountain * Plaza Scandinavia - granite map of the five Nordic countries * Scandinavian Heritage Center - office of the Scandinavian Heritage Association * Sigdal House - 200-year-old house relocated from the Vatnas area of

Sigdal Sigdal is a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss. The municipality of Sigdal was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area of Krødsherad was se ...

* Sondre Norheim statue - Norwegian born father of modern

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

* Sondre Norheim eternal flame - monument represents the sport of skiing * Stabbur - replica of a storehouse from a farm near

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

* Waterfall - cascading waterfall and rippling stream that flows down to serene ponds

References

External links

Scandinavian Heritage Association
{{Stave churches Museums in Minot, North Dakota Danish-American culture in North Dakota Ethnic museums in North Dakota Finnish-American culture in North Dakota Icelandic-American culture in North Dakota Norwegian-American culture in North Dakota Open-air museums in North Dakota Parks in North Dakota Protected areas of Ward County, North Dakota Swedish-American culture in North Dakota European-American museums Norwegian-American museums Swedish-American museums Scandinavian-American culture Protected areas established in 1988 1988 establishments in North Dakota