The Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, commonly known as the Hjemkomst Center, is a museum in

Moorhead, Minnesota Moorhead ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moo ...

. Hjemkomst Center first opened in 1985 and serves as a home to ''Hjemkomst'' Viking Ship,

Hopperstad Stave Church Hopperstad Stave Church () is a historic parish church of the Church of Norway in the village of Vikøyri in Vik Municipality in Vestland county. It was historically the church for the Hopperstad parish in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The brown, wo ...

replica, quarterly museum exhibits, and county archives. In 2009, the Clay County Historical Society (which was founded in 1932) and the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center merged to form the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.

''Hjemkomst''

''Hjemkomst'', which means "Homecoming" in Norwegian, is a replica

Viking ship Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, used in Scandinavia throughout the Middle Ages. The boat-types were quite varied, depending on what the ship was intended for, but they were generally characterized as being slender and flexi ...

that is permanently housed in the center of the museum. The ship is a full-scale replica of the

Gokstad The Gokstad Mound (Norwegian: Gokstadhaugen) is a large burial mound at Gokstad Farm in Sandefjord (formerly Sandar municipality) in Vestfold County, Norway. It is also known as the King's Mound (''Kongshaugen'') and is where the 9th century Gok ...

Viking ship that was discovered in Norway in 1880. The idea for building ''Hjemkomst'' was that of

Robert Asp Robert Louis Asp (February 13, 1923 – December 27, 1980) was an American educator from Minnesota. He is known principally for his involvement building the replica ship ''Hjemkomst'' which sailed from Duluth, Minnesota to Bergen, Norway in 1982. ...

(1923–1980), a guidance counselor at Moorhead Junior High School. Construction on ''Hjemkomst'' began in 1974 at the Leslie Welter Potato Warehouse in

Hawley, Minnesota Hawley is a town in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, along the Buffalo River. The population was 2,219 at the 2020 census. History The town went through six quick name changes after 1871 until, in 1872, it was finally named after Thoma ...

. The warehouse site was then transformed into the Hawley Shipyard during the construction. That same year, Asp became diagnosed with

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

; however he still continued to build the ship; he had help from other volunteers. In July 1980, the Hawley Shipyard was torn down for the removal and christening of the completed ship. ''Hjemkomst'' was shipped overnight to

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, on August 5, 1980. Asp held the rank as captain during the ship's maiden voyage throughout

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

until his death four months later on December 27, 1980. In May 1982, Asp's three sons and daughter along with eight members of ''Hjemkomst'' crew decided to sail ''Hjemkomst'' to

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, which was Asp's original dream. The ship departed Duluth on May 11, 1982, and arrived in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on June 8, then arrived in

Bergen, Norway Bergen (, ) is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 2025 the population is 294 029 according to Statistics Norway. The municipali ...

, on July 19, and on August 9 arrived in

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

. The ship stayed in Oslo for a year until it was transported back to Minnesota on MV ''Brunto''.

Exhibits and programs

The center also hosts rotating exhibits that cover various aspects of local history, from the indigenous peoples of the Red River Valley to the arrival of European settlers. These exhibits examine the social, economic, and cultural developments that have shaped the region over time. The center's exhibits often include artifacts, photographs, and documents that offer a glimpse into the everyday lives of the people who have lived in the area. In addition to its permanent and rotating exhibits, the center regularly offers educational programs, workshops, and events. These programs are designed to engage the public with the region's history, encouraging a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical forces that have influenced the area.

Hopperstad Stave Church Replica

The Hopperstad Stave Church Replica is a replica of a Norwegian

stave church A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts ...

located on the grounds of the Hjemkomst Center. The church was built in 1998 by Guy Paulson and was constructed of cedar, redwood, and pine. It is a full-scale replica of the 12th Century

Vik Vik or VIK may refer to: Places Finland * Viikki, a neighbourhood of Helsinki, known as Vik in Swedish Iceland * Vík í Mýrdal, a village in southern Iceland Iran * Vik, Iran, a village in Zanjan Province, Iran Norway *Vik, Buskerud, a vill ...

, Norway. The church serves as a reminder of the Scandinavian heritage in the

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

Hopperstad Stave Church Replica gallery

Hopperstad Stave Church Replica 6.jpg, The Hopperstad Stave Church Replica is a replica of a Norwegian stave church Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, Minnesota - 42149276260.jpg, The Hopperstad Stave Church Replica is located at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minnesota The interior of the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica.jpg, The interior of the Hopperstad Stave Church Replica Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, Minnesota - 43957736541.jpg, Wood carving File:Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, Minnesota - 43957731971.jpg, Wood carving File:Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, Minnesota - 43957734201.jpg, Wood carving Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead, Minnesota - 43957640621.jpg, Building roofline

References

{{coord, 46, 52, 40, N, 96, 46, 42, W, format=dms, region:US-MN_type:landmark_scale:10000, display=title 1985 establishments in Minnesota Ethnic museums in Minnesota Norwegian-American museums Moorhead, Minnesota Museums established in 1985 Museums in Clay County, Minnesota Norwegian-American culture in Minnesota Viking Age museums