National Nordic Museum
National Nordic Museum, History museum in Ballard, Seattle, US
The National Nordic Museum occupies a 57,000-square-foot building on NW Market Street, featuring exhibitions about Nordic countries and their traditions through time.
Founded in 1980 as Nordic Heritage Museum in a former elementary school building, the institution moved to its current location in 2018.
The permanent exhibition Nordic Journeys presents artifacts spanning twelve thousand years, from ancient stone tools to modern Nordic design elements.
The museum opens Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours until 8 PM on Thursdays, offering full wheelchair accessibility.
The Walter Johnson Memorial Library contains 15,500 books published in Nordic languages, while the Gordon Ekvall Tracie Collection preserves traditional music recordings.
Location: Washington
Inception: 1980
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Address: 2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 98107
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday,Friday-Sunday 10:00-17:00; Thursday 10:00-20:00
Phone: +12067895707
Website: http://nordicmuseum.org
GPS coordinates: 47.66833,-122.39250
Latest update: September 20, 2025 21:00
Seattle stretches between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, offering a mix of urban architecture, public spaces and natural areas. This route connects more than thirty stops, from the Space Needle and Pike Place Market to less visited sites like the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks or the Wing Luke Museum. The selection includes museums of contemporary and classical art, historic neighborhoods and waterfront parks. Pike Place Market sits downtown and has operated as a public market since 1907. Chihuly Garden and Glass displays the glasswork of local artist Dale Chihuly. The Museum of Pop Culture, designed by Frank Gehry, covers music, film and video games. Olympic Sculpture Park spans nine acres along the waterfront, combining outdoor sculpture with views across the bay. The Seattle Art Museum holds collections from different continents and periods. The Ballard Locks connect salt water to fresh water and include a fish ladder for migrating salmon. Discovery Park covers 534 acres with trails through forest and meadow, plus beach access. Gas Works Park preserves parts of a former coal gasification plant on Lake Union. The Museum of Flight documents aviation history with more than 175 aircraft and spacecraft. Mount Rainier National Park lies about two hours southeast and features the 14,411-foot (4,392-meter) glaciated volcano.
Washington holds far more than the well-known attractions of Seattle and Mount Rainier. Across the state, dozens of less-visited sites offer insight into the region's geological history, military past, and natural diversity. From waterfalls to ancient forests to historic lighthouses and military fortifications, Washington presents a substantial range of landscapes and cultural sites. Palouse Falls in Franklin County drops 198 feet (60 meters) into a basalt gorge, while Cape Flattery at the northwesternmost point of the continental United States looks out over jagged cliffs and the open Pacific. Ape Caves in Skamania County is one of the longest lava tube systems in the country, and Beacon Rock rises 848 feet (260 meters) above the Columbia River. The Trail of the Patriarchs leads through centuries-old Douglas firs and cedars, and Deception Pass Bridge connects Whidbey Island to the mainland via a 180-foot (55-meter) steel structure from 1935. Fort Worden in Port Townsend served as a coastal defense installation, and the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle documents the Asian American history of the Pacific Northwest. Dry Falls in Grant County shows the remains of an Ice Age waterfall that was once wider than Niagara Falls. Mima Mounds in Thurston County forms a field of hundreds of symmetrical earth mounds whose formation continues to be scientifically debated. These sites offer practical alternatives to the crowded main attractions and allow for deeper engagement with Washington's natural and historical features.
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