Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
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| Location | 502 West Water Street Decorah, Iowa, United States |
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| Director | Chris Johnson |
| Website | http://vesterheim.org/ |
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the national Norwegian-American museum and heritage center, with over 24,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, a Folk Art School, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases the most extensive collection of Norwegian- American artifacts in the world. Some of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Vesterheim’s exhibitions explore the diversity of American immigration through the lens of the Norwegian-American experience and highlight the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts.
Vesterheim Museum was founded in 1877 as the Norwegian-American Historic Museum. It began as a part of nearby Luther College. In 1967, the Norwegian-American Museum incorporated, becoming a separate entity from Luther College. In 1977 it added Vesterheim to its name. The museum moved into a larger location, a grand Italianate building in downtown Decorah vacated by a publishing company.
The name Vesterheim appropriately comes from the Norwegian for "western home". The museum sponsors educational events, publications, and lectures related to its mission. Vesterheim's Folk Art School offers classes in painting, woodworking, knifemaking, fiber arts, and cooking in the Norwegian tradition. Each year it presents "The National Exhibition of Folk Art in the Norwegian Tradition" in these traditional Norwegian folk arts: knitting, rosemaling, weaving, wood carving, and knife-making.
The Open Air Division is a collection of historic buildings located behind the main museum building.
The Painter-Bernatz Mill is at 200 North Mill Street, in the open air division of the museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Old Stone Mill was built by William Painter, one of Winneshiek County's earliest European settlers, in 1851 and is commonly believed to be the oldest building in Decorah.
The Norris Miller House is at 118 North Mill Street, in the open air division of the museum. Norris Miller, a carpenter from Ohio, built this house in west Decorah in 1856. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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