"Wooden ships on the water, very free and easy Easy, you know the way it's supposed to be" (Crosby, Stills & Nash) In May 1982, the Hjemkomst a massive full-size replica of a 78-foot long and 63-foot high Viking ship left Duluth Minnesota, sailed from Lake Superior across the Great Lakes into the Erie Canal, down the Hudson River to New York City and around the Statue of Liberty, then crossed the Atlantic Ocean and sailed to reach Oslo, Norway on August 9, 1982. When they arrived, Norwegian sailors gifted a keg of Norwegian beer to their visitors! After the ship returned to the US, it became the centerpiece of this beautiful museum run by the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. There are plenty of other exhibits to see, but the sheer scale of the Hjemkomst will captivate your attention during your stay. read more

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Very cool museum with impressive replica Viking ship and Scandinavian church! Will return whenever we're in the F/M area! read more

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I visited the Hjemkomst Center recently to browse and see what they had to offer, including the gift shop. After looking around, I sat down quietly with my laptop to get some work done in a calm space. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. A male employee working near the gift shop made comments and remarks about me being there, as if I didn't belong or wasn't supposed to look around. His behavior made me feel unwelcome in a place that should be open and inviting to everyone. I also emailed leadership afterward to share what happened, but I never received a response. That lack of acknowledgment made the situation feel even worse, as it suggested that concerns from visitors may not be taken seriously. The center itself has a lot to offer, but staff should treat all visitors with respect. My experience made it seem like certain people aren't equally welcomed, and I truly hope this is addressed so others don't feel the same way. read more

The coolest thing in Fargo isn't in Fargo! That's what we learned about Hjemkomst. It's in Moorehead, MN! We spend about 2 hours at the center as soon as they opened up. We basically had the place to ourselves and we wandered around the viking ship area- learning. My 3 year old has told so many people about the big ship on vacation and how it lost it's 'horn.' My husband has said a few times how cool the ship was. We hopped on a tour with one couple to hear about the Viking church out back. Getting on the tour got us inside the church. As we learnt this was a replica- it was still pretty cool to take in as we don't have any of those in Rhode Island! That's where my boys got to hold swords and shields- another highlight of the HC. Suggestion: The gift shop missed the mark. I was looking for a piece of art about a Viking ship and my husband wanted a t-shirt. It's easy to declare this place left an impression on our family. read more

Hjemkomst Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

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We visited the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minnesota. This museum and cultural center featured a full-size replica of the Viking ship, the Hjemkomst, and a replica of a Norwegian stave church, the Hopperstad Stave Church. It tells the story of the ship's construction and its 1982 voyage to Norway, and hosts rotating exhibits on local history and art, as well as the Clay County archives. The building's roof is designed to look like a ship's sail. If you like history this is jewel. read more

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I stopped in here on a Thursday morning. It was a really cool museum with a ton of information. The Viking boat was pretty awesome. I feel like I missed a few things because I was the only one in there with a class of kids. I did learn a lot and the gift store had s ton of fun stuff. Definitely a must go if you're in the area. read more

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Gayle went to college at the nearby Moorhead State and has family in Fargo. And during our last visit here, she was happy to show me around. One Fargo highlight was the Hjemkomst Center. Inside the white, tent-like structure you'll find the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, a full-scale ship modeled after the Gokstad burial ship, built in nearby Hawley, MN. It actually sailed to Norway from the shores of Minnesota. Outside sits the Hopperstad Stave Church, an exact replica of the one that sits outside of Vik, Norway. This place is a great window into local Scandinavian culture, of which this part of the country has a deep history. They don't call Minnesota the land of 10,000 Andersen's for nothing. read more

The museum is small. It basically just has a replica of a Viking ship which is cool to see but a bit over rated. It cost $40 for my family of 4... I thought that was a bit over priced. The only part that truly made this experience worth while is the church. The church was awesome and I would go again just to see the interior of the church. Its history is awesome and it smells wonderful inside. Just looking at the outside of the church isn't good enough. read more

We stopped here while touring North Dakota, and it was a recommendation while in the Fargo area. The staff was very friendly and the center very clean. The boat was beautiful and the storey behind it amazing. We only spent about 15 minutes looking around. We went out of church, but you needed a guide to get in, and it was 20 minutes before the next tour. The rest of the exhibits were just okay. It seemed rather pricey for a 15-20 minute stop. read more

Hjemkomst Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

This museum centers around 1) A guy who built a replica of a Viking longship for his kids to sail across the northern Atlantic and 2) A guy who built a replica of a stave church. Basically, this should be called the Museum of Obsessive Norwegians. That being said, totally worth the trip. read more

This is a cool little museum and cultural events center. Didn't think we would spend much time there... then 2 1/2 hours passed while we absorbed all the info. Didn't anticipate seeing much... ended up learning a ton of new stuff. Highlights for us were the backstory of the Viking ship, the US & Dakota war history, and the Minnesota gay marriage exhibit. read more

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Underwhelming if you're looking for more Viking history. It's focused more on local information. The gift shop was my favorite part..very cute stuff read more

Really enjoyed my spontaneous visit to the Hjemkomst Center. Among other things it outlines the passion projects of two individuals. The Hjemkomst is impressive and they've done a great job to curate the story of its construction and sailing. After exploring the exhibits, I watch some of the video until the tour of the stave church started. The church was pretty awesome. The guide knowledgably pointed out details of the history of the churches like this in Norway as well as Christianity of the age. The tour is worth it to be able to get to go inside the church. I probably spent 50 minutes total here and was very satisfied with my experience. You could also tack on a quick walk along the river if you felt like it. read more

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Very interesting museum. Didn't cost too much and learned the history of the massive ship inside and why it was there and how it was built. Had a guided tour of the building outside. Tour guide was very friendly and tour was great. Definitely recommend. Had a giftshop (where you go to buy tickets) that had a great selection of gifts. read more

The Hjemkomst (homecoming, in Norwegian) started building with a crew guided by Robert Asp, a high school guidance counselor, in 1972. Asp died in 1980, and his family carried his legacy by completing this replica Viking ship in 1982. It said from Minnesota to Norway, where a massive welcoming party welcomed the crew. What a beautiful story. The crew consisted of professional sailors from Norway, a truck driver, college students and four of Asp's children. The Hopperstad Stave Church replica was also incredible. This church is an exact replica of a church built in 1140 in the town of Vik, Norway. This is why travel is important. Sure you can see this online, or you can visit it in person and awe in real life. read more

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Really interesting and enjoyable historical center. I recommend having the guided tour of the Hopperstad Stave Church replica if you can to pick up some extra details and see the inside. It's beautiful and there are a lot of details to appreciate. The ship is also a marvel of details to appreciate and the displays detailing the many aspects of the story of its building and voyage to Norway were fascinating. I had never heard of the ship nor its travels previously and found it cool to read about. read more

Hjemkomst Center - Model - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

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This is a great stop in Fargo to learn about Viking culture and see a Viking church replica and ship. The town really came together to make this exhibit come to life. The ship actually crossed the Atlantic from Scandinavia to be here in Fargo. It stopped in New York first. Definitely worth stopping in if you're in the area. read more

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I just toured the outdoor trails in the early morning. Really nice site. Too early for indoor museum, Nice Stave Church, cross and river walk, plus view of downtown Fargo. read more

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I am not big into museums but I thought this was a cool place to check out. It was nice to see the giant viking ship and read about it's history. The highlight was getting the tour of the church. Joyce was an amazing tour guide. She was fun, engaging and friendly. The church is beautiful and amazing to see. read more

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Fun to see the stave church, interesting explanation of how it was built. The journey of the hjemkomst ship from North Dakota to Norway is epic. read more

This is supposedly the big tourist spot in the Fargo-Moorhead area, which mostly reminds you that there aren't a bunch of great tourist spots in the Fargo-Moorhead area. The pluses: The large viking ship itself is cool to see, the entrance fee isn't expensive, the church out back is interesting if it's open when you visit. The gift shop is cute too. The minuses: The hodge-podge of exhibits seems random and without a theme. On my most recent visit, the building had both a WWII propaganda and artifact exhibit and a showing of watercolors from local artists. read more

Beautiful church and interesting ship. The guide gave a very good tour of the church but didn't provide insights on the ship. Location is close to downtown Fargo. read more

I was surprised at how amazing the museum was. I didn't really know what to expect until I went there for my. The welcoming staff were very knowledgeable and kind. Also learning about the journey of a crew from this area of Minnesota/Fargo all the way to Norway is incredible read more

Adorable historical center, telling the tale of Robert Asp's dream to build a viking ship and sail it from Minnesota to Norway. Seems impossible right? Well he started the dream and his family fullfilled it in his honor. Watched a touching short movie about the adventure and then ventured around the museum to check out the massive ship thats inside (the actual one they sailed) and to walk through the WWII gallery and interactive set-up. Dorothy was a doll telling us about the place and we probably spent an hour learning some MN history. I enjoy being a dork and learning about stuff like this. Plus, looky here, the ship sailed down the Hudson River as well!!! It really is a small world afterall man read more

This is as Scandinavian as you can get in MN!!! A replica of the ship and historic Stave Church from Norway along the river - a truly beautiful setting. I may be biased because my wedding was here (a whopping $100 for the historical church and $500 for the reception) but it is amazing. Stop by for a history lesson and to admire the beautiful craftsmanship of the church or host an event. Highly recommended. read more

Hjemkomst Center - Church outside - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

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While visiting the area we found this place listed on Roadtrippers and thought we would check it out. It's not just an inspiring story of a man building a boat, but embraces the camaraderie of a community to see the completion of his dream after he was unable to. The church is a unique replica and encompasses all the carved details from a Scandinavian church. Definitely a place to visit to learn history of people and the area. read more

I made a special trip to this museum as I am old enough to remember the voyage in 1982 of this Viking ship from Lake Superior to New York harbor and then to Norway. It all started with a dream of building a Viking Ship for Robert Asp and sailing it to the home country of his ancestors in Norway. Unfortunately Mr. Asp passed away before this trip and his family continued his dream. This museum contains the ship hjempkof (spelling error) which means Homecoming. There is also a replica Norwegian chapel and other historical relics such as rationing during world war 2. The video we saw was 30 minutes long and informative. Was there an hour. Cost was $10 adult admission and $8 for kids. I probably won't need to return but the chapel would make a great wedding venue. read more

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Hjemkomst (Home-Coming) Center is a must visit Place. The Scandinavian Heritage is very important to people who live in Minnesota. The Hjemkomst Center preserves this heritage through Robert Asp's dream and entertaining story. The video presentation in the Museum's Theater presentation is a must see that captures the drama of the construction and sailing adventure from Duluth, MN to Norway. I remember following the Hjemkomst Journey when I was in High School and had visited the ship several times before it had set sail in the 1980's. read more

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Complete with a full replica Viking ship that used to sail inside, this used to be one of the few places for additional cultural learning; it is still the place for local Scandinavian culture. They have had exhibits like animatronic dinosaurs (I still smell the plastic and remember my enthusiasm!), local and regional art, and other exhibits dedicated to the surrounding area. Their mission is appropriate: Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center's mission is to enlighten and inspire the public by interpreting the life, culture, and heritage of the Red River Valley. And it's still a place I love to visit. Apparently, and I didn't know this, it's up for weddings and such, too, so certainly a bonus there! read more

We went to this center in early September. The video on the building and sailing of the Viking ship was very interesting. The ship itself is amazing!! The Scandinavian church was beautiful. The rest of the center was lacking in quality displays. read more

This was a very inspirational place to visit. I had a great time talking with the guides and if you do go, make sure you watch both documentaries. This entire story was just incredibly inspiring and I highly recommend it. read more

Hjemkomst Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

Hjemkomst Center is so amazing! My boyfriend and I were traveling from Cincinnati to Minneapolis to see Sir Paul McCartney perform at the Twins Stadium and we decided to drive the couple extra hours to visit this amazing museum and I am so glad we did! The Viking ship built by the Asp family is awe inspiring, not just for its size, but also for the story of undying love that this family had for one another and the convictions they felt to follow their dreams. I won't tell the whole story here because I believe it is best heard at the museum or in a documentary that can give the story true justice. The stave church was such a surprising addition to the tour because I hadn't done the best research and didn't realize there was one there. It is my greatest dream to visit Scandinavia and see stave churches built by the Vikings with my own eyes, but with so few left standing and so few dollars in my bank account I'm not sure when that will ever happen. This was a magnificent opportunity to see a stave replica here in the United States. The story behind the building of this church is also rather incredible and I would encourage anyone reading this to watch a documentary or read up on this story because it is truly awesome. The tour guide we had was very friendly and knowledgable, I really liked him! One of the coolest parts of the entire tour was when a group of elderly people approached him and began trying to formulate questions. Little did we know they were from Iceland here on a tour of the museum. Our tour guide actually began speaking back to them in Icelandic. While Icelandic is the closest modern language to olde Norse, what the Vikings mainly spoke, I thought that was really amazing that he could speak it. Talk about well qualified. I would so recommend visiting this museum if you are in any way interested in Viking or Scandinavian history or even just amazing human feats and familial love. Five stars all the way! read more

Hjemkomst Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

A cultural center for the Red River Alley. Come to look at the Hjemkomst Viking ship, stay for the history. Seasonal events include the Viking and Celtic festivals. Local and regional arts and textiles are on display in the galleries. read more

Hjemkomst Center - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Moorhead, Minnesota

Interesting local history museum with a Norwegian Viking church outside and a longship in the middle! Both are impressive recreations with lots of history covered from both Minnesota and Norway. Nice tour of the church and grounds from a local volunteer and lots to see around the museum, even if you're not into Nordic culture. Worth the drive from the Cities plus a stop in Fargo just over the border. Tip: If you're heading up from the Cities, make a stop in Alexandria for the Runestone Museum and Ole to make your Viking-themed trip complete. read more

This is a nice museum in Fargo that housed a recreated Viking ship and a recreated Norwegian Stave church. The tour guide did a nice job quickly explaining the church (in the frigid air) and answering questions. The Viking ship is awesome - too bad you can't get on it to really get the feel for it. The other exhibits were about prohibition and the King James Bible - these exhibits had a lot of reading not as many artifacts; the ship and the church are the real highlights. If you're a tourist, this is a good way to spend 1-2 hours. read more

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Definitely the most unique small museum I have ever visited. As of this writing there are two components to this unusual spot. 1. A replica full sized Viking ship which was used to "return" to Norway. (Hjemkomst mean homecoming.) There is a 28 minute really well made DVD about this massive display and well worth watching. I had two thoughts after seeing it all - people are awesome, people are crazy! 2. A replica full sized Medieval Norwegian church and a volunteer guide dying to tell you all about it. We got the rushed version (what is Norwegian for thank you) because of an upcoming wedding. Like nothing you have ever seen before! There is also a gift shop you will adore if you happen to be Norwegian. The whole thing was quirky and different! read more

The bartender at my hotel in Fargo said this place was cool so I walked across the border in the January cold to check it out. Unfortunately, I only had limited amount of time but I got to wander through two exhibits, including a particularly inspiring photography exhibit by late 19th/early 20th century Clay County photographers Wange and Flaten. I also got to see the Hjemkomst ship exhibit, a project which was beautifully contextualized in the 30 minute documentary they screen in the Center's theater. It's a very human, moving tale. Strong recommend. Easily worth the 7.50 admission I paid. read more

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I'm not really the tour type. But this place was suggested as a must see. The grounds are gorgeous. If my church looked like this I might go more often. It reminds me of some of the ancient Orthodox churches in Russia, all that's missing is the dome. Such beauty, and in that style with no pews, just surrounding benches. Geneva was our guide, and she was amazed that traditionally women wouldn't be allowed in the altar. They do have weddings here. I couldn't imagine being married anywhere else. The viking ship is phenomenal, and I can't believe they used to burn these. read more

Cute museum. I went there on a whim and spent a few hours watching the videos and reading the placards with information about WWII. There weren't many people when I went, but the church was locked up. There's a discount for students. read more

The best part was the staff! All of them were so friendly and knowledgeable! To me, it wasn't a "must see" attraction, but definitely a nice way to spend a couple hours. read more