the Viking ship traveled to New Orleans

	Friends of the Viking Ship

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The 1893 Viking Ship exhibit will open in the spring. Visit us at Good Templar Park, Geneva, IL, between 1:00 & 4:00 on these dates: • April 24 • May 22 • July 17 • August 14 • September 18 • October 9

The Viking is a replica of the Gokstad ship. In 1893, under Captain Magnus Andersen, she sailed across the Atlantic (from Bergen, Norway to New York) and on to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (via the Erie Canal and Great Lakes).

Declared one of the 10 most endangered landmarks in Illinois, this important, irreplaceable piece of our nation's and region's history must be preserved.

"Ship belongs in a museum"
An editorial in the Kane County Chronicle

At the conclusion of the World's Columbian Exposition, the Viking sailed down the Mississippi River to New Orleans where she remained over the winter.
Never able to complete her journey around Florida and up the East Coast to Washington, D.C., the Viking was returned to Chicago.

After her return, the Viking sat beside the Field Columbian Museum (now the Museum of Science and Industry) but was, sadly, neglected.

Viking beside the Field Columbian Museum

Viking beside the Field Columbian Museum

photo: Vesterheim Museum, Decorah, IA

MORE HISTORY:

See the Ship! Hear the Story!

Visit us
at Good Templar Park, Geneva, IL.

Friends of the Viking Ship