Norway House

FUNDRAISER 2024:
Creating a Welcoming Community Space in Ventura Village

Norway House is the Norwegian arts, business, and culture center in America.

In 2022, Norway House welcomed Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway to cut the ribbon on a major expansion of our building. International press and visitors from all over the United States and Norway lauded the event as a one-of-a-kind connector to more than just the Norway we all think of, but also the country we should know more about. 

On any given day, guests to Norway House can enjoy a social time in our Kaffebar—a vibrant lunch café serving a full list of hot and cold coffee drinks, wine and beer, homemade soup and baked goods, vaffler (Norwegian waffles), and pølse med lompe (hot dogs). Norway House partners with Ingebretsen’s Nordic Market, a more than 100-year-old institution in Minneapolis, to provide an eclectically curated gift shop. The Galleri at Norway House features a rotation of art installations and exhibits about Norwegian culture and business. Our BARN program helps Nordic businesses find their footing in the United States market. The Norwegian American newspaper unites our cultural communities across North America and sheds light on topics relevant to them.

Today, the country of Norway is a leader in issues involving the environment, peace, and the press. Artists from Norway, in performance and fine arts, push the button on the way we look at life. Our relationship with the vast Somali peoples and cultures in Minnesota and Norway calls upon us to learn more and act bolder. Our commitment to our vast Norwegian-American communities in Minnesota calls us to renew and expand upon the zeitgeist of lutefisk, lefse, sweaters, and jokes. 

Norway House is a forward-thinking nonprofit organization dedicated to being that home for discovery and renewal. 

STOP BY GINGERBREAD WONDERLAND 2024

Gingerbread Wonderland is when we ask our community to take a moment out of the stress and bustle of the year to focus on making something fun together. Tickets are just $10-$15 per person, and kids 6 and under enjoy the showcase for free. Plus, we have a scavenger hunt, a Norwegian cafe for snacks and cookies, a gift shop by Ingebretsen's Marketplace -, a Norwegian-speaking American church next door, and a brand-new events center!

No matter your age or experience, you can make a gingerbread house. Our website has great recipes and tips to get you started.