Norsk Museum, Sheridan

About Norsk Museum

Norsk Museum occupies the oldest Norwegian Lutheran Church in America, built by Rev. Elling Eielsen, the first Norwegian Lutheran minister in the country. The museum documents the history of the Sloopers, the first permanent Norwegian settlement in America, a group of 52 immigrants led by explorer Cleng Peerson who arrived seeking religious freedom. These Quaker and Hauge Lutheran immigrants settled in what is now Norway, Illinois, in LaSalle County near the Fox River. Visitors explore exhibits about Norwegian immigration to LaSalle County and trace the heritage of the Sloopers and their descendants. The church building itself, recognized by the Illinois Register of Historic Places in 2015, serves as the primary attraction. The museum suits genealogy enthusiasts and those researching Norwegian American ancestry, particularly visitors with family connections to early Norwegian settlements. The location is in Sheridan, Illinois.