Member Spotlight – Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum
What a treat it was for Chamber Connections attendees to gather at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum in Lindsborg, Kansas, October 30th. Executive Director Aubrey Wheeler and Director of Marketing & Communications Adam Pracht welcomed guests and shared insights into the museum’s mission and progress. Since becoming a nonprofit organization in 2021, the museum has focused on revitalizing its historic buildings. “Our biggest goal has been getting these buildings kind of repaired,” Aubrey said, and added “We’re just kind of continuing our work, trying to make more programs in the museum and do more community outreach here.”
One of the museum’s most anticipated annual events, Heritage Christmas, returns on Saturday, December 13th, from 5:30 p.m.–8 p.m. This year’s celebration marks the reopening of the historic 1904 Swedish Pavilion as the venue for the musical performances.
The Pavilion, designed by architect Ferdinand Boberg for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, is one of only two remaining international buildings from that event and has been relocated three times throughout its 121-year history. Inside, visitors can admire exhibits like the original Seal of Sweden, once displayed on the Pavilion’s porch, and enjoy period artifacts that showcase Swedish craftsmanship and culture.
Beyond the Pavilion, the museum’s Heritage Center immerses visitors in Smoky Valley’s past, focusing on life between 1870 and 1910. Highlights include the 1903 West Kentuck One Room School, an 1860s homestead cabin, and the 1898 Smoky Valley Roller Mill—the only historic roller mill in the Midwest that still operates during the museum’s annual Millfest celebration each May. With both the Flour Mill and Swedish Pavilion listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum offers a uniquely authentic glimpse into Kansas’ Swedish-American heritage. The museum, located at 120 E. Mill Street, welcomes visitors Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Learn more or take a virtual tour at oldmillmuseum.org, or call 785-227-3595 for more information. To see photos from Chamber Connections hosted by the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum go here.