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Geneva, Illinois: 1893 World's Fair Viking Ship

Norwegians built a functioning 78-ft. long Viking longship in 1893 and sailed it to Chicago for exhibition at the World's Fair. The ship can be seen on monthly tours.

Address:
528 East Side Dr., Geneva, IL
Directions:
35 miles west of Chicago, north of Hwy 38 on East Side Dr. in Good Templar Park.
Hours:
One Sa a month in Spring, Summer, and Fall. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
630-887-6490
Admission:
Adults $5, Teens $3, and Children $1
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Viking ship tour.

1893 World's Fair Viking Ship

In 1893, a replica of a 9th Century Viking ship was built in Bergen, Norway and sailed across the Atlantic, through the Erie Canal and Great Lakes to Chicago, where it was on exhibition at the World's Fair. And it's still open to visitors! It's had a pretty weird history (for a long time it was in Lincoln Park Zoo), but it's found a home in a kind of strange plastic greenhouse in a park in Geneva.

Once a month or so, it's open to the public. When we went, the tour was led by a guy in full Viking costume who told us the history of the boat. The boat itself is 78 feet long and built exactly as the originals were. It's the closest you can come to an authentic Viking Ship in the US. It's a fun tour and they sold waffles! A viking must!

[Katy Spindler, 03/18/2012]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Easy Chair GraveEasy Chair Grave, Geneva, IL - < 1 mi.
Humpty Dumpty in Art ParkHumpty Dumpty in Art Park, St. Charles, IL - 2 mi.
Fabyan Old Dutch WindmillFabyan Old Dutch Windmill, Geneva, IL - 2 mi.
In the region:
Barbed Wire History Exhibit, Little House, DeKalb, IL - 24 mi.

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