Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter, a place for contemporary cultural encounters

Open-air museum offers a fresh perspective on Norwegian history

The Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter — the Western Norwegian Emigrant Center — is a place to learn about the history of the Norwegian emigration to North America and its meaning for us today.

On July 4, 2025, the replica of the sloop Restauration sailed away from Stavanger, Norway, to follow the course of the historical crossing to New York City — a historical moment, as we make 200 years of organized emigration from Norway to North America. With three generations of the Norwegian royal family in attendance for the sailaway, the Crossings 200 commemoration officially began.

But on both sides of the Atlantic, the Crossings 200 events are by no means confined to Stavanger or New York. The Norwegian settlement of the New World went far and wide, encompassing an entire continent. There was immigration from all parts of Norway, as over 800,000 Norwegians left their home country to find a better life on the other side of the Atlantic. Norway has never forgotten those who left, and to this day, the emigration is researched, remembered, and celebrated at academic institutions and at cultural centers throughout the country.

The poster for the Utvandringsfestival featured the Crossings 200 logo. It depicts emigrants of days gone by and today.,

On July 4, it was also time to kick off a three-day celebration for Crossings 200 with “Utvandringsfestivalen, an “Emigration Festival” at the Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter, the Western Norwegian Emigration Center at Sletta on the island of Radøy, north of Bergen on the west coast of Norway.

Part of the Museum Center in Hordaland, the Vestnorsk Utvandringsssenter is described as “a real Norwegian-American prairie village.”

It is an open-air museum of buildings built by Norwegian Americans in the United States and later moved to Norway. You can visit a one-room schoolhouse, a doctor's office, a tiny residential house, town hall, and even a prison.

The Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter is an open-air museum with a collection of buildings brought to Norway from the Midwest of the United States. It is a place to experience history in a living way.

At the heart of the prairie village is the Emigrantkyrkja — the Emigrant Church. If you have ever visited the small, white-painted wooden Lutheran churches of the Midwest built by Scandinavian immigrants, you will immediately feel at home at the Emigrantkyrkja at Sletta. This small Lutheran church was built in the early 1900s in the rural township of Brampton, N.D., and was moved to Norway in 1997.

There is a sweet humbleness to these pioneer churches with their unadorned wooden pews and simple carved altarpieces with the image of a risen Christ as their focal point — but what happens inside them can be magnificent.

Families and friends of the congregation and other visitors gathered outside the Emigrant Church at the Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter at Sletta after the festival Sunday service on July 6.

On the morning of July 6, there was a special Sunday service that paid tribute to the transatlantic crossing and connection, both in terms of music and message. After the ringing of the bells, the sanctuary was filled with the sounds of “Amazing Grace” in both English and Nynorsk. Following a standard liturgy, the service was filled with special musical moments, including a vocal performance by Reidun Horvei, county musician for Hordaland. A moving sermon was delivered by Ragnhild Jepsen, the presiding bishop in Bergen.

The focal point of the Emigrant Church at Sletta is the altar piece with its image of the risen Christ, typical of the churches built by Scandinavian immigrants in the Midwest.

A high point of the church service was an interview that took place with Mekin and Sibel, immigrants who had come to Norway from Turkey. We learned of their experiences leaving their native homeland and how they were welcomed in their new home in Norway, with hardships, challenges, successes, and joys. It was not difficult to think back on the emigrants of yesteryear and the struggles and victories they experienced.

The "young pioneers" of today were busy building their new home on the prairie with modular wooden logs. In the background is the old town hall and jail.

A collection of emigrant postcards and letters gives a living glimpse into the past.

The day’s activities moved down to the village, where one could explore new exhibits for the bicentennial, with volunteers available to answer questions. Young and old alike were there to celebrate together, in what felt like a child’s wonderland of discovery. There were modular logs for the little pioneers to build their new homes, and it was fun to see grandpas join in on the work. There were old postcards and letters on display, and there was an emigrant trunk, where you could put in your ideas of what you would take with you on your journey. There was also an impressive exhibit of local student art.

The center's director, Lena Eikeland Kutschera, was dressed in her traditional bunad to great festival attendees.

A tent was set up to function as a saloon, and there was good Norwegian food and drink available. Dressed in her traditional Norwegian costume or bunad, the center’s director, Lena Eikeland Kutschera, was on hand to welcome everyone, and announcements were made about upcoming programs to celebrate Crossings 200 throughout the year.

Spirits were especially high when County Sinfwe Horvei surprised everyone with a spontaneous cow call and some original emigrant songs, a new twist on the old.

It is always a high point with Hordaland County Singer Reidun Horvei makes an appearance at an event. At the festival, she surprised everyone with a cow call and an original emigrant song.

The Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter offers “a new perspective on today’s migration” while looking back on an important chapter in Norwegian history. It is a fun and welcoming place for contemporary cultural encounters, offering a variety of programs throughout the year.

A small house representative of the Norwegian pioneer days in the Midwest gives visitors a glimpse into how life on the prairie was in the 19th century, when the great wave of emigration took place.

Family-friendly, the center makes a perfect destination for both locals and tourists alike. A popular weekend outing, in addition to regular hours, guided tours and customized programs are available throughout the year. In the church basement, visitors will enjoy visiting the Emigranten Café and Shop, a cozy Norwegian cafe with local cookies, cakes, and lefse. They can also pursue a selection of high-quality local crafts and souvenirs. There is also an opportunity to explore your genealogy in the center’s digital archives, with help there to guide you along on your ancestral journey.

The shop at the Vestnorsk Utvandringssenter offers unique, high-quality gift items, many made by local artisans. There are also local pastries and coffee to enjoy in the café there.

To learn more and plan your own emigrant adventure, visit the center’s website at muho.no/vestnorskutvandringssenter, with information available in Norwegian and English. Vekommen — welcome!

All photos by Lori Ann Reinhall