Celebrating the Heritage of the Smoky Valley

Lindsborg Old Mill & swedish heritage Museum

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To Plan Your Visit

Discover museum buildings and exhibits, get directions to our location, get a preview of your museum experience, calculate your admission cost, and more…

The Historic 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion is at risk of permanent loss.

Learn today how you can help Save the Pavilion!

Take a Virtual VIDEO Tour of
The 1898 Smoky Valley Roller Mills
See the historic treasure in motion, from anywhere!

Old Mill Museum

The Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum celebrates and preserves the pioneering spirit of the Smoky Valley by educating, entertaining, and building community across generations so that history comes to life. With special emphasis on the period from 1870 to 1910, the museum includes two buildings on the National Registry of Historical Places and extensive archives and artifact collections.

The museum archives can help find your family roots. If you have ancestors who lived in McPherson County, it’s likely some record of their lives can be found in the historical documents. Have Swedish ancestors? Ask about resources for Swedish research!

1898 Historic Flour Mill

1904 World's Fair Swedish Pavilion

1870 Homestead Cabin

Watch Mill of Memories, Mill of Dreams below…
An introduction to the Old Mill, its history, and its workings.

Dr. Jeff Broome: The Ordeal of Susanna Alderdice
1:30 p.m., Friday, April 4

This is a free special presentation by Dr. Jeff Broome of Arapahoe Community College at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum (120 E. Mill St., Lindsborg), along with a display of paintings by Jim Nelson.

Dr. Broome will be talking about Susanna Alderdice – a 19th century settler near where Lincoln, Kansas, is today – who in 1869 was caught up in the violence in the Midwest surrounding conflicts between the United States and Native American tribes.

Chalk the Välk at the Museum
Featured artist sidewalk chalk demonstration by Éowyn
10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Saturday, April 12

As part of the new “Chalk the Välk” sidewalk chalk competition and celebration in Lindsborg (featuring David Zinn), the museum is sponsoring local artist Éowyn to decorate and illustrate the sidewalks at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum!

She will be making chalk art from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. We invite everyone to stop by and see her work!

Pursing YOUR Past: Inspiring the Next Generation of Genealogists
1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 31

Who’s going to take over the family history quest when you’re no longer able? Getting young people interested in their family history is important work. Learn creative ways to get youth involved in their own history search.

Virtual Swedish Genealogy Workshop
9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday, June 7

Topics

Navigating ArkivDigital: Premier Swedish Genealogical Website
Swedish-American Church Books
Researching and Understanding Swedish Estate Inventories
Google Images and Beyond: Places to Find Family Photos

Millfest
Saturday, May 3, 2025

Each spring, the museum hosts Millfest – a family event celebrating the history of the mill and the pioneer heritage of the region. Millfest is held the first weekend in May and features guided tours of the mill in operation.

Group & SChool TOurs

At Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum, the staff and volunteers strive to provide educational opportunities to children. The museum offers a wide range of activities for group and school tours. We have designed our programs to help teachers meet curriculum standards. For most programs and tours there is a minimal fee involved.

CampGROUND
Rentals

The Old Mill Campground is a small park area, with mature trees and a gravel road looping through, along the Smoky Hill River. It has 12 thirty amp and 6 fifty amp electrical hook-ups, and a large area suitable for tent camping.