The Swedish Historical Society is organized exclusively for historical, educational, and charitable purposes. In harmony with this purpose is the operation of the Erlander Home Museum and the preservation of Swedish-American history and culture of Rockford through such activities as the conservation of artifacts, museum displays and educational programs. One of the current and major initiatives of the Society today is the construction a new Cultural Center, to be located across the street from the Erlander Home Museum. This center will increase the ability to host international guests and activities that promote cultural peace and cooperation and as place to conduct educational programs. The Society offers through it's Swedish speaking members, Swedish translation services and Swedish language instruction to help those wishing to travel to Sweden or to communicate with Swedish friends and relatives by phone or in writing. Contact the Executive Director for more information on these services and watch this web site for announcements for Swedish language classes.
The Swedish Historical Society of Rockford was established in 1938 by a group from Rockford after visiting the 300th anniversary of the arrival of Swedes in North America. This celebration was held in Delaware, which was once a Swedish colony. The Society was officially formed on January 31, 1939 and incorporated in Illinois as a not-for-profit corporation on November 29, 1950.
The Erlander Home Museum operations are funded through entrance fees, membership dues gift shop sales and generous contributions by its members.
Guided tours of the Museum are by appointment. Call (815)963-5559
2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.
"Innovation: Museums and Reaching our Potential
The heart of innovation is transformation – shaking up our established way of doing things by introducing new methods, new ideas, and new approaches to both obstacles and opportunities
Museums across Ohio are not just adapting, but innovating to reach their full potential and better serve their communities. No matter their role, museum professionals are introducing forward-thinking perspectives and initiating creative solutions to launch the field into a future where museums can remain trusted and relevant community cornerstones
How can your museum stay true to mission and serve your community in new and meaningful ways? How can we as museum professionals meet the challenges of the future with reinvigorated enthusiasm
Join us in Athens, March 29-31 as we explore these topics and more at the 2025 Ohio Museums Association’s Annual Conference: Innovation: Museums and Reaching our Potential.
For more information, please email oma@ohiohistory.org.
Museums Unwalled: Expanding Horizon
This theme highlights the importance of museums as dynamic entities that engage with communities, foster education, drive cultural change and often go beyond the building itself. By focusing on areas such as community engagement, digital and virtual presence, interdisciplinary collaborations, sustainability, accessibility, and cultural diversity, we aim to provide a comprehensive and enriching experience for all attendees
The primary objective is to provide a platform for museum professionals and others working in the industry to share ideas, best practices, resources and innovative approaches that demonstrate how museums can reach audiences in and beyond our physical spaces. We aim to inspire attendees to think broadly about the potential of their institutions and to foster a spirit of innovation and community engagement.
By facilitating discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, the conference will empower current and future museum professionals and to expand their impact, embrace new challenges, and create meaningful connections with their audiences and communities.
"From the Ground Up: Cultivating Essential Skills in Museums
This year, the AMA conference theme is "From the Ground Up: Cultivating Essential Skills in Museums" As museum professionals we learn and use a wide variety of tools and skills every day
The Arkansas Museums Association is planning its 2025 Annual Conference, which will be hosted by Historic Washington State Park on March 31-April 3, 2025.
The goal of the conference is to support and foster the museum community through a mix of speakers as well as workshops, practical and informative presentations, in-depth discussions, and examples of projects and initiatives that are relevant to museums in Arkansas. Arkansas Museum Association members take ownership in the conference experience as presenters, speakers, panelists, facilitators, and workshop leaders.
For more information, please email arkansasmuseums@gmail.com.
Cultivating Community: Looking In, Reaching Ou
Who are the members of our communities? How can we evaluate our internal structures to help us better understand our organization, define our audiences, and serve our communities? How do we bring all communities together to support our field? How can we support and develop our internal community of staff, volunteers, and board members? How can we advocate for funding that meets operational capacity needs and includes equitable staff support? What changes do we need to make to prioritize the health and well-being of our museum workforce that will support the longevity and sustainability of our institutions and strengthen our ability to build meaningful community relationships
MANY presents conference sessions, workshops, panel discussions, facilitated discussions, and peer-to-peer learning experiences focusing on our 2025 conference theme, Cultivating Community: Looking In, Reaching Out. We will be gathering in Ithaca, in the Southern Tier Region of our state, located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation)
MANY’s annual conference helps museum professionals build a network to share perspectives, tools, and skills that develop excellence across the field. Our goal is to nurture a community of practice, advance institutional change, and create an inclusive and expansive New York team of collaborators who learn together.