American Swedish Institute is a museum and event center located on the Golden Mile of Park Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 33 room mansion was built in 1904 as a private residence by Swan Turnblad, the owner of the largest Swedish language newspaper in the United States. The Turnblad Mansion was then donated to the American Swedish Institute in 1929 to become a place where people could gather and connect their pasts to their shared future. The American Swedish Institute is also home to ample outdoor space, and the Nelson Cultural Center which provides a selection of contemporary event spaces. Their team of event professionals has over 20 years of experience in hosting and planning large scale galas, weddings, and events.
Facilities and Capacity
The American Swedish Institute can accommodate up to 280 wedding guests in its upscale historic and modern event venues, and its expansive private outdoor spaces, all within the city limits. The mansion can accommodate small ceremonies or cocktail receptions of between 20 and 60 guests. The lawn and courtyard offer space for ceremonies, cocktail parties, and dinners of up to 250 guests, while the Nelson Cultural Center offers space for cocktail parties, ceremonies, and receptions for up to 280 guests.
Services Offered
The American Swedish Institute is a full-service wedding venue available to host engagement parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, wedding ceremonies, and receptions. The various space options offer customization and flexibility to suit your needs. As a full-service venue, they can provide custom options or all-inclusive packages, in-house catering and bartending, event rentals, lighting and sound, WiFi, and liability insurance. Couples may bring in their own vendors for entertainment, floral, decor, styling, planning, and dessert to further customize their event. On the day of your wedding, their staff will help you with setup and cleanup before, during, and after your special event. The American Swedish Institute is wheelchair-accessible and offers complimentary parking with the option of hosting valet.
Recommended by 85% of couples
1 User photo
Kendyl · Married on 06/29/2019
The Most Beautiful and Amazing Venue
The American Swedish Institute and its staff were incredible. The staff was easy to work with and flexible and open to all of our ideas for our wedding. Amanda, our contact, was so helpful and her communication was impeccable. She was always on time to our meetings and always followed up with a thorough email outlining what we talked about.
Sent on 07/16/2019
For the catering aspect, they have an in-house catering company called Slate and Stone, which has some of the incredible food that I have ever eaten! So that is a big plus!
Also, for those looking to get ready at the venue or have a space to relax, ASI had 2 classrooms. These rooms were perfect for us when we were waiting and relaxing before our ceremony!
In terms of the venue itself, we took advantage of all the spaces available for use at ASI. The mansion was a stunning location for our cocktail hour and first dance. The courtyard and outdoor space were perfect for our outdoor evening ceremony. And the Larson Hall (ballroom) was beautifully decorated and well set up for our dinner and dancing.
Overall, ASI was an incredible venue, and our experience there was even better than we could have ever hoped. Our guests were blown away by both the old and modern details of the venue and spoke highly about how great the staff was, how delicious the food was, and how much fun they had at ASI.
I highly recommend this venue to any bride who wants to have both old and new, and/or outdoor and indoor. It is in a great location within Minneapolis (5-10 minutes from downtown) with many options for hotels and Airbnb's close by.
American Swedish Institute's reply:
User4369108 · 2+ years ago
My daughter's recent wedding reception was held at the Swedish Institute. I was a little nervous about holding it there since I'd read some less than stellar reviews of the place, but my daughter and her fiancé loved the space and my entire family is Scandinavian. We decided to risk it, hoping that changing to in-house catering had also meant they'd improved their service. I'm so glad we did! Everything was perfect, thanks in large part to Kaitlin Astleford, who's the catering sales representative. Kaitlin worked with us from when we signed the contract through the reception. She was professional, responsive, accommodating and nice. She was there through the entire reception and made sure that all of our earlier requests were carried out and that everything ran smoothly. The Turnblad Mansion provided a gorgeous venue for cocktails and appetizers, and our guests also loved being able to explore the exhibits and upper floors of the mansion. Larson Hall in the Nelson Cultural Center was a beautiful space for dinner and dancing (we had 21 tables for guests, plus a 7 piece band and weren't at all crowded). Several of our guests remarked on the delicious food (courtesy of Slate and Stone Catering), and the service provided by the waitstaff and bartenders was professional and efficient. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding reception and would highly recommend the Swedish Institute!
Sent on 09/18/2014
Emily · Married on 08/03/2019
Amazing Venue
This was a beautiful venue with an awesome staff! Our wedding was supposed to take place outside and a storm started at 5:10 which was 20 minutes before the wedding. Amanda, our day of coordinator, was able to pull off a complete change to plan b which was inside. The staff made our day go by without any problems! It's also a fun venue to look around the exhibits and take great photos!
Sent on 08/16/2019
This venue offers the below options which may impact pricing:
American Swedish Institute Price Rates
Book a wedding reception or rehearsal dinner on a Thursday, Friday, or Sunday evening and receive a complimentary pour of house sparkling wine (1 glass per guest).
*Deal does not apply toward food and beverage minimum.
Preferred Vendors
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