In this week’s update: Sunflower Summer results, central room of Swedish Pavilion reopened to public, “Raise the Roof” campaign, and more!
In this update, keep up to date on what staff and volunteers at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum are working on to lift up the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened and looks ahead at what’s coming.
For August 4-10, 2025:
- The extended Sunflower Summer season wrapped up last Friday, August 8.
Thanks to everyone who gave us a visit in July and August under this wonderful state program that made more than 230 Kansas attractions and events available for FREE to Kansas school-age kids and one accompanying adult.We had 363 tickets used at the museum through the program! This was 119 parent/guardian tickets and 244 children tickets, representing $2,410 of income that will come to the museum through the program at no direct cost to the app users.
If you used the program and thought it was valuable – or even if you didn’t but support the program’s goals and benefits – please take a moment to call your Kansas legislator to thank them for the continued program in 2025 and to encourage them to bring Sunflower Summer back for 2026!
- The central room of the Swedish Pavilion is open again to museum visitors! The side wings still are being cleaned, so they are still closed. We are excited to have most of this historic structure open again!
Plans are in the works for a reopening celebration.
- With stability repairs on the 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion now complete, we are now in the “Raise the Roof” portion of the Pavilion repairs fundraising campaign.
Tax credits are still available for the 2025 tax year for donations under this campaign. Proceeds go to help with a new planned Pavilion roof that will be more durable and with a more historically accurate look! There will also be opportunities to have a “roof tile” with custom wording added to a permanent honor wall to recognize contributions to replace the roof; details will be coming soon.
The total contributed to the new roof is now more than $35,000. There is still capacity for more than $52,000 in donations possible under the grant, with eligible donations qualifying for a 70% fully refundable tax credit on Kansas taxes.
Last week, Adam continued work on a physical mailing to complete this portion of the campaign with a giving form and finalizing the mailing list.
Learn more at www.oldmillmuseum.org/raise-the-roof.
- The campgrounds were closed for a day last week while McPherson County resurfaced Old Mill Road leading to the campgrounds.
- The upcoming workshops from Pursuing YOUR Past – “DNA: There’s No EASY Button…Yet!” – a month away on September 13 – and the next daylong Online Swedish Genealogy Workshop on November 8 are now open and available for registrations!
- Prepurchase is also currently available for the second annual “Magic at the Mill” card tournament held at the museum on Saturday, September 20, in collaboration with local gaming store Spelbok. It will be a prerelease “Spider-Man” set themed tournament for $54.99 or Open Casual Commander for $10. Both registrations come with a guided tour of the 1898 Smoky Valley Roller Mills!
- Adam processed a renewing museum membership. Get your membership or renew today at www.oldmillmuseum.org/members!
- Our thanks to the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau, which gifted us a set of high-quality Rode microphones, which we’ll put to a number of good purposes.
- Adam updated a list of books available for sale in the museum gift shop with the CVB.
- Internet was down Friday afternoon and Saturday morning at the museum. Thanks to our providers at Ideatek for addressing the problem with a temporary fix until there is a permanent solution.
- With Lenora and Aubrey out of office last week, Adam and several dedicated volunteers covered the front desk. Thanks to everyone who helps keep the museum running smoothly!
- Tyler continued working on the Historic Image Database on Tuesday and Thursday.
- Need a great gift for the genealogist or history enthusiast in your life? NEW in the museum gift shop, you can now purchase a gift certificate good for a free registration to one of the museum’s Online Swedish Genealogy Workshops anytime in 2025 ($50) or a 2025 Pursuing YOUR Past presentation ($10). Your gift recipient will receive a one-time-use code by email or mail good to pay for the registration fee for one of these popular sessions!
Thank you to our weekly volunteers!