Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County

Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the history of Clay County and presenting its rich heritage with exhibitions, events, and programming. Our mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history and culture of Clay County, Minnesota. In short, we tell local stories.

HCSCC is located at the City of Moorhead’s Hjemkomst Center. The organization manages the museum at the Hjemkomst Center and provides tours of the Hjemkomst Viking Ship and the Hopperstad Stave Church replica. The HCSCC also manages historic sites throughout Clay County, including the Comstock House and the Bergquist Cabin. Viking Connection, a new program developing Viking Age heritage arts in the Upper Midwest, is also an HCSCC-led effort.

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Museum Hours

9:00AM - 5:00PM, Monday - Saturday
12:00PM - 5:00PM, Sunday
5:00PM - 8:00PM, Tuesday Nights*

*The third (3rd) Tuesday night of every month is FREE!

Museum Admission

Adults (Ages 18-54): $10
Seniors (Ages 55+): $9
College Students: $9
Youth (Ages 5-17): $8
Children (Ages 4-): FREE
HCSCC Members: FREE
ASCTC & Time Travelers: FREE

Two young visitors sit on the grass watching a Viking battle practice in preparation for Scandinavian Hjemkomst & Midwest Viking Festival. The Hjemkomst Center looms in the background.

A wide-angle photograph of the Hjemkomst, our namesake Viking ship. The dragon masthead Igor stands tall on the left, the ship stretches back and to the right, and the mast stands tall in the center.

A long shot of the Hjemkomst Center, built in 1986 on the banks of the Red River in Viking Ship Park. The white Teflon tent stands tall in front of a blue sky and wisply clouds.

A long exterior shot of both the Hopperstad Stave church and the Hjemkomst Center. Bare tree branches stand in the foreground, the structures stand behind them, and a vapor jet trail cuts across the blue sky behind them.

A closeup exterior shot of the Hopperstad Stave Church weather vane: a rooster on a steel pole at the top of the church. A blue sky is seen in the background.

A long exterior shot of the Hopperstad Stave Church. The grass and trees around it are bright green, the sky in the background is cloudless and blue, and both the church and the gateway stand in the center of the photo. The 72-foot tall church looms large in the photograph.

A long exterior shot of the Comstock House in south Moorhead. Bright red roses and the green lawn stretch out in the foreground and the Queen Anne Victorian mansion stands in the background with a yellow-beige siding, large windows, and wood tone trim.

A full shot of the Bergquist Cabin in north Moorhead. The oldest building in the community on its original site, the cabin is seen from the southwest corner, showing two doors and two windows set in the gray log walls.

A long exterior shot of the Woodlawn School. This historic building used to serve rural students until consolidation brought them to Moorhead. The building is rectangular with a door on the end, four windows on the side, white siding, gray shingles, and a bell cupola at the top.

Mick Benson's "Borglum Windmill," an entry in our 24th National Watermedia Exhibition. The impressionistic watercolor features a windmill set on a hill against a gray sky. A house and walkway sit in the foreground.

A long exterior shot of the Hopperstad Stave Church taken in the winter. A Douglas Fir stands in the foreground, framing the left of the picture, another smaller fir stands in the center, and the church looms in the background. The roofs are covered with snow and the weather vane is seen at the top.

A black & white exterior shot of Moorhead taken by O.E. Flaten circa 1895. The image faces eastward from the corner of Center Avenue and 4th Street, showing the old downtown brick buildings and a man in a bowler hat crossing the street.

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