The Twin Cities' only castle is open for the holidays again, and this year it's leaning hard into nostalgia. The American Swedish Institute has transformed its historic Turnblad Mansion into a scene straight out of decades past, complete with decorated rooms, familiar memories and holiday scenes evoking previous decades and shared memories.
The exhibition, called “Remember When,” is featured in a FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul video. The American Swedish Institute says the show is on view from November 7 through January 24, 2027, and is designed to transform the historic Turnblad Mansion into what the museum calls, in a statement to the American Swedish Institute, a “nostalgic dream of traditions and gatherings.”
Jolly Troll Trolls and Vintage Toys Fill the Mansion
Visitors walking through the mansion's rooms will spot some familiar faces this year. The exhibition relives cherished holiday memories, with trolls from the Jolly Troll restaurant, vintage commercials and toys in the decorated spaces.
It's part of what the institute calls its annual holiday experience, and this year's edition draws on familiar cultural elements and shared memories. The mansion itself, often referred to locally as the Twin Cities' only castle, provides the backdrop for the installation.
Nordic Food, a Gift Store and a Sprawling Craft Market
Beyond the exhibition rooms, the holiday experience includes seasonal Nordic food from FIKA Café, a destination gift store, and what the institute describes as one of the region's largest holiday handcraft markets. That market, known as Julmarknad, is billed separately as featuring more than 60 local artists.
Exact dates for Julmarknad vary across the institute's own pages. One page from the American Swedish Institute lists the market for December 4 through 6, 2026, while the organization's press release instead describes a preview night on December 5 followed by market days on December 6 and 7. A separate event-calendar listing from the same institute pins a Saturday market session to December 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The institute has not publicly reconciled those differing schedules.
Regardless of the exact dates, Explore Minnesota describes Julmarknad as a three-day event held during the first weekend of December, featuring shopping, pop-up musical performances, family crafts, story time and holiday food, along with access to the Turnblad Mansion's holiday exhibition.
A Holiday Tradition Built Into the Mansion's History
The combination of exhibition and marketplace has become something of a fixture for the institute each winter, with the handcraft market offering shopping alongside the mansion display. Market-goers receive admission to the holiday exhibition as part of their visit, according to the institute's own event-calendar description.
For now, the “Remember When” exhibition remains open inside the Turnblad Mansion through January 24, giving visitors weeks to wander its nostalgic rooms before the display closes for the season.
