The town of Lindström, Minnesota, is a celebration of Swedish heritage, often known as ‘America’s Little Sweden’. It was founded by Swedish settlers in the 1850s. Lindström, MN, served as inspiration for Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg’s well-renowned book series, Utvandrarna, or The Emigrants. This series was written between 1949 and 1959. It gave Swedes insight into what the journey to the U.S. was like for those who left their country and settled in Lindström, MN. There is a statue of the main characters, Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson, near the Swedish coffee pot water tower.
In 1992, while the town decided to tear down the old water tower and build a new one, a company owner in Lindström, Marlene Smith, had a vision. She wanted to give money to the old water tower and change it into a Swedish coffee pot, or kaffekanna. This was a successful endeavor, and it was remolded and repainted using a classic Swedish painting technique called kurbits. The coffee pot water tower sits unassumingly next to a liquor store parking lot on the main street in town. On its sides, you can read “Välkommen till Lindström”.
The king and queen of Sweden visited Minnesota in 1996 and made a stop in Lindström, and they were able to see the large kaffekanna with steam coming out of its spout!
The steam in the kaffekanna wasn’t used again until June 2025. Community efforts helped raise money to get the steam flowing out of the pot twice daily: once at 10 a.m., and again at 3 p.m. These are the typical hours for fika, the Swedish tradition of taking a break and enjoying coffee and treats with friends and family. The steam is provided through a fog machine. It looks like a real coffee pot!
Additionally, there are many more things to do in Lindström. There’s a Swedish gift shop, selling goods from Sweden, and a Scandinavian donut shop next door. There are also beautiful lakes to explore.
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