Dickson, the oldest Danish settlement in Western Canada, was settled in 1903 by seventeen Danish settlers. In 1909, Carl Christiansen, one of the original settlers, built and opened the General Store in Dickson. The family lived on the second floor above the store; the store remained in operation until 1980. The store was officially opened as a museum in 1991 by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.The museum is restored to a typical 1930’s General store that sold groceries, hardware, and dry goods. The living quarters are also restored to the '30s era and the Post Office still has the boxes with the glass fronts and has been turned into a Gift Shop that features arts and crafts by local artists as well as other unique gifts. Take a step back in time and experience shopping in the '30s and take a glimpse at how people lived back then. For many it will bring back memories...
The permanent exhibits are the original building, the shelves stocked with artifacts of groceries, hardware, housewares, notions, dry goods etc. The store still has some of the original display cases, a coffee mill, cheese wheel, scales, the old vinegar barrel, wooden ledger, and the old style cash register that we still use today. The upstairs is fully furnished to the Christiansen’s living quarters. There is also a lumber shed on site with a story behind its unique design.
We offer Scandinavian Trail tours, group tours, individual tours, and education tours. We host special children’s days over the summer, and several special events throughout the year.
