Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Keelmen Mural
Conspiracies and monsters abound at Denver Airport.
‘Notre Denver’
Alai Minar
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Illinois Geneva The Viking
AO Edited

The Viking

A replica viking ship from the Chicago World's Fair is still in dry dock in an Illinois park.

Geneva, Illinois

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Viking today.   Kyleaschmitt on Wikipedia
The Viking at the Columbian Exhibition.   Wikipedia
The interior of the ship.   Kyleaschmitt on Wikipedia
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Freya, the head and tail of the Viking, is currently on display at the nearby Geneva Public Library   mocchiatto / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Looking down into the ship   jen487 / Atlas Obscura User
Close up of the ship   jen487 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Illinois is the possibly the last place one might think to find a full-sized viking sailing ship, but thanks to a relic from the 1893 world's fair Nordic history is still alive in one of the state's public parks.

Built to resemble a viking ship known as the Gokstad, the unimaginatively named Viking was the jewel of the World's Columbian Exhibition which took place in Chicago in 1893. The modern historical ship was constructed in Norway using traditional methods including using iron rivets to hold the ship together. The boat was 78 feet long from stem to stern and just 17 feet wide, just the like the sleek ships of the original viking invaders. The decorative dragon's head and tail were also added to either end of the vessel, bringing its fearsome profile to life. Once completed, the ship was actually sailed from its Scandinavian shipyard, to the Hudson River, connecting to the Great Lakes, and eventually Chicago.

The ship was a hit at the fair and after traveling down to New Orleans in a final voyage, the Viking was returned to Chicago, where it would remain to the present day. While the ship was beloved, funding to maintain a replica viking boat was hard to come by. Across the years local Scandinavian groups volunteered to maintain the boat in dry dock, but even their efforts struggled to maintain the wooden vessel. Eventually the Viking was moved to its permanent home in Good Templar Park in Geneva, Illinois.

The elaborate head and tail piece have been moved to a nearby museum, but the boat itself is now stored under a protective canopy for tour groups to visit. While preservation efforts still flag the Viking has been declared a historic site and will now likely survive for a whole new generation of pillagers to marvel at.         

Related Tags

Vikings Boats World's Fair

Know Before You Go

You will want to check out the website as the tours are once a month.  

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

markspamsmith, emmaflocke, jen487, Collector of Experiences...

  • markspamsmith
  • emmaflocke
  • jen487
  • Collector of Experiences
  • mocchiatto

Published

February 11, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Viking
Good Templar Park
528 East Side Drive
Geneva, Illinois, 60134
United States
41.893349, -88.290646
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Easy Chair Grave

Geneva, Illinois

miles away

Illinois State Training School Cemetery

Geneva, Illinois

miles away

Sacred Heart Seminary Shrine

Geneva, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Geneva

Geneva

Illinois

Places 4

Nearby Places

Easy Chair Grave

Geneva, Illinois

miles away

Illinois State Training School Cemetery

Geneva, Illinois

miles away

Sacred Heart Seminary Shrine

Geneva, Illinois

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Geneva

Geneva

Illinois

Places 4

Related Stories and Lists

Relics of the World's Fair: Chicago

world's fair

By Kimberly Wadsworth

Related Places

  • Two Viking-style sailing ships sit in a harbor.

    Tønsberg, Norway

    Vikingodden

    This one-of-its-kind shipyard brings the 12th-century Viking Age back to life.

  • The Viking Unst Project and Skidbladner

    Haroldswick, Scotland

    The Viking Unst Project and Skidbladner

    Recreations of a Norse longhouse and boat on Shetland's northernmost inhabited island.

  • The building sports a strikingly photogenic red-and-white exterior.

    Glen Arbor, Michigan

    Cannery Boat Museum

    Swing by this brightly painted former cannery on the water for a crash-course in local boating history.

  • Remains of an old fort on Dalkey Island.

    Dublin, Ireland

    Dalkey Island

    A tiny island off the coast of Dublin was once a pilgrimage site for the sick and the suffering.

  • Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.

    London, England

    Tamesis Dock

    Take in the views of Big Ben with a Guinness in hand at this floating pub aboard a 1930s Dutch barge.

  • Munich, Germany

    Alte Utting

    From open waters to open dance floors—this decommissioned ferry has been transformed into a lively nightclub.

  • LV78 in Ocean Village.

    Southampton, England

    Calshot Lightship

    This bright ship once guided vessels towards the Port of Southampton.

  • This “ship” was once a flower sculpture.

    Andover, England

    Viking Longboat

    This former floral display recalls Andover’s crucial role in Viking history in England.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.