Families visiting Decorah for Luther College Family Weekend will have a museum option to add to their Saturday plans: Vesterheim is scheduled to offer free admission to eligible Luther College students, faculty and staff, along with Vesterheim members, on Sept. 19, 2026.
The museum campus is expected to be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can choose a guided tour or explore independently, allowing a Vesterheim visit to fit around other Family Weekend activities.
Two guided tours are planned
Vesterheim has scheduled two tours during the day. The first begins at 11 a.m. and focuses on the Museum Building. The second starts at 1:30 p.m. and highlights Heritage Park.
- 11 a.m.: Museum Building tour
- 1:30 p.m.: Heritage Park tour
The separate start times may allow visitors to attend one tour or both, depending on their schedules. Those who prefer to move at their own pace can instead make a self-guided visit during the museum’s regular Saturday hours.
What visitors can explore
Independent visitors can explore Vesterheim’s collection, heritage spaces and Vesterheim Commons. Families could begin with the Museum Building tour in the morning, visit Heritage Park later in the day, spend time exploring independently between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or combine those choices.
The free-admission offer is limited to the groups identified in Vesterheim’s event information: Luther College students, faculty and staff, and Vesterheim members. The offer does not automatically extend to every relative or guest accompanying an eligible person.
Vesterheim’s event information does not list a separate admission price for visitors outside those eligible groups, and it does not explain whether additional family or group members qualify for a discount. Families bringing guests who are not eligible Luther College students, faculty and staff or Vesterheim members should contact Vesterheim before traveling to Decorah to confirm current admission information and ask whether other arrangements are available.
A relationship dating to 1877
The event information says Vesterheim’s relationship with Luther College dates to 1877, when the collection began at the college. For eligible visitors attending Family Weekend, the Sept. 19 schedule links that longstanding relationship with guided tours and self-guided exploration at the museum.
Vesterheim published its plans Aug. 23, 2026, and updated them Aug. 24, 2026. Visitors should confirm admission details and tour availability with the museum before making plans, particularly if their group includes guests outside the eligible categories.