Public viewing of the Viking, a replica longship displayed at Good Templar Park, 528 East Side Drive in Geneva, will begin Saturday, April 20.
Guided and self-guided viewing hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Additional dates will be May 17, June 15, 21, 22; July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 20, and Oct. 18-19. Parking is free. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for teens 13-17 and free for kids 12 and under. Guided tours end at 3:45 p.m..
Tour guides will recount the ship’s history-changing story, discuss life on board and point out the skilled craftsmanship which allowed Viking ships to raid, trade and explore throughout the ancient world. Displays of period photos and recreated Viking clothing, jewelry, tools, and weapons are included.
The 78-foot-long Viking was built in Norway in 1893. A hardy group of 12 volunteers sailed it across the stormy north Atlantic to become a star attraction of the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair). The ship was modeled after the Gokstad, a 1000-year-old excavated burial ship of an ancient Viking king.
For more information, visit www.vikingship.us.
—Al Benson