Tour a Viking ship in Geneva

Geneva's replica Viking longship will be open for public tours June 21, 27 and 28 at Good Templar Park, 528 E. Side Drive in Geneva.

Tour hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 21, and 1 to 4 p.m. June 27-28, during the Swedish Days festival.

Also, on Sunday, June 21, the 105th Swedish Day Midsummer Festival will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Good Templar Park, featuring music, food and activities for children. Admission to the park is $5 and includes parking. Admission to the Viking exhibit is $3.

On June 27-28, admission is $5 or $3 for teens. Parking is free.

A viewing platform allows visitors to see inside the ship, called the Viking, built in 1893. The vessel is about 78 feet long, 17 feet wide and 6½ feet high from the bottom of the keel to the gunwale.

The boat is an exact copy of the Viking ship Gokstad, built about 850. The replica was sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen, Norway, to Chicago for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The vessel has been displayed at the park since 1996.

Guided group tours are available by appointment. A two-week advance reservation is required. The cost is $5 or $3 for children age 6 and older. The minimum fee is $25 for a group.

For more information, call (630) 753-9412 or email viking1893@gmail.com. Visit www.vikingship.us or follow the nonprofit on Facebook. For more on Swedish Day at Good Templar Park, visit www.swedishday.net.