People have been trying for decades to save the replica Viking ship that sailed to Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair.
And while there has been some progress on shoring up the Viking and preserving its wooden parts, the goal of finding a permanent home to save it remains. For 21 years, it has been covered by a thick plastic canopy at a private park in Geneva, but the boat can be viewed on tours and other events.
But that shelter isn’t enough, says a consultant hired by the Friends of the Viking Ship, which owns the 123-year-old oak vessel. It should be enclosed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled space by 2020 at the latest, said David Nordin of Naperville, former vice president of the Friends.
“The urgency involved… is because it has been out of the water for 123 years,” Nordin said. “It is an antique vessel.” In fact, the ship is the oldest replica Viking ship in the world. The committee has explored options with many entities, he said, including Chicago-based museums such as the Chicago Maritime Museum.
The size of the ship, at 78 feet long, would likely make it the largest maritime artifact in any such museum with the exception of the U-505 submarine at the Museum of Science and Industry.
The Friends of the Viking Ship want to find a climate-controlled space to house the ship. It would like one big enough to display it with the mast fully raised and the oars extended, and be reunited with its figurehead and tail.
In 2012, the Chicago Park District estimated the cost of renovating, moving and exhibiting the ship at $3.2 million. In the meantime, the group conducts monthly tours for the public during warm weather, shows the ship during the annual Swedish Day celebration at the park in June and gives private tours.
Source: Daily Herald
