06/19/2026
As a reminder, Gammelgården Museum is closed today, Friday, June 19th, in observance of Juneteenth (also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Jubilee Day), a federal holiday.
What is Juneteenth? From the Britannica website, Juneteenth "commemorates the end of slavery in the United States; and marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the day when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the enslaved population of their freedom — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation (1863).
"Because enforcement of the proclamation depended on Union military presence, many enslaved people in remote Confederate areas remained unaware of their freedom until Union troops arrived to control the territory."
To put this timing into context with the museum's buildings:
- The Immigrant House (Invandrar Hus) was built in 1855.
- The Old Church (Gammelkyrkan) was built in 1856.
- The first part of the Pastor's House (Prästgård), which was built in two stages, was built in 1868.
- Two versions of the Barn (Ladugarden) were built in 1868 and 1879.
(Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Why-Do-We-Celebrate-Juneteenth)
