When Nordic House on Columbia Circle opened in 1989, it was the first Nordic House in the United States. The residence, a partnership with the Scandinavian Writers Association and UAF, provides housing for visiting artists and writers from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.

Nordic houses exist in the northern countries of Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to share information and culture in the hopes of fostering a coalition among Nordic cultures. The main goal of the facility is to serve as a link between Alaska’s Nordic population and other Nordic countries.