We recently went to Solvang, the “Danish Capital of America,” with our children and grandchildren. We spent four full days and five nights. Even though we saw many things, there is still a list of things that we could have done, but time ran out.
Yes, we spent a little bit of time relaxing, but there was a lot of time on the go. Since we had children ages 4 months to 8 years, we focused on mainly seeing things that interested the children and threw in a few things for the adults. We were also working around nap time on the two youngest.
When we visit, we are coming from the north, and we saw many rows of crops, vineyards, and horses. Solvang is a small town of under 6,000 people, with million-dollar houses being prevalent. The style of most buildings is traditional Danish. It’s a tourist town with millions of visitors a year. Visitors have included Danish Prince Frederik and Princess Ingrid who visited in 1939, and Danish Queen Margrethe who visited in 1976, and Danish Prince Henrik who came for the Centennial Celebration in 2011. Annual Danish Days are held each year, usually the third weekend in September.
Solvang was founded in 1911 by a group of Danish people determined to start a Danish Community away from the winters of the midwest. They purchased 9,000 acres around the Old Mission Santa Ines for $75,000. The city became popular in 1947 when the Saturday Evening Post mentioned Solvang as “Little Denmark.” Since then, it has become a tourist town with plenty of places to stay, eat, and see. They even have a trolley car, pulled by horses, and Surry rides to get you around town. We spent most of our time in town walking. There are places a little further out that required us to drive.
Activities
The following sections include activities I would recommend by age group. If we visited the location, I also included notes from our visit. I do not have a map available, however, if I were to draw one of the main downtown areas, it would be a rectangle. Starting from the north, off the 101 Freeway, the main road is Mission Drive. At one of the traffic lights, you would turn right onto Alisal Road and then right onto Copenhagen Drive, followed by another right on Atterdag Road. From Atterdag Road you would turn right back on to Mission Drive.
Children and Teens
Hans Christian Andersen Park – 633 Chalk Hill Road. FREE. You enter the park through a castle arch. There is a challenging skate park at the beginning of the park. If you have both teens and young children they do have a small wooden playground nearby. We drove on further to the large playground. There are many slides, swings, a small climbing wall, and a music station. One of the slides requires climbing up to the third level and sliding down a tunnel slide. There are cement picnic tables throughout the area to eat a snack or lunch, or to sit down to rest. There is even a child-sized one in the playground area. Our grandsons spent time throwing a baseball back and forth to their PaPa in the large grass area. This park has a lot of shady areas. There are also trails to hike.
Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch – 1555 Alamo Pintado Road. FREE. This was our second visit here and once again it was closed. However, it is along the road and you can pull over and see the horses. You just can’t get close to them. Sometimes there will be a baby horse with its mother and sometimes they will run around. It’s amazing to see so many miniature horses in one place and realize how small they are compared to the regular horses down the road.
Sunny Fields Park – 900 Alamo Pintado Road. FREE. This is very close to the Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch. The park is a must-visit if you have children. The community made this park for the local children. Solvang is Danish for Sunny Fields, so the park name is very appropriate. It is a mainly wooden playground. There are also swings and a few toys for children to bounce on. A large picnic area and restrooms make this a great place to hang out for a while. There are plenty of picnic tables around the playground for parents to watch older children. For small children, there is plenty of room for parents to tag along. Children will enjoy the slides, stairs, bridges, photo op cutouts, and so much more. Children will not be bored. There is also a baseball field, sand volleyball courts, and a big grassy area. Plus paths to walk around the playground.
Everhoj Museum of History and Art – 1624 Elverhoy Way. $5 donation suggested. The museum is dedicated to Danish culture. The original owners of the home, now museum, were artists. The volunteers have a lot of knowledge that they share. One of them had our grandchildren looking for all the animals (wooden and cement.) Some of the rooms of the house are decorated as they would have been when the house was built. There is a video running in one of the rooms. Another room features many tools and the child’s bedroom includes a bassinet with paintings on the sides of characters from Hans Christian Andersen and a dollhouse that is of a home built above two businesses. It is quite detailed. The original owner had painted the beautiful paintings. The kitchen has hand-painted cabinets. There is a gallery area that includes etchings by Rembrandt. In the backyard is a guest home that holds a diorama of the city back in the 1920s. The street names are listed, so you can see what has replaced many of the buildings from back then. There is also a store that sells books, crafts, and amber jewelry. I highly recommend this museum.
Ostrichland USA – 610 E. Hwy 246 in Buelton, just before Solvang if you are coming from the 101 Freeway. The cost of this varies with reduced rates for military and seniors. Children 12 and under are $2 and adults without discounts are $5. You can buy a tray of food for $1. There are over 100 ostriches and emus behind fences with openings to feed them. I would recommend coming when it is not a holiday weekend. The first time we went the ostriches were hungry and we had a very memorable experience. The second time we came was Memorial Day weekend and it was busy and they weren’t very hungry when we tried to feed them. They sell Ostrich eggs and meat there.
Solvang Wind Harp – 636 Atterdag Road. FREE. This was a little difficult for us to find since it is on the grounds of a nursing home. It is the oldest wind harp in California. It was originally on top of one of the towers at the Danish Pavilion in San Francisco’s Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915. Afterward, most of the buildings were demolished. The wind harp was saved and moved to Solvang. Originally made of bamboo, it is now all metal. I enjoyed seeing and hearing it when the wind blew. There is a small seating area where you could sit and listen to it.
Adults
Solvang Olive Press – 463 Alisal Road. Taste and purchase a large variety of olive oils. Wine tasting.
Wineries – There are many wineries in the area, including Toccata (Italian wines), Lucky Dogg Winery (syrahs and syrah blends), Casa Cassara Winery (whites, reds, and roses), Servtap Winery Tasting Room is in a windmill on Copenhagen Drive (Bordeaux style blends), CrossHatch Winery (whites and reds) is located in another windmill. Royal Oaks Winery Tasting Room is on Mission Drive (sweet dessert wines) and also on Mission Drive is Sanger Wines Tasting Room (wine, olive oil, and balsamic tastings.) Where else can you taste wine in a windmill in the United States?
Chumash Casino is located about five miles east of town. They have a bar/lounge, 4 restaurants, and a hotel if you want to spend a lot of time at the Casino.
All ages
Hans Christian Andersen Museum – 1680 Mission Drive. FREE. Located in downtown Solvang. There is a large presence of Hans Christian Andersen in town since he is a well-known Dane. The children were a little bored here, but I made a point of showing them the displays of the paper cutouts that Hans Christian Andersen would make when he was reading one of his fairy tales to a group of children. They are amazing. Several other displays caught their eyes. The first floor is a book store, The Book Loft, and the second floor is the museum. My grandson’s mom bought them a few books, so they were happy. They do have many old, unusual books and a large assortment of Hans Christian Andersen books. Some of his books include “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Thumbelina,” and “The Ugly Duckling.” There is a small park near the Museum with restrooms and a bust of Hans Christian Andersen.
Little Mermaid Fountain – A copy of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark is located near the corner of Mission and Alisal Road downtown. Another nod to Hans Christian Andersen.
Solvang Trolley & Carriage – 1618 Copenhagen Drive This is a horse-drawn trolley.
Surrey Bike Rentals – on Park Way – There are several sizes based on the size of your group. You can bike around town for an hour, but there are some limitations on how far away from town you can go. My husband, daughter, and two grandsons went for a ride one afternoon, but the boys were tired by then and didn’t feel much like pedaling. I would suggest a morning ride.
No Joqui Falls Park – 3250 Alisal Road, Goleta. FREE. This is in Goleta, only a short drive from Solvang. There is a path to walk to the falls. May was not the best time to view the falls since it wasn’t much more than a trickle. Part of the pathway near the end was closed due to what appeared to be a rock slide.
Goleta State Park Beach – 5986 Sandspit Road, Goleta. This is another place to visit outside of Solvang, in Goleta. It is a State Park so you do have to pay a day-use fee. The beach is very close to the parking lot. Our grandchildren had a great time playing in the sand and water. It was a nice change from walking around downtown. The sun didn’t come out until about noon, but that didn’t bother the children. The beach is one of many, which are a short distance from Solvang.
Golf Courses – River Course at the Alisal – 150 Alisal Road Alisal Golf Course – 3020 Buttonhood Road and Ranch Course at the Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort – 1054 Alisal Road. These are all quite close to each other. We didn’t go to any of them, but my husband plans to bring his golf clubs next visit.
Shopping – Take a walk downtown to find a selection of specialty shops. The Solvang Shoe Store has an oversized Danish clog out front. Several of my grandchildren have had their photos taken in that clog. Jules Hus sells Christmas decorations and gifts all year long. The Book Loft is below the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. The Swedish Candy Factory makes and sells a variety of candies. Their specialty is Swedish peppermint candy sticks, known as Polkagris. Renaissance Antiques has been in Solvang since 1976 and has clients worldwide. Solvang Toyland is very popular with children. Edelweiss is a gift shop with dolls, fairies, sterling silver jewelry, watches, and more. This is only a small list of available stores to visit. Plan to spend a day shopping and eating downtown.
Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum – 320 Alisal Road. A private collector, Virgin Elings, opened this museum to share his collection of rare and vintage motorcycles, along with European racing bikes. It has limited hours on Saturday and Sunday, and of course, we missed them, but you can still peek in the windows.
Mission Santa Ines – 1760 Mission Drive – Founded in 1804 by Spanish missionaries. Father Pedro Estevan Tapis was the founding priest. The mission is a National Historic Landmark. Reservations were required for a tour, and we didn’t have them, so we arrived and were able to walk around the exterior only. We walked through a cemetery with the Stations of the Cross. The mission is an active church. Next time we will make reservations since I have heard the museum holds many artifacts, manuscripts, artwork, and bells. It is worth visiting for its historical significance. They also have a gift shop on site.
Eating
This is only a small selection of what is available. The only place we actually ate at was Paula’s Pancake House.
Paula’s Pancake House – 1531 Mission Drive – they serve Danish pancakes, along with traditional buttermilk pancakes, also serve lunch.
Solvang Bakery – 438 Alisal Road – Cute red double doors lead into this cozy bakeshop, they make gingerbread cakes and other pastries
Mortensen’s Danish Bakery – 1588 Mission Drive – this is an old-fashioned gift shop and cafe, with traditional European pastries
Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery – 1529 Mission Drive – European cookies, pastries, and sweet treats, quaint old-world bakery
Danish Mill Bakery – 1682 Copenhagen Drive – Danish baked treats, located in one of the four Danish windmills in Solvang
Birkholm’s Bakery and Cafe – 460 Alisal Road – Homey place, which makes traditional Danish pastries and sandwiches
Solvang Restaurant – 1672 Copenhagen Drive – Danish food, with a selection of American sandwiches and burgers.
Bit O’ Denmark – 473 Alisal Road – Danish smorgasbord which includes roast duck and apple cinnamon crepes
Copenhagen Sausage Garden – 1660 Copenhagen Drive – This is a laid-back, outdoor garden with beers and sausages
Succulent Cafe – 1557 Mission Drive – American food, charcuterie, quality wines, with many interesting succulents in the courtyard
It’s hard to find fast food in Solvang. We did spot a Subway on Mission, but if you want fast food you might need to drive to Buelton. Besides fast food, Buelton is known as the home of Pea Soup Andersons.
Hotels
We have access to a timeshare in Solvang, so we did not stay in any of the hotels. Nor did we eat at many of the restaurants. It was easier for us to take turns making the meals and eating at the timeshare. This is a list of highly-rated hotels in the area. Like the lack of fast-food restaurants, these are not your typical hotel chains, which adds to the charm of Solvang. The five on Mission Drive are on the main street through Solvang. Most of them are cute, Danish-looking on the exterior. Some of them have minimal Danish furnishings. The Kronborg Inn has a working windmill on site. All are within walking distance to downtown. It’s best to leave your car at the hotel if you intend to walk around downtown since there isn’t much available parking downtown.
King Frederik Inn – 1617 Copenhagen Drive – outdoor swimming pool and hot tub
Kronborg Inn – 1440 Mission Drive – outdoor swimming pool and hot tub
The Hamlet Inn – 1532 Mission Drive – boccie ball, they offer free use of bicycles for getting around town.
Vinland Hotel and Lounge – 1455 Mission Drive – one of the newest hotels, with an outdoor swimming pool and spa
Royal Copenhagen Inn – 1579 Mission Drive – outdoor swimming pool
New Haven Inn – 271 Alisal Road – some rooms include patios with firepits, close to Alisal River Golf Course
Atterdag Inn – 467 Atterdag Road – garden area on-site, family rooms, some with bunk-beds
Solvang Inn and Cottages – 1518 Mission Drive – heated outdoor pool and hot tub
Yes, this is a lot of information. I want to assure you, you will find plenty of great food, interesting activities, and amazing places to stay in Solvang. Add Solvang to your bucket list, using the lists above. Let me know in the comments, how your trip went. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have been to Solvang before please comment with your favorite place in Solvang.
