Published: October 18, 2011

Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja Open South Pole Exploration Exhibit at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

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MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway today officially opened an exhibit at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport commemorating the 100^th anniversary of Roald Amundsen's historic journey to the South Pole.

Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway opened a historic polar exploration exhibit at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. (Photo: Business Wire)

The exhibit, Cold Recall: Reflections of a Polar Explorer, on loan from Norway's Fram Museum, is on display through Nov. 14 in Terminal 1-Lindbergh's Concourse C. It is being displayed as part of the airport's Arts and Culture Program, which is administered by the Airport Foundation MSP, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing travelers' airport experience. The exhibit was secured through with a partnership between the Honorary Royal Norwegian Consulate, Sons of Norway (a Norwegian-American fraternal life insurance organization dedicated to preserving Norwegian Heritage and Culture), Destination Bloomington and the Airport Foundation MSP. This is the first time the exhibit has appeared in the United States.

Norwegian Roald Amundsen led the historic featured expedition from 1910 to 1912. In addition to illustrating the challenges of arctic exploration in the early 20^th Century, the display also provides a unique look at the daily lives of polar explorers. There is no admission charge for the exhibit; however it is located past the terminal's security checkpoints, so access is limited to ticketed passengers.

"It was a tremendous honor to have the King and Queen of Norway present to open the exhibit," said Jana Vaughn, executive director of the Airport Foundation MSP. "The importance of the exhibit was also highlighted by the presence of some of the most respected modern explorers in the world: Minnesota natives Ann Bancroft and Will Steger and Norwegian Liv Arneson. I encourage travelers flying through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to plan enough time during their trip to see for themselves the hardships Roald Amundsen and his team faced a century ago, when they became first to explore the unforgiving environs of the South Pole."