Rasmussen’s-Solvang

This place kind of reflects Solvang in a way: old, dated, nostalgic. You can find some souvenirs here, but they are all from like 1998, actually the whole store looks like that and it goes well with downtown Solvang.

I’ve been to this store twice and each time I purchased Evelskivers cast iron skillets that are so well made (though to make Vietnamese Banh khot haha) and some jewelry. They said their jewelry are imported from somewhere I forgot… Sounded cool.
They’ve soooooo many things to check out in here and a lot of the stuff are not the usual tourist souvenir crap. I have used and LOVED everything I purchased here. The skillets are awesome and inexpensive.
Also… The people are nice and make you feel welcomed, not watched like a hawk.

While this store is nostalgic and one of the few places still around from the early days of Solvang this review is only for this visit.
Downstairs in the front half of the store is primarily bric a brac. They have a large assortment of souvenirs and collectables packed into the small space. I bought a Russian doll actually made in Russia. They also have a large assortment of kitchen items like spoon holders, trivets, plates, and all sorts of cooking utensils.
The back half of the store downstairs is full of toys I didn’t spend any time in there so am not including it in my rating of the store
Upstairs has a large selection of needlework, embroidering, and crochet, supplies and items. This is not my cup of tea but I’m pretty sure someone who is could find things not in most small sewing and craft shops.

Rasmussen’s has been a fixture in lovely downtown Solvang for ages — so how it’s escaped my Unilocaling clutches is beyond me. Time to change that!
I remember one of the first times the wife and I stopped by this place. The wife peeked her head in and saw all the stuff and said «Wow. I bet everything in there is expensive!» At my prompting we went inside to browse and was pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t the case at all!
This is a fun store that has pretty much anything and everything you might want to remind you of your stay in Solvang or of the Scandinavian area in general. From books on Danish/​Swedish/​Norse cooking, language, culture, holidays and traditions; to jewelry and figurines; to all kinds of fun kitchenware (Aebelskiver pans!!! Woohoo!); to dolls and wind chimes; to knicknacks and Danish candies; to calendars and greeting cards. The list goes on!
I don’t understand the reviews that say the stuff here is «old and dusty junk», as nothing could be further from the truth! Its always clean and well kept up in here. The staff has always been friendly and helpful, always willing to answer questions and give advice.
The prices on most things in here are pretty reasonable. You won’t break your budget buying souvenirs here unless you go a little crazy in your buying, and are pretty much guaranteed to find something neat here to remind you of your visit to this lovely Danish haven.
There’s also a yarn/​fabric/​craft store tucked away upstairs that most people don’t know about. They have a good selection of yarn and supplies for those of you who are crafty. But be warned — this part of the store isn’t cheap. $ 9.99 for a SMALL skein of yarn? I think not! Perhaps they know they are the only game in town here. The sticker shock upstairs detracts a Unilocal stare for sure.
That being said, however, Rasmussen’s is a great place to browse and shop. If you can’t find anything fun here then you simply didn’t look hard enough.

Racist/​prejudiced employees. Told us we couldn’t afford anything in the store so we shouldn’t even look. Doesn’t deserve any stars. Please think before coming in to this store.

Racist store… I was here and accused by one of the employee that we «Asian» people steal. Here is what happen. My family, come here for a small vacation especially we have few people from MN. My parents love to go to Solvang and I have not been there in a while. While we are there, we visit Rasmussen’s store. My 13 yrs old daughter, my sisters, brother in law, and my self are in the store just to browse. One lady greet us and ask us if we need help. I told her we just looking right now. A few minutes later, she come back to us and ask us the same question…“do you need help”. I told her again we just looking around and will ask for help if we need it. Then one of the employee come to her asking if everything is ok?. The next statement that come out from the lady shock me. «Watch those Asian people, they steals». She didn’t say it in the whisper but she said it for my daughter and me to hear.
Then I just blow up… I told my family to leave that we are not welcome in this store. I was so pissed off, this is 2014 and we still get some racist comments. What kind of customer service this store have? The other lady (not sure if she is the manager) apologized stating that she is bi-​polar and didn’t take her medication. It just hurt that my 13 years daughter have to hear this.
So if you are Asian, please don’t come to this store. Don’t support the stores, spend your money at the other gifts shop that will welcome you with open arm and better customer service. I did reach out to the store owner via email but no reply yet.
Stay away from this RACIST store.

Junk, junk, junk! All the things in here are old and dusty. I was disappointed to see the stuff they had in here after reading the reviews. My husband even asked if it was a second hand store. Not only that but the owner still had the audacity to follow us around to make sure we weren’t stealing the junk he was selling! The old woman behind the counter apologized for his behavior which, of course, she didn’t have to– HE should’ve! Anyway, there are plenty of cute little stores with lots of souvenirs that are clean and new. Don’t waste your time! Go elsewhere!!! JUNK! The one star is because i have to rate it not because it deserves it.

This rating is for the upstairs yarn shop (the downstairs has gifts and trinkets). Good selection of yarn at reasonable prices. Also has selection of books.

This store has a lot of cute stuff to look at. You can buy a lot of souvenirs here as well. It was difficult to pick and choose what to buy since there’s a lot of neat things here.
Service was good. There’s quite a few people working here and are very helpful in finding a specific item for you.
This is a great place to get gifts for friends and family while your visiting.

I walked every inch of Solvang village to find that this is the the largest and best gift store! Lots of specialty bakeware and kitchen gadgets, greeting cards, souvenirs, and much, much more. You won’t regret stopping by, it’s most definitely a must-​do in this quaint town!

This bakery is off the hook. Solvang is packed with bakeries, but this one is my favorite. You have to snag a box of butter cookies and I’ll recommend the cinnamon raisin loaf as well. Check in and they give you a massive cinnamon twist for free!

Nice gift store with some interesting items. Some touristy and some traditional; e.g., porcelain plates & figurines.

This was a very weird experience. We went upstairs to look at yarn and patterns. The woman behind the counter greeted us with a big smile and a cheerful «hello!» Then she simply stared at us the entire time we were there. It got creepy. I found a knitted sample on the wall and told her I wanted the pattern. She never replied. We finally walked out. I wonder if she was so dumb that she thought I wouldn’t pay for it or just so apathetic she didn’t care if I bought it. I guess I’ll try to find in on line, because she sure wasn’t any help…

Unique gifts from Denmark and Europe. Where can you find gifts actually made in Denmark or Sweden? Rasmussen’s. They have a new collection of pewter viking collectibles, they have a yarn and fabric section upstairs, they have books and calendars from Scandinavia, and they carry some items for travelers. Their selection of Danish plates is fair (other stores nearby have more selection if you are a collector). The service is very good and the workers are always pleasant and helpful.
Definitely a must if you don’t have much time in Solvang, as they offer a great collection.

This is a very lovely place to find some gifts for our friends and family. They have so much of the Dutch area gifts, and if you want to find something to take home this is one of the best places to shop.
The people working in the store were friendly and very nice to us, somewhat made us feel at home. We did walk out of here with a shot glass with Solvang written on it.
So if you find yourself close to this store you need to stop here and pick something up for your friends, family or coworkers.

Very cute gift shop. The ladies behind the counter were adorable!
Candy, trinkets, coffee mugs, cook books, cards, pens, the usual tourist souvenirs.

Yes, Rasmussen’s has a great gift and souvenir collection but it also has some great yarn finds. Go upstairs and if you see a single skein of something you really like, ask! They have storage rooms of yarn and they will gladly assist in finding what you want. Be sure to check out the entire second floor as they have balls of yarn tucked all over. They also have fabrics, embroidery threads, and beautiful lace handkerchiefs. Prices are comparable to any yarn/​fabric store or less.

this is solvang’s original department store owned by the rasmussen family. they specialize in all manner of scandinavian and european items including books, nutcrackers, ceramics, jewelery and lang graphics among many other items. in addition they have a section that sells a wide variety of fabrics and yarns.
also, if you were to, say, come to solvang for a weekend but, uhm, forgot to pack your sunglasses with you, because, well, you were traveling at night when you left l.a. and it slipped your mind and need a pair of sunglasses really really bad but don’t want to spend too much money, this is the place to come buy a cheap pair of sunglasses for $ 10.00 dollars.

this is the only store I will buy souvenirs from. little Scandinavian flag stickers, and cocktail picks? yes please! A wide aray of really high quality cooking utensils? sure! Danish candy? yum.
they have everything and the clerks are not creepy like a few of the other places I went to!

Solvang is like a fairytale village, brought to life and Rasmussen’s is a throwback to a sweeter era, one where cakes were baked on a daily basis and blankets were made at home.
The store itself takes up a corner on one of the quaint shopping avenues. Its like something out of a book, with a thatched roof, windowboxes and whitewashed walls adorned with traditional symbols. Inside, you’ll find row upon row of candles, figurinesand pretty much anything else any serious kitchen dweller could ever neeed.
I found tiny candy molds in the shapes of ducks, hot chocolate pots, abelskiever pans, a great selection of silicone baking supplies and huge library of cookbooks. Tons of quirky Scandanavian stuff.
They also carry table linens, candles, gift items and touristy type stuff.
Upstairs has a full yarn and fabric shop, with imported yarns, pattern books and runner fabrics by the yard.
Everyone who works there is super sweet and helpful, and you forget that you’re still in Cali.