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Custom Inflatable Horse Wows Minnesota Museum Visitors

custom inflatable Dala Horse in front of the American Swedish InstituteCustom Inflatable Replica Generates PR for Minneapolis Museum

Have you heard about Dala Horses? Named for Sweden's Dalarna province, these carved wooden figurines depict stout, brightly painted horses with colorful decorative trim. Originally designed as a children's toy, they've become a symbol of Sweden.

So, it's fitting that the Minneapolis-based American Swedish Institute should request an inflatable Dala Horse to highlight its ongoing exhibit, "extra/ordinary: the American Swedish Institute. At Play." 

 The Institute turned to St. Paul-based Split Rock Studios to create its art installation. And Split Rock, in turn, asked Landmark Creations to build the inflatable replica.

According to Split Rock Project Manager Niki Murray, "We were hoping for a showstopping piece that would closely resemble a real wooden Dala Horse."

Landmark delivered exactly that. The finished custom inflatable stands 22 feet high and 18.3 feet wide and weighs in at 134 pounds. Colored bright red – the classic Dala Horse hue – it's adorned with a traditional Scandinavian pattern.

The American Swedish Institute loved it. And so did the people at Split Rock Studios.

"The Dala Horse turned out beautifully," reports Murray. "It was a social media magnet and fit in with the rest of the exhibition perfectly."

Why did Split Rock choose Landmark Creations to craft the inflatable mascot? Says Murray, "Landmark is a trusted partner of ours. We wouldn't think of going anywhere else."


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What Others Say About Landmark Creations


"I liked the way Tom listened and shared his ideas with me so that I could use the canyon like I needed. Tom hit a home run with my model. His input made all the difference in the world"

- Laurie Henry, Trinity Science Solutions LLC

"The speed of production was remarkable. We now have eight Hot Stuff balloons that will travel all over the USA to invite people to try our great-tasting pizza."

- B. Eble, Hot Stuff Foods

“He’s fantastic! And already promised to four stores... Thank everyone for all their great work.”

- Precision Tune Auto Care

"Give our races a 'big event' feel.  They look cool in photos and videos, and they help us establish the look and feel of our brand."

- Sam Abbitt, Savage Race

"Landmark Creations has been our go-to supplier for 15 years. Tom and his team are people we count on to make our products look good."

- J. Doyle, Scenery First

“The inflatable finish arch looked fantastic! Local media was also there filming, so photos and videos of our race were viewed by many with our logo front and center.”

- David Parker, Pacific Road Runners Club