You’ll find horses all across Minnesota, but one truly stands out in Mora.

The Dala Horse in Mora has become a local landmark.

“There’s probably been thousands of pictures taken, family pictures, you name it under the Dala Horse,” organizer Denny Schulz said. 

The history of the horse dates back more than five decades. In the early 1970s, the then-mayor of Mora wanted a large Dala horse, a traditional carved, painted wooden horse statue that originates from Sweden. In 1972, the Dala Horse was completed in Mora.

“Twenty-two feet high, 19 feet long, 6 feet wide, and weighs about 3,000 pounds,” Schulz said. “It was designed out of steel rod covered with chicken wire. All stretched tight then sprayed with fiberglass.”

The Dala Horse honors the cultural heritage between Mora, Minnesota, and its sister city, Mora, Sweden.