Located in the city's Humboldt Park, the statue was designed by Sigvald Asbjørnsen and erected in 1901.

Leif Erikson was a Norse explorer who is credited as being one of the first known Europeans to have set foot in continental North America.

[2] Writing in the Norwegian language newspaper Skandinaven, Nicolai A. Grevstad said that in the lead up to the World's Columbian Exposition, held in the city in 1893, a committee was formed for the purpose of creating a statue honoring Erikson.

[1] Plans had been made for the statue's unveiling to coincide with the arrival of a replica Viking ship from Bergen, but ultimately, construction of the sculpture would be delayed.

[4] The bronze statue, depicting Erikson with a shield in his left hand, is 9.5 feet (2.9 m) tall and rests on a large boulder.