The Atterdag Village of Solvang has a rich history that dates back to 1948. It all began when Pastor Møller of Bethania Lutheran Church proposed building a home to care for Solvang Seniors. A local committee, in collaboration with Solvang Businesspeople and seven California-based Lutheran Churches, including Bethania, formed the Cheer Committee to set the project in motion, Bethania generously donated six acres of land for the project, which became the thriving 11-acre multi-level retirement facility we are today.

The Cheer Committee donated money for construction, and on June 14, 1952, the cornerstone was laid by Chris Jensen, the oldest senior citizen in Solvang, at age 92. On April 19, 1953, the Solvang Lutheran Home was dedicated and put into operation as a non-profit organization.

Throughout the years, the vision has grown to include seniors of all faiths and backgrounds and prompted the name change to Atterdag Village of Solvang, loosely translated as “Another day in sunny fields.”

Atterdag Village of Solvang (Atterdag Village) has four levels of care, including Independent Living Residential Apartments and Cottages, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and a 5-star Skilled Nursing Facility, including a state-of-the-art rehabilitation wing dedicated to short-term physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Atterdag Village offers the only skilled nursing facility within a 25-mile radius.

Atterdag Village is more than just a retirement community. It’s a place where residents can truly age in place, moving to different levels of care as their needs increase, all while staying in the same familiar and loving community for life, a true “Continuing Care Retirement Community.”

Atterdag Village has supported local seniors for over 74 years, provided meals for the Meals on Wheels Program in Solvang, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, and Ballard for over 50 years, provided meals to the Solvang Senior Center for over 30 years, and supported our local homebound seniors through our Atterdag at Home program established in 2016.

Atterdag Village continues to create community outreach programs to help low-income, homebound seniors, supporting the organization’s “People Who Care” tradition. In 2022, Atterdag Village created financial scholarships to provide low-income seniors with housing and care, expanding our mission to enhance the quality of lives of all seniors within our community. In 2024, home support services, including personal care support, housecleaning, handyman services, and transportation, were added to help our local homebound seniors.

We are deeply grateful for the support and generosity of individuals and organizations in our community. Your contributions to our senior programs and the Atterdag Village Endowment Fund are not just financial; they are a testament to the value you place on our mission to “Enhance the quality of lives of all seniors within our community.” With your support, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of our seniors.