Maihaugen Museum

Maihaugen offers activities and experiences for the whole family. Enjoy the idyllic surroundings of this great open-air museum and experience life like in the old days. A collection of more than 200 houses from as far back as the 12th century and until today, including the Garmo stave church.

Maihaugen offers activities and experiences for the whole family. This is the largest open-air museum in Norway with more than 200 historic houses from the 13th century until today.

Have a peek into historical homes

In the idyllic open-air museum there are more than 200 historic houses from as far back as the 13th Century to homes of the different decades of the 1900s. Here it is nice to stroll around and get an impression of how we lived in the past. This summer there are unfortunately not open homes for you to enter, but you may look through open doors of several of the historic houses. Some of them have audiogudies where you can listen to stories from the actual time period of the house.

A main attraction is the Garmo stave church from the 1200s. 

Meet area hosts and see exhibitons

There are no ordinary guided tours or walking theaters this summer, but four places in the open-air museum you will meet our hosts who are happy to share their knowledge and answer your questions. 

There are open exhibitions both in the main building and outdoors in the open-air museum, and the Norwegian Postal Museum is open with great exhibitions where you can go on your own.

Maihaugen for children

The playground is open with play equipment and historic playrooms. In the forest by the mountain farms it is fun try the balance trail.

There are new and exciting activity trails in the open-air museum for families with children (only in Norwegain).

Also see Maihaugen for children.

Animals and farm work

Both children and adults enjoy meeting the animals at Maihaugen. All summer, there are cows and sheep all around the idyllic grazing areas of the open-air museum.

The horses also graze on the meadows when they are not helping the museum farmers with different farm work done in the traditional way. The farmers are happy to show you their daily work. You can also meet pigs, chickens and rabbits.

Places to eat

There are several places to eat at the museum. You may also bring your own food for a nice picnic somewhere in the open air museum.

In addition to the café in the visitor center, the Kirkestuen café and the Bakery in the Town are open parts of the summer. There is also a kiosk at Valbjørseter at the top of the hills inside the open-air museum. See the opening hours of the eateries.

Open all year

During the winter season the doors at several houses are open for you to take a glimpse through.

All year you can enjoy several excellent exhibitions, like the indoor exhibition “We won the land” where you walk through tableaus from Norwegian history from the ice age till today.

The museum shop and the café in the visitor center is open all year round.

In the visitor center you can also visit the Norwegian Olympic Museum, telling the history of the 1994 Winter Olympics, among other Olympic moments from all over the world.

​​​​Popular happenings

The Christmas market the first weekend of advent is worth a visit. Experience Christmas decorated historic homes, stalls selling quality products and lots of activities for children.

There is also a Children's Winter Day in February and a Children's Summer Day in the end of August, both with lots of activities for children of all ages. At June 23rd Maihaugen offers traditional Norwegian Midsummer celebration (cancelled in 2020).