Maihaugen Open Air Museum - Lillehammer - TravBuddy

Maihaugen represents 3 different areas such as

The Rural collection which represents the rural community in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. Here you can find the timber-build farms, the stave-church, the summer-pastures and the lumber-camp.


The Town illustrates life between the wars in an inland town. Along the main street are old buildings from Lillehammer, creating intimate courtyards.

The Residential Area consists of seven single-family houses from different decades of the last century.

You are able to walk around in tour groups as well as walking on your own here. If you would like to go inside the old houses you will need a guide since the houses are locked. It tells the story of the life in Gudbrandsdalen Valley as far back as 300 years. From walking through this landscape you will experience the way things were back in the old days as well as being introduced to old tools.

The landscape plays an important role here too. YOu will see farm animals as well at Maihaugen.

ENjoy your visit if you are in the area cause its worth a visit for sure.

Maihaugen open-air museum tells the story of people in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley the last 300 years. Of life between the wars in the inland town of Lillehammer and of homes and domestic environments in the 20th century. The calm and spacious landscape of the museum provides insight and time for reflection.

It's a great opportunity to explore how people lived, how the arcitecture was and how the life has changed since the 1700's.

I had a blast walking around seeing the old buildings and how life used to be 300 years ago. This one farm was moved from Våga in Gudbrandsdalen Valley, and was buildt in 1732. It was placed in the exact same shape as it originally was. Amazing....

It's well worth a visit if you're in the Lillehammer area.

Maihaugen tells the history of how people have been living from the Middle Ages until today. The open air museum is devided into three parts, The Rural Collection, The Town, a typical inland town with a railwaystation (1900-1950), and The Residential Area with homes from the 1900s. For many turists this might be the closest they get to visiting a Norwegian home.