Maihaugen

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One of the houses in Maihaugen

Maihaugen is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lillehammer. The founder Anders Sandvig collected old houses and farmyards from Gudbrandsdal to sample Norwegian culture and history in this out- and indoor museum. Firstly in his backyard, but when his collection grew, he was offered by the town council, to serve as a permanent site in 1901. This area was already named Maihaugen, and had been used as a picnic and meeting place for the townspeople. People met here to celebrate the 17th of May and to light bonfires for Pentecost. It opened in 1904.

Maihaugen tells the history of how people have been living in the valley of Gudbrandsdalen 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.

The Garmo stave church is one of the main attractions.

Maihaugen also includes a large photography archive and a museum which were constructed in 1949 and extended in 1994 before the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer.