Places with a story
Sunnhordland museum
Sunnhordland museum's courtyard in Vidstenparken on Stord brings regional buildings together with exhibitions on craft and everyday life. The place offers a direct introduction to how homes, workshops, storage buildings and community spaces served different needs across Sunnhordland.
The place1
Sunnhordlandstunet contains eleven buildings gathered from different places in the region. They include a smithy, storehouse, baking house, barn, shore-dweller's cottage, shop and schoolhouse. Their variety lets visitors compare functions and social settings instead of seeing rural building history through one large farmhouse alone.
History and local connections1
The courtyard was initially conceived as a central collection of the district's oldest and finest buildings. During the interwar period the museum shifted towards preserving farmyards in their original surroundings. The surviving assembled courtyard therefore also records an earlier stage in museum practice and the changing idea of how heritage should be conserved.
What to look for1
Among the oldest buildings are a smoke house thought to date from the sixteenth century and a house with loft accommodation from 1650. Indoor exhibitions cover textiles, regional furniture and maritime livelihoods. A guided courtyard visit helps connect construction details with the work and domestic routines once carried out inside.
Planning a visit1
Consult the museum's current opening and event programme before visiting Vidstenparken. Guided courtyard tours and group visits outside the summer season can be arranged with the operator. Allow time for both the outdoor buildings and the main exhibition building, and check any separately booked activity against the programme.
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