Norway's largest open-air museum showcases more than 140 buildings, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, gathered from around the country, rebuilt, and organized according to region of origin. Paths wind past rough-timbered farmhouses whose sod roofs sprout wildflowers, while indoor exhibitions include Timescape 1600–1914, which presents the gilded lifestyle of the Norwegian elite through displays of items acquired from far-flung lands. In summer you can see demonstrations of pottery-making and other cultural activities, though there's plenty to see year-round.
Highlights include Gamlebyen (the Old Town), a reproduction of an early-20th-century Norwegian town with a village shop and an old petrol station, and the restored Gol stave church, which was built around 1200 and moved to Bygdøy in 1885. There's also an exhibition covering the life, culture and struggles of the Sami in Norway, though some of the artifacts previously on display have now been returned as part of a project to restore ownership of their cultural heritage to the Sami people themselves.
Note that the Bygdøy ferry (Bygdøyfergene) calls at Dronningen for the Norwegian Folk Museum, but it's an 800m walk; bus 30 (from the National Theatre) is more convenient as it stops right outside the museum.
