The museum houses the original 17th-century wooden church from Västerfärnebo, which features elaborate internal wall paintings.
The collection includes a complete 19th-century printer's workshop with functioning historical machinery.
The museum is a stronghold for the preservation of the Väne cattle, a critically endangered Swedish breed.
Historic buildings are furnished with authentic period-appropriate artifacts gathered from Västmanland farms.
The site operates an active heritage program, often involving costumed interpreters performing daily tasks.
The botanic garden focuses exclusively on heritage seeds and plants that were historically cultivated in the local Västmanland province.
Vallby Open Air Museum is one of Sweden's largest open-air museums, established in 1921 to preserve Västmanland's cultural heritage. The site features over 40 historic buildings, including farmsteads, workshops, and a church, relocated from their original sites throughout the region. It functions as a living history museum where traditional crafts, agriculture, and animal husbandry are demonstrated. The museum maintains rare Swedish landrace breeds, such as the Väne cattle and Gotland sheep, to preserve biological diversity. The grounds include a botanic garden showcasing regional plant varieties and heirloom crops. A period-accurate schoolhouse and a manor house provide insight into social stratification in pre-industrial Swedish society. The site is integrated into a larger park area that serves as a recreational space for the Västerås community. It remains operational and open to the public as of July 2026.
The path leading up to the historic wooden church provides a panoramic view of the traditional farmsteads.
Walk the perimeter trails to see the grazing heritage livestock in their pastures.
Check the daily program schedule upon arrival to catch live craft demonstrations in the workshops.
Visit the onsite cafe to try traditional Swedish fika using local ingredients.
Do not attempt to feed the heritage livestock, as they are on strict specialized diets.
The park grounds are open year-round, but historic buildings and interior exhibits have limited access during the winter season.
Respect the historical interiors by not touching artifacts; stay on marked paths when walking through agricultural areas.
