Den Fynske Landsby

About the museum

The idea of a Funen open-air museum arose as early as 1919, but it was not realized until the Second World War: from 1942 the village was laid out as a job-creation project at the Fruens Bøge forest area south of downtown Odense. On April 1, 1946, Den Fynske Landsby opened to visitors in the presence of King Christian X. An open-air stage had already been built in 1944, where community singing and concerts later took place.

All the buildings originally stood in other places on Funen and the surrounding islands; they were dismantled and rebuilt here true to the original. Today the village comprises 25 buildings and building groups, mostly half-timbered with thatched roofs, including farmsteads, a parsonage, smallholdings, a watermill and a windmill, the village school, a fire engine house, a brickworks, and the inn Sortebro Kro. The oldest parts date back to the 16th century. A new visitor center was added in 2005.

Craftspeople and volunteers maintain the houses with traditional techniques, tend fields and gardens with old varieties, and keep endangered Danish breeds of domestic animals. In terms of content, the museum today presents the frugal, cycle-oriented life of the rural population in the 19th century as inspiration for a more sustainable everyday life. The museum is operated by Museum Odense.

Highlights

• 25 original farms and houses from all over Funen, many with thatched roofs
• Sortebro Kro, the watermill from Davinde, and the windmill from Maderup
• Old Danish breeds of domestic animals in pastures and stables
• Farm and kitchen gardens with old cultivated varieties
• Living history with volunteers in 19th-century costumes
• Open-air stage for concerts and theater

Permanent exhibitions

• Landsbyens huse – 25 farms, houses, and workshops from all over Funen, furnished with original objects and maintained with traditional craft techniques.
• Landsbyens dyr – Domestic animals of old breeds year-round in pastures and stables; the chickens roam freely through the village.
• Landsbyens haver – Fields and gardens around the houses with crops that were important for self-sufficiency in the 19th century.

Founded

1946

Operated by

Museum Odense

Admission & discounts

Tickets online or at the entrance. With a ticket from H.C. Andersens Hus, you get 50% off within 30 days (cannot be combined with other discounts). Visitors with a Ukrainian passport get free admission. School classes and daycare groups get free admission as part of their curriculum.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The paths are firmly graveled and wheelchair-accessible; the farmyards partly have uneven cobblestones. Many houses are not wheelchair-accessible because of narrow doors and high thresholds. Loan wheelchairs at the visitor center (cannot be reserved). Accessible parking spaces near the visitor center.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Children can run around on the paths, visit the animals, and on some days taste food prepared in the houses. The leaflet "Den Fynske Landsbi" (available in the shop) leads to places for playing, climbing, and exploring. During school holidays there are family activities, such as potato harvesting and carving turnip lanterns in the autumn holidays, as well as the garden course "Gå til have" for 9- to 12-year-olds. Strollers are allowed, hand wagons are available free of charge, changing room next to the restrooms in the visitor center. Children under 16 only with adults.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located at the Fruens Bøge forest area in the south of Odense.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers

Café Krostuen in the Sortebro Kro, accessible from the museum (Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00). In the visitor center: ice cream and sweets, lockable coat lockers, and a museum shop with regional and sustainable products (also without admission). Picnics allowed indoors and outdoors; water bottles can be refilled for free at a water station. Dogs on a leash welcome; no smoking on the grounds.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Museum Odense puts together individual events for companies and associations with guided tours, talks, and catering in its houses; inquiries via info@museumodense.dk.

Plan your visit