Hembygdsgården Kärnåsen

About the museum

Kärnåsen by the Klarälven river today resembles a small village with around 30 old buildings. It began with a crofter's cottage (torpstuga) from the 1860s with outbuildings, which Fritjof Olsson bought in 1936. He moved many cottages there from nearby villages and filled them with thousands of household objects showing how people lived more than a hundred years ago. When Lovisebergsstugan was erected in 1948, there were 23 old buildings on the site.

Norra Råda hembygdsförening (local heritage society) was founded in 1957 to take over and manage the facility, and the takeover took place in spring 1959. The society moved further buildings to the site in order to show more crafts and give visitors a picture of 19th-century Värmland, and today there are around 30 museum buildings. These include lodges (logar), barns (lador), crofters' cottages (torpstugor), smithies, dairy huts (säterbodar), a carpenter's workshop, a country store, a schoolroom, a log drivers' hut (flottarkoja), main farm buildings, a parstuga (double cottage) and a dagsverksstuga (day-labourer's cottage), filled with objects from earlier centuries, from sewing needles and skopligg to a fire engine.

Since 1970 the local play Älvdalssagan has been performed at Kärnåsen, and the site is also the venue for events such as Klar-Hälja and midsummer. In Kärnåsen's predator exhibition (rovdjursexpo), the four large predators of Scandinavia (bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine) are shown together with, among other animals, elk, golden eagle and black grouse.

Highlights

• Around 30 relocated buildings from the Klarälven valley
• Smetäppa with school museum and bread oven
• Kärnåsen predator exhibition on bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine
• Älvdalssagan local play since 1970
• Lovisebergsstugan from Lovisebergs ironworks

Permanent exhibitions

• Kärnåsens rovdjursexpo – The Big Four of Scandinavia – Exhibition on bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine, as well as elk, golden eagle and black grouse, with track prints, droppings and pictures of animals.
• Hembygdsgårdens byggnader – Around 30 furnished buildings, including crofters' cottages, smithies, a country store, a schoolroom and a log drivers' hut.

Operated by

Norra Råda hembygdsförening

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• 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

Visit Värmland states that the homestead museum is accessible for wheelchair users, with an accessible toilet and parking for disabled visitors; older buildings may have thresholds.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

From road 62 between Karlstad and Trysil: turn off at Myra (about 2 mil north of Munkfors and 5 km south of Råda), turn west towards Lysvik and follow the signs. GPS: 59.99806 N, 13.56469 E.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The homestead museum can be hired for weddings, christenings, birthdays and corporate parties all year round. The price varies, and the hirer cleans up after themselves.