Kulturens Östarp

About the museum

Kulturens Östarp is an open-air museum belonging to Kulturen in Lund. The museum's first head, Georg Karlin, was looking for a typical Scanian half-timbered farm for Kulturen and in 1922 bought Gamlegård in Östarp, between Veberöd and Blentarp, with the help of a donation from Wilhelmina von Hallwyl. Instead of moving the buildings, he decided to preserve the farm on its site and create a living museum in the middle of the cultural landscape. The open-air museum was inaugurated in 1924.

Gamlegård is a four-wing half-timbered farm from the 1810s. It has been supplemented with farm buildings such as a water mill and a malt kiln, and before the inauguration Östarps gästgivaregård (Östarp coaching inn) and Möllegården were also built. The Östarpshallen (Östarp hall) by the car park was added in 1960, and in 1995 Kulturen also bought Brödragården, a farmstead from the first half of the 1900s. The garden behind Gamlegård has been preserved as Hanna Jöns Persson developed it in the late 1800s.

During the summer season Gamlegård is open, with hosts in period costume, guided tours and activities, and older traditional breeds of livestock graze on the site. The rest of the year visitors can walk freely in the area, look at the farm from outside and follow the culture trail Östarpsspåret. In November 2021 it was decided that the site would be protected as a cultural reserve, the second in Skåne.

Highlights

• The half-timbered farm Gamlegård from the 1810s
• Brödragården, a farmstead from the first half of the 1900s
• Traditional breeds such as the Scanian red cow, Linderöd pig and blommehöns (a Swedish chicken breed)
• Gamlegård's garden and the culture trail Östarpsspåret
• Cultural reserve and open-air museum with free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Gamlegård och Brödragården – Two historic farm environments, from the 1800s and from the first half of the 1900s, shown during the summer season.
• Lantrasdjuren – Older traditional breeds on the site during the summer; in 2026 the Scanian red cow, the Granemål goat, the Linderöd pig and the blommehöns.

Founded

1924

Operated by

Kulturen i Lund

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the open-air museum and to the viewings. Private group tours can be booked for a fee (price list on the website).

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

When Gamlegård is open, children can craft in the inner courtyard, try on maids' and farmhands' clothes and play with toys from the past.

Getting there & parking

Östarp lies between Veberöd and Blentarp in Sjöbo Municipality, a little under half an hour by car from Lund or Malmö.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

Östarps gästgivaregård is run by Torna Hällestad Lanthandel, which takes over the operation with a restaurant, conferences and events. No museum shop is listed.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit