The museum was founded in 1882 and turned into an open-air museum in 1892. An underground passage leads from the main building to the open-air section. The buildings illustrate the four orders of the kingdom: nobility, bourgeoisie, clergy and peasantry. The Deacon's House dates from the 14C and the timber church from 1652. The Aristocrat's House contains a fine collection of porcelain and silverware. The bourgeois furniture is presented in a large three-storey building. The Schlyter House is dedicated to artisan corporations and a section deals with agriculture.