Photo: Caroline Strømhylden / Maihaugen
Maihaugen's Christmas Market 2026
Saturday: 11 am–6 pm, Sunday: 11 am–5 pm
At Maihaugen's Christmas Market, you can experience the nostalgic charm of Christmas in beautiful historical surroundings.
The Christmas market offers festive shopping, houses decorated for Christmas from different historical periods and enjoyable activities for the whole family.
Sales stalls
Explore the charming market stalls offering Norwegian handicrafts, homemade goods, local food, and Christmas decorations. These high-quality, unique products make perfect gifts or souvenirs to bring home.
Visit our Christmas decorated houses
Discover how Christmas was celebrated in the past! Step inside our Christmas-decorated historic houses from different periods and explore Christmas traditions from the Middle Ages to the present day. In some of the houses, you will meet actors dressed in period costumes, bringing history to life. Among the houses you can visit is Queen Sonja’s childhood home, decorated as it would have been when the Haraldsen family lived there around 1960.
Activities for the whole family
The Christmas market features Christmas shopping, Christmas decorated houses from different eras, and activities for the whole family. We recommend being here at dusk. The atmosphere when the lanterns are lit is truly magical. Here’s a glimpse of what you can experience:
Children can enjoy a variety of fun activities, including visiting the barn animals, participating in Christmas workshops, or going on sleigh and pony rides.
Musicians sing and play Christmas carols around the museum.
Maihaugen's Christmas tree
At the visitor centre, you can see Maihaugen’s Christmas tree, which is decorated by a different artist or designer each year. This year, the tree has been decorated by contemporary artist Maria Brinch. Read more about this year’s Christmas tree!
Tickets
- Save money by buying your ticket online!
- We offer a family discount! Pay for the adults and one child, and up to three additional children get free admission.
- Discounted rates for groups of more than 15 people: Email post@lillehammermuseum.no to book.
Practical information
How do I get to the Christmas market?
Parking at Maihaugen is limited, so we recommend walking or taking the bus to the Christmas market.
Saturday: Buses run approximately every 15 minutes on the route Strandtorget–Lillehammer Skysstasjon–Maihaugen from 11 am to 6 pm.
Sunday: Buses run every 15 minutes between Lillehammer Skysstasjon and Maihaugen from 11 am to 5 pm.
Where can I park?
Parking at Maihaugen is limited. If walking or taking the bus to the Christmas market is not an option, we recommend using one of these alternative parking locations:
- Revmatismesykehuset: Access from Maihaugvegen.
- Lillehammer Hotel: Maihaugen has an agreement allowing visitors to park here, subject to availability.
- Stampesletta/Håkons Hall
- Lillehammer town centre
- Lurhaugen: Recommended for affordable parking near Lillehammer Skysstasjon.
Information for exhibitors
Find important information here if you would like to take part as an exhibitor at Maihaugen’s Christmas Market (information only in Norwegian).
Can I wear ice cleats inside the houses?
No. Unfortunately, visitors wearing ice cleats or spikes on their shoes are not allowed inside our historic buildings, as they can damage the floors. We grit the paths regularly to ensure they are safe and accessible in most weather conditions.
