The Rural section, as a concept, was the idea of Maihaugen’s founder Anders Sandvig. The histories of the farmer, the crofters and the local officials are preserved in the large and small farms, the vicarage and crofts. The founder of Maihaugen was of the opinion that it was important that the culture of the old villages was preserved for future generations.
During the summer there is plenty of life in the Village. There are school lessons in Skolestua (the school room), the animals are in the pastures, smoke is rising from the chimney at Øygarden, where you can meet the farmer and his family busy at work with the harvest and the daily tasks of the farm during the 1890s. You will learn about farming life in the 1700's when you visit Bjørnstad farm.
Daily during summer season there is a Wandering Theatre and guided tours of the Village.
In the Rural section you will also find the church, the local school, the sheriff’s farm, military camp and the craftsman’s workshops - possibly in a room at a farm, at a crofters farm or in it’s own building.
The larger farms, Bjørnstad and Jørstad are found in the lower central parts of the Village. There are a large number of spacious buildings to suit the needs of the many and varied purposes of a farm. Further up the hillside you will find the medium sized farm Øygarden.
At the top of the hill you will find the smallest crofts- rydningsbruket (an area cleared for farming) and the crofters’ place. This is possibly where the village craftsmen lived. They were necessary extra farm workers when needed. Looking towards the woods and the mountain we can see how woods and fields were a resource that was used. Here you will find the fishing rampart with its fishing shelters, the forest cabin and the mountain farming village with the many mountain farms, where the animals feed in summer pastures.