Målilla-Gårdveda Hembygdspark
Heritage & open-air museum in Målilla
The open air museum Målilla-Gårdveda Hembygdspark is located on the outskirts of Målilla, around 14 kilometers south of Hultsfred. With over 30 historic buildings it is one of the largest heritage museums in Sweden.
All buildings in Målilla-Gårdveda Hembygdspark come from the local area. They were dismantled at their original sites and rebuilt in the museum park. Many of the houses are furnished with objects and furniture from the time, others are set up as small museums of their own. Altogether, the heritage association has collected over 3,000 different historical objects in the museum.
The largest museum in the park is the Målilla Motor Museum, which houses about 100 historic industrial engines. The second largest exhibition, housed in a former barn, is the vehicle museum with old tractors and fire engines, including the first motorized fire truck of the Målilla Fire Department, a 1930s Ford AA.
The two-story building of a former tannery includes a weapons museum and a small school museum. Another house features the establishment of a 1960s café and a striking yellow-painted historic office building houses the original interior of an old hardware store.
There is a doll museum with about 350 historical dolls, the oldest from the end of the 19th century, an old workshop that is a motorcycle and bicycle museum, a large old sawmill, several small, fully furnished historic houses and several smaller outbuildings.
The speedway museum is dedicated to the long tradition of dirt track races in Målilla. It consists of the spokesman's tower, formerly located on the oval racing track next to the heritage park, as well as an earlier changing room of Målilla Motorklubb, which displays trophies and certificates from the club's history.
In total, the heritage association is in possesion of a total of about 50 historical buildings scattered throughout the region. Among them is the former blast furnace in Hagelsrum as well as the former engine factory Målilla Mekaniska Verkstad.
The extensive grounds of the Målilla-Gårdveda Hembygdspark are accessible all year round. In the period from May to August, the buildings can also be visited from the inside at fixed times for an entrance fee. Pre-booked group tours are possible at any time.
