The church on the site was erected around the year 1170 and, with its 18 posts, was the largest stave church in Hallingdal. Throughout the Middle Ages, the church was rebuilt and expanded several times, and it is considered one of the most significant stave churches that stood in Norway.
When the church was demolished in 1880, several of the decorations and furnishings were preserved. Ål Stave Church Museum You can see decorated wall planks from the stave church and a copy of the original portal. Inside today's Ål church further preserved elements include wall planks from the medieval interior which are mounted behind the altar, a reconstruction of the wooden ceiling as it was in the stave church, as well as the pulpit, altarpiece, and other objects that were previously in the church.
Today, you can visit the very site where the stave church once stood. Here, remnants of the foundation and stonework have been revealed through archaeological excavations, and the area is marked with information that makes the history accessible to the public.
On the grounds also stands a memorial stone erected in 1914 to mark the centenary of 1814. It bears the names of local soldiers who participated in the war of 1807–1814. The plot is centrally located in Ål, with easy access and parking near the schools.