Gero Onsen Gassho Village is an open-air museum of thatched gassho-zukuri farmhouses, the steep-roofed style associated with snowy mountain villages such as Shirakawa-go. Several buildings were moved here and arranged as a small rural settlement above the onsen town.
It is not a substitute for Shirakawa-go, but it is a useful, low-effort way to understand the architecture if your route keeps you in Gero. Demonstrations and small craft displays add texture beyond the buildings.