Gassho-zukuri Minkaen is the best first stop if you want to understand the village rather than just photograph it. Historic farmhouses from around Shirakawa-go were moved here and kept as a small open-air settlement, with tools, household objects, and explanations of how people lived under the steep roofs.
It is especially useful on a busy day. The museum sits just across from the main village, so it gives you space to look at the buildings closely before joining the lanes of Ogimachi.