ingalls homestead - laura's living prairie

Our family took a trip out to the Black Hills over the summer. On the way home from the National Park we had the opportunity to stop at the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet South Dakota. if you're planning a trip to the area, I highly recommend getting off the main highway and checking out this historical opportunity. The cost, in my opinion, was very inexpensive for the tour options presented. My two girls (7 & 8) had an amazing time.

We went in 2010 and enjoyed it very much. We especially liked the horsewagonride and the school session.

I did not grow up with the Ingalls family - the TV show's syndicated reruns meant I was in the dark time between "Bewitched" and "The Price Is Right", and I was such uncultured swine that I didn't even know there was a book series, non-fiction at that. It took my 8-year-old's interest in the books to make me aware, and when I saw this place was not that far away on our roadtrip I thought I'd get some much-needed "good dad" points. I came out with a good bit more.We arrived at the homestead in the early afternoon, and my kids had a blast. You see a healthy mix of LIW stuff (the reconstructed cabin, info on the whole book series, etc) alongside general cultural reference points of the homestead era (housing structures, the old schoolhouse, church, etc). Lots of kids activities - pumping water, cleaning clothes, making corncob dolls, steering horses, playing pump organs, etc. My kids ate all this stuff up.I planned 2.5 hours, but we were here for 4 when all was said and done. And my kids were up for even more, though after 35 seconds in the car they were asleep from a good day's play. A highlight of our trip, and it looks from other reviews that we're not the only ones.Epilogue: I am now a training LIW scholar - I was motivated to start reading the stories, and one month after visiting I'm all ready to start the first of the De Smet series, "By The Shores Of Silver Lake." The place made a believer out of me!

My daughter (age 10) had read most of the Little House books prior to our visit over the summer. It was a completely awesome experience for her. She was enthralled. We went there with a large group of adults and kids (ages 4 and up) and everyone had a great time. I was so impressed with all the knowledge the guides shared. The teacher in the school house, the covered wagon ride, everything was just amazing even if you aren't familiar with the stories. The time period comes alive.

I can't review the little museum that is there because everything was closed on the Sunday we drove through, but just standing on the site was a huge treat. As many others have mentioned, Pa's cottonwoods are a must-see. We were alone on an Autumn day, and we stood underneath the trees and just listened to the wind for a long while. At the top of the hill, there's a monument where the homestead was, and you can stand there looking out from the top of this rise (I didn't imagine it to be on a hill like that!) and just imagine yourself back in time. Of course the cottonwoods would have been much, much smaller back in the day, but their impressive size today adds to the romance of the place. :)

As a Little House reader it was very emotional for me to be with Laura. I didn't even realize how moved I would be to be here. They've done a wonderful job capturing the flavor of the Ingalls homestead. It is great to see the original 5 trees that Pa planted and the buffalo wallow just beyond the fence. Walking in the tiny rooms and remembering all the stories that Laura shared brought it all back to me. Brilliant!

It has been a while but I did enjoy my visit. I read "The Long Winter" so this was a must see for me. Not to be missed are the 5 cottonwood trees believed to have been planted by Pa. Stand under these, you may be sure Laura did as well.

The thing that stuck us the most was the friendliness of the staff. Everyone and the felines(LOL) were extremely friendly. With such a staff the children couldn't help but learn something during the demonstrations and wagon ride to the school. The staff were well-versed in the history of the site and pioneer life. Ask questions and listen. We had a very happy experience here.

Since my 8 year old daughter has read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books multiple times we decided this had to be a part of our multi state road trip. We spent two days and two nights here - the first in a covered wagon and the second in our tent. Everything here is done right. The staff were all extremely friendly and knowledgeable. There are plenty of simple hands on activities that portray prarie life - my kids couldn't get enough of the handwashing and wringing laundry or the schoolhouse. They also let all the kids drive the wagon and ours got to help feed a calf. The land is even farmed using old fashioned implements the way Pa would have done it. I wasn't sure we'd need two days but was glad we had them.

The buildings and prairies brought the books to life, but all the baby animals and the hand-on activities were the best. Highlights were meeting a 5-day old foal and watching my son drive a team of horses as we rode in a covered wagon across the prairie. The staff was amazing - they even cheerfully accommodated our wheelchair bound daughter so that she didn't miss a thing (including the wagon ride). It was an awesome day.

My husband and I planned our South Dakota vacation so that the first place we visited was the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet. We are so glad we did. We found a lovely, peaceful spot that gave us a good introduction to 1800's prairie life. The family who purchased the property a few years back lives on the land and serves as hosts. We were able to go through a detailed recreation of the house built by Charles Ingalls as well as explore other buildings of the period. We enjoyed the sweeping vistas and the wagon ride to the old school house. We loved the relaxed feeling of being in the moment as we played with the animals (all very well cared for), twisted hay, made a corncob doll, and read the fascinating displays about the Ingalls and their travels. In the gift shop I was able to purchase an apron handmade by our hostess. We hope to return someday and camp out in one of the little covered wagons available for overnight rental. I highly recommend the Ingalls Homestead.

My kids were just the perfect age for this place. I read all the Little House books with my daughter, and this was the icing on the cake. We stayed in a covered wagon. This was a dream-come-true after having read all the Little House books as a child. It was a beautiful prairie setting, just as Laura described it. We met the nicest people here! We will be back!

I watched the tv show as a child many years ago and was not a big fan but I was curious to see what the Homestead offered. I was pleasantly surprised that it was so interesting and that there was so much to see and do there. After touring the home, school and other buildings, we took the horse drawn wagon ride to the school house to hear stories about early settlers in the area. Then back to some interesting out-buildings where we had a chance to make rope, make corn cob dolls and learn more about life on the prairie. This would be a good trip for kids because it would keep them entertained and occupied. They do a very nice job of relaying the history in an interesting way. I'm very glad I visited!

Our stop in DeSmet was one of the highlights of our cross country adventure this summer. We camped on the edge of the prairie in our pop up trailer after finding the RV sites and covered wagons to be full. Our kids spent the day talking about Laura and Mary, throwing horseshoes, playing with kittens and romping after gophers. We loved it all until a prairie wind (15-20 knots) came up that night and we easterners thought we were going to be blown away. If you can, stay in a wagon rather than anything like a tent if wind is in the forecast!

This is a must for families with school age children. They do not need to be Laura Ingalls Wilder fans to enjoy this stop. The Homestead gives them an opportunity to experience what life was like on the open prairie during the 1880s. The site is staffed by knowledgeable friendly docents who provide the children with many hands on activities. There are barns and animals, walking trails( just right for running on), a look out tower, a one room school house, covered wagon ride. the kids will want to stay all day.