Do you remember reading the “Little House on the Prairie” books growing up? Well now you can actually view the real thing. Check out the Ingalls Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota, where Pa Ingalls first set his claim in 1880. The homestead is open from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend, and offers Laura Ingalls Wilder enthusiasts covered wagon rides, an 1880s school session, Ma’s little house, horses and ponies, a prairie exhibit, pioneer activities, and camping.
The best time to visit is during the summer months of July and August, when the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant is taking place. The pageant has been a local tradition since the 1950s, and each summer more than 100 volunteers work together, in the spirit of the prairie settlers, to make the pageant possible.
Don’t forget to visit the visitor center gift shop, where you can have all of your questions answered, and find a Laura Ingalls Wilder souvenir to take home. The spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder is alive and well in De Smet, South Dakota!
