This summer we studied American pioneers and the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We have also been reading the Little House on the Prairie books that she wrote.
My oldest was reading Laura's biography when she stumbled upon the list of historic sites in the back and asked me how far we were from them. I was surprised to find out that we live only a few hours from two of the historic sites!!
I have always had a deep love for history and have been a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie (books and TV show) since I was a kid so I couldn’t believe we were that close and knew we had to go! So the next week we packed up and headed west :)
And oh my! What an amazing trip! It was a trip of a lifetime in my opinion, it was surreal to stand where the Ingalls family did. I really admire them- they truly had amazing grit, faith, and resilience!
There are six Laura sites in total- one for each place she lived. If you are a fan of the Farmer Boy book, there is also a site on Almanzo’s boyhood farm.
It’s on my bucket list to hit them all but for this trip we went to the sites in Independence, Kansas and Mansfield, Missouri.
Missouri was the further of the two so we wanted to get all the driving done the first day and slowly work our way home. Mansfield, the town where the site is, is very small and doesn’t really have options for hotels or restaurants. So we opted to stay in Springfield, Missouri which is about a 50 minute drive from the site.
We stayed in the CUTEST airbnb in Springfield! It was in the peaceful, quiet countryside. It was newly updated and had everything we needed. There was lots of open space surrounding it and the owners had goats on the property. It was complete with a front porch swing with gorgeous views of the sunset and cow fields. It also backed up to a blackberry farm where we got to go picking! It was perfect for our Little House themed trip.
Our first stop was the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum. You first go to the main farmhouse to pay for tickets (children 5 and under were free, kids 6-17 years $8, and adults $18) and can park there. I would recommend starting here at the museum and gift shop before heading to Laura’s home.
The museum was my very favorite part! It had a little eight minute video about Laura’s life that you watch before heading in. It had her life in chronological order, going along with each book. (So it started with Little House in the Big Woods when she was 4 years old and ended with her marriage and writing career when she was in her 60’s.)
There were so many amazing artifacts from Laura and her family! It felt SO surreal to be there. I’d say one of the highlights for sure was seeing Pa’s actual fiddle!! Other cool things were: Laura’s first sewing sampler, Mary and Laura’s slates from Plum Creek, family photographs and letters, Mary’s nine patch quilt, Laura’s clothes and accessories, and original publications of her books. There were so many great signs and quotes to give you more info. I honestly would have stayed there for hours and read every detail!
Right after the museum, you go through the gift shop. It was adorable!! So many cute Little House themed books, postcards, photo prints, toys, clothes, and more! I could’ve bought the whole shop! We did buy a magnet (we buy one on every trip we take as a souvenir) and some stick candy for the kids.
Afterwards, we headed just up the hill (quick walk) to Laura and Almanzo’s farmhouse called Rocky Ridge Farm. Just to give some historical background on this location- this is the house that Laura and Almanzo, along with their daughter Rose, moved to in 1894. Although she is famous for living on the prairie mostly in Kansas and Missouri, this is actually where Laura spent most of her life. They built the house themselves, it took 15 years to complete! They owned acres and acres of land where they farmed, raised chickens, and had fruit orchards. It was a beautiful piece of land! I definitely see why they chose that spot.
They do tours at the house every half hour and a tour guide walks you through. We started in the kitchen- it was so cute with the yellow painted walls! The counters and ceilings were really short. Apparently Laura was shorter than 5 feet which is why Pa called her half pint. The photo below is my 3 and 5 year old standing by her life size pic to give you an idea- ha! Our tour guide said they left everything the way it was the day she died so her kitchen calendar was on the month and year she died which I thought was cool- it was like time stood still!
We traveled through the house seeing her and Almanzo’s room and bathroom, the living room, music room, and home library. Almanzo had built a lot of the furniture.
Laura's desk where she wrote the Little House series!
Like I mentioned, they said they left the house how it was the day she died. We could see her perfume, makeup, and hair pins on her bathroom counter still.
From left to right, top to bottom: Laura's prized china dishes she brought when they made the move, Laura's home library, the original poster advertising her books, their living room featuring the fireplace Almanzo built, Laura's rocking chair where she answered fan mail, the organ that Rose played.
Right next to the farmhouse is the Wilders' garage. It was a replica because the original burned down in a fire. It was full of farm tools and horse gear.
The last stop at Rocky Ridge Farm was the Rock House. It's a short drive up the next hill. Laura's daughter, Rose, was a famous writer and became very wealthy. She built this house for them to retire to. They lived there for seven years but then moved back to their original farmhouse.
Our last stop in Mansfield was to see Laura, Almanzo, and Rose's graves in the Mansfield cemetery. It was only about five minutes away from the site.
Between the museum, house tours, and cemetery, we spent almost 3 hours in Mansfield! I could've stayed for longer but my 3 kids were done haha! If you visit, I recommend giving yourself enough time to explore.
We said goodbye to Missouri and headed to Independence, Kansas. This is the original “little house” on the prairie. For some historical context- the Ingalls moved here from Wisconsin because the government was offering free land to those who would settle it. They travled across the prairie in a covered wagon and built the house by hand. This is where Laura’s sister, Carrie Ingalls, was born.
It was in the middle of nowhere! It was cool to see open prairie- the grass sometimes grows 6-8 feet tall. It was very hot, windy, and there were grasshoppers everywhere. It truly would’ve taken strong people to live there without air conditioning!
(Also, it was SO fun to take my girls in their pioneer dresses! I got them from Amazon. Their tin buckets are from the Dollar Tree.)
You stop at a little farmhouse and gift shop to pay admission. This was another cute gift shop. They had the ax that Mr. Edwards used to help build the Ingalls' house on display there. His grave site is located very close to the site as well.
This site had self guided tours. There were signs everywhere with lots of information.
The log house was called “little” for a reason ha! It was tiny! My girls loved pointing out things from the books like Pa’s rifle, Ma’s china shepherdess, and wooden furniture that Pa made.
There was a well that Pa dug as well!
On the site, there is also a barn, post office, and schoolhouse- they were not originally there when the Ingalls lived there. But they were very cool to see!
We had a fantastic trip! And I must admit that I teared up several times, they were such special places to see. I have learned so much and really admire the Ingalls and American pioneers who came before us and ultimately gave us the lives we have today.
In my opinion, it was well worth the trip! It will always be a core memory of mine. It's on my bucketlist to see all the historic sites one day :)
If you want some ideas for Little House learning, check out my post on Our Favorite Little House on the Prairie Resources. I hope you felt a little like you were there with us and that someday you get to go too!
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