Ingalls Homestead

Garry Thompson

Being a fan of the “Little House on the Prairie” TV Series, I decided to travel to De Smet to visit some of the sited directly related to the Ingalls Family. My first stop was at the Ingalls Homestead which is just a mile or so from the town. The Homestead is a living history park with several building from the period that the Ingalls Family lived here. There are a number of hands-on experiences where you can get the feel of what homestead life was like. The site features a gift shop, and the staff is very knowledgeable and are more than willing to answer any questions. I ended up spending about an hour and a half here and enjoy my time.

Hanna Rose

Imagine being able to hop right into a Laura Ingalls book and experience her life for a day. That's how you feel when you arrive on the property. The staff are friendly and helpful, but also hands-off enough for you to be able to enjoy the experience authentically. The animals scattered about were a bit hit with my kids, who really enjoyed being able to pet and cuddle the barn kittens for as long as they wanted. They also loved the multiple wagon and horseback rides that the staff tirelessly gave to whichever kid wanted a turn. The tour to the schoolhouse via mule wagon was exceptional as well. The "teacher" there made my kids feel very welcomed, even though they were getting pretty squirmy after a long day of traveling and exploring. If you want the full experience, check out the covered wagons for an overnight stay! We squeezed our family of five (two adults, three small kids) into the smaller wagon, and though it was tight, it definitely gave us an appreciation for the life of a pioneer family! We loved it. You definitely will enjoy it more if you at least read several of the Little House books. If you only have time to read a few, I would suggest "By the Shores of Silver Lake," "The Long Winter," and "Little Town on the Prairie."

Jeremy Kerstetter

Our family loved our time at the homestead. Everyone was helpful, had great attitudes and eager to teach in a fun, experiential way. It was a "go at your pace" experience. I loved how they encouraged everyone to touch and experience history. Very glad we added this to our stop.

Dani

We have read the series and watched many of the episodes in the series. The kids were so excited to see the homestead in person. We also got a ride on a wagon pulled by horses up to the school house and back. It was a rainy day and it allowed us to spend quality time with the staff.