A Laura Ingalls Wilder Trip Through De Smet

As Netflix’s new “Little House on the Prairie” series debuts, see the real thing by stepping into frontier life in De Smet, South Dakota — hometown of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Life & Legacy

As one of America’s most recognized authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s legacy still runs through this small community in South Dakota’s Glacial Lakes & Prairies region. Her family’s move to the Dakota Territory in 1879 marked the start of her childhood in De Smet, the place that would later become the setting for five of her “Little House” books. The stories have stayed with readers for generations, making the town feel familiar long before they arrive.

Explore De Smet’s Downtown

Find yourself pulled into a walking tour of De Smet’s past with a stroll along Calumet Avenue, where period buildings and interpretive signs make the street feel a bit like an open-air museum. After a complete refresh in 2025, downtown’s historical feel still holds, now complemented by public art like an 11-piece sculpture trail and a mural where sunrise hues melt over the prairie.

The Loftus Store, a central location in “The Long Winter,” was once the town’s go-to for quality goods and is still open today as a gift shop with Laura-themed items. You’ll also find a few original pieces from the Loftus family, including preserved shoeboxes from the store’s early days.

Tour Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society’s Historic Homes

Get a closer look at Laura’s childhood homes and school in De Smet. The Surveyors’ House is where her family first lived in the area, followed by the Ingalls Home, built in 1889 by her father — known as “Pa” in her books. Inside both, artifacts sit frozen in time, from a rustic tea kettle to an early wall-mounted telephone.

The First School of De Smet, where Laura and her sister Carrie attended and which appears in “The Long Winter” and “Little Town on the Prairie," is also open for tours, with wooden desks and chalk-marked slate boards setting the scene. Less than a 10-minute drive from the homes, pay your respects at the De Smet Cemetery, where Ma, Pa and other members of Laura’s family are buried.

Step Into Prairie Life at Ingalls Homestead

At Ingalls Homestead, where the family lived and farmed from 1880 to 1887, much of the experience unfolds out on the prairie. Charles Ingalls and his family earned the land through the Homestead Act, and Laura lived here from her early teens until her marriage to Almanzo Wilder at 18. 

Today, that pioneer heritage still plays out through the activities here. Covered-wagon rides give you the chance to ride across the prairie as Laura would have, and even take the lines as horses or mules pull you across the open landscape. In the one-room schoolhouse, children can try on bonnets and straw hats, sit at school desks and participate in lessons like Laura and her sisters experienced. From hay twisting and rope making to old-fashioned laundry and crafting corn cob dolls like the one Laura had as a child, several activities give you a taste of homesteader life.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant

During three weekends of July each year, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant brings her “Little House” stories to life on an outdoor prairie stage in De Smet, near the Ingalls Homestead. A community tradition since 1971, actors recreate scenes from Laura’s writing, with each show highlighting different moments from her life — giving families a reason to return year after year. Come early for wagon rides and live music, then settle in for the performance as the sun sets.

Ready to experience Laura’s world? Plan your visit to De Smet.