Reviews of Ingalls Homestead (Tourist Attraction)

kelly hecht

Best birthday ever!

Bill V

Cool place to check out!

Sara Register

Wonderful interactive experience for my daughter and a trip into my childhood imagination for me. If you are a LHOTP fan or a fan of history in general, make the trip out to DeSmet. It's a pleasant drive off the highway, easy to find.

Colleen Powers

Great place.

Camille Glick

Nice video about her life, no original buildings on homesite

Tammy Williams

I have to admit that I got goosebumps when we turned into the parking area of the homestead. My mother read the books to me, and I've read them to my children. It felt kind of like coming home. Nostalgia aside, the park really was neat. We had to stop and play with the kittens, of course. The hands on activities were a lot of fun, and the whole family enjoyed the play that evening. We were not expecting the multitude of mosquitoes that came out once the sun was low. If we go back, we'll know to pack plenty of bug spray, maybe a flamethrower. Other than the mosquitoes, we really enjoyed our visit.

Sarah Waller

So much fun!! There are even baby animals

James Connelly

Awesome place. Kids had a blast. Lots of activities for them to do. The horses were fun. The family found the thatched roof house full of cats, that was a big highlight. Camping was very nice too (one of four RV sites). Bathhouse was great, staff was fantastic. Wish we could have stayed longer than one night.

Sam Lyon

Had fun with the family. Lawn was nice!

Elizabeth Tyre

This is such a fun, hands-on experience for anyone wanting to understand pioneer life and/or who has a love of Laura Ingalls Wilder!

Natalie Acheson

The kids loved seeing what it was like to be on the prairie. The houses/exhibits were great. The kids loved the kittens in the barn, doing the washing and riding/driving the horses. A fun place to explore and learn what the pioneer days were like.

Vicki Sterling

It was interesting place to visit

Jenny Means

A dream come true to be able to stay on the land where the Ingalls family lived. Everyone in my family had a great time.

Erin Nichols

Well worth the stop and if you can stay overnight!

Laura Troastle

I was surprised at how much I remembered from the books as we toured the place. The historic actors with the information were wonderful. The place is well maintained and a long over due visit.

Margie Wachter

My daughter has been reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder series this year and really wanted to stop on the way home from Montana. It was so worth it. I wish he had dedicated more time. The kids were able to wash clothes the old fashioned way, make a corn cob doll, make their own rope, drive a team of mules pulling a covered wagon. The visit to the school house was fabulous. So informative. The kids had a great time and so did I.

Paige McIntyre

Great experience we enjoyed staying the night in a covered wagon. Hope to come back one day when we have kids.

Ryan Schuetzler

The family had a great time. The kids enjoyed driving the wagon and riding the ponies. My wife and I liked the old buildings and historical stuff.

Teri Malfait

Had a lot interesting facts about laura ingalls wilder.

Dorothea Casey

This was a very nice facility with lots for young children to do!! The admission included several different venues from Laura's life and a nice wagon ride behind a pair of mules. There were pony rides for the kids. Camping is available, and there are prairie wagons to rent, if you choose.

pax tecum philomena

One of the few places your kids can RUN and touch everything. Its educational and extremely hands on they even let the kids drive the horse drawn wagons. The staff is mostly younger kids but they are very engaged and patient you can tell they love their job.

Ruben Gomez

Pricey but fun.

John Ford

Grandson had a blast braiding a rope riding a horse making corncobs doll many activities for the kids

Nancy Elliott

We stopped here for my Ingalls-fan daughters. I did not have high hopes, but was surprisingly corrected. We stayed at one of the 4 RV sites (~$30). Toilets were clean and convenient, showers were primitive, but had good pressure. Wish we pulled up when the sun was still up to take advantage of the beautiful grounds after hours. Be prepared to listen to cows mooing in the distance thru the night.

Chris Santillo

The English homestead couldn't have been more charming. we spent two nights in a covered wagon, and joined with school groups for a tour of the schoolhouse, rope and doll making, and to see the original Ingles homestead in the area, as well as five trees planted by Pa Ingalls.

Stormie Clark

It was an Amazing experience. Very friendly. A place that brought back memories from my childhood, and hoping that my 9 year old Granddaughter will remember this for years to come. She had a blast! Thank you.

Darla Harris

So much to see and you learn a lot!! Wonderful experience!!

Sonia C

This was a fun thing for all the girls to do while the men fished!

M Cleary

Very thorough. Excellent experience. However cattle and calves are social animals and need company. Horses need water and shade in warm weather.

Bobby Blaylock

I loved this, love to learn about Americas History, home steading. And how this American Family helped settle SD. This was my wife's dream to trace the steps of Laura ingalls Wilder.

Brad Cahill

This is a well maintained piece of history.immaculately kept. There are numerous campsites available. There ar rv, tent, and bunkhouse cabins for rent. You can also rent a covered wagon to camp in. The place is fantastic. There are lakes and towns near. You couldnt pick a better place for a family vacation!

Mark Pullman

best day of just having free time with my kids.

Anah Lamb

Alot of fun things to do, and animals to pet. We even learned some things about pioneering while we were there.

manuela Ruan

This place was just amazing.Will come back

Debby Rhodes

Love Laura

stewart gangwer

You actually see more for free by driving down the side road. But inside does offer entertainment for children.

Shannon Caldwell

I loved the Little House books growing up. This was an unplanned stop after seeing it in the South Dakota travel guide. It was fun for our kids and very interesting.

Nancy Amos

Such a special place. We even camped in our tent trailer overnight. The night time Prarie sky was beautiful.

Karl Schultz

Excellent!! This place is the ultimate kid/family destination!

Carrie Totterdale

Loved it. You got to go see how it really was. The series is a little embellished. Very informative.

sarah dominguez

We camped in one their covered wagons and the experience was really fun and unique. The farm activities were fun and hands on with some crafts the kids could take with them. My one critique would be the price of visiting the homestead (not the camping). Overall though a fun family experience.

Jackie Johnson

Must see in south Dakota! It's a living history museum!

Marcia Hay

This is a really beautiful area and there are antics you can buy that look like the real thing- the gift shop is really filled with good things

Karl Hillstrom

Best family vacation stop in SD! We camped for the night on the homestead and can attest to the excellent washroom accommodations! Much improved from the dugout and shanty days! Laura would be proud to see how they have kept her family's spirit alive.

Dakari Girl

Very nice place to visit, when the weather's good.

Krista Bjork

I highly recommend camping out in one of the wagons!

advAnturemom

Such a beautiful place!! For the best experience, we suggest to plan ahead to stay on the prairie in a real wagon or the bunkhouse. Our kids loved it!! Even our teenagers found FUN on the farm! The workers were so kind and helpful and really engaging and knowledgeable. The shower houses weren’t far away and they were clean and water was warm. Family ran and they were super sweet!! Highly recommend!! ❤️❤️

Melissa Waldenburg

We had an incredible day here Memorial weekend. Joan is an absolute gift. Everyone here was so kind and attentive - from store cashier to horse handlers to tour guides like Joan helping make jump ropes and corn cob dolls/super heroes. My 3, 9 and 11 year olds all loved it and it surpassed our expectations. My daughter said she would like to make this an annual tradition. Even though my old Little House books are at home, my daughter chose a hardcover book in the gift shop to read all the way back home to Minnesota.

Bill Lang

Worth the trip to De Smet all by itself.

Tatiana Sieren

Wow! So much bang for the buck! Kids make a jump rope, and a corn cob doll. Everyone rides in a covered wagon to "school" and gets a chance to drive the wagon too. Kids can also have pony rides or pony cart rides. Wash clothes on a washboard, get their hands dirty in the garden, and even more! All for the price of admission

Mike Miller

Fun for the whole family. Recommend the pageant too

Dave White

Very nice but the road to get there was not very motorcycle friendly.

John Wallace

Wife loves all Ingalls books. We were here yrs ago so time for recent visit. Have camp sites for 4 RVs, electric & water. Grey water dump station in parking lot. Reservation recommended for in season camping. They have 1 cabin and 4 covered wagon rents plus tent spaces. Bath rooms available. Check website for visitor center and camping info. Will post pics.

Jonathan Martin

Enjoyed the covered wagon ride with the mules

Donna Kotkiewicz

Sweet visit to the Ingalls Homestead. We were there out of season and it was closed. But, they offered a self tour and it was a history lesson on the hardships faced by those who settled this difficult land. Completely worth visiting. If you can, go in the Summer. Lots and lots of activities for children and there is a campground.

Pete Zengel

Loved it. Disappointed shop was closed, but grounds were amazing to see.

David G

This was a wonderful place to get a sense of what life was like on the homestead.

jeff kreider

Visited there 18 years ago while on a western adventure vacation. Still one of our favorite memories. Great attraction!!!

Kriss Brown

Visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead was a lifetime dream of mine!! It was all I had hoped it to be an even more! The staff for unbelievably friendly, and the grounds we're so beautiful and immaculate! It was more than I had ever hoped it to be! I enjoyed all it had to offer immensely, however, the thing that I found the most touching were the 130 year old cottonwood trees planted by Pa so very long ago! My husband walked around one of the base and one of the trees and it was at least 15 feet in circumference! We were so impressed with the homestead and staff that we are playing a camping trip there this coming September! If you ever have the opportunity to stop by this beautiful treasure do yourself a favor and check it out! You will not be disappointed!

John Hale

Plenty of room for the kids to run around the homestead (complete with real cows, chickens, houses, and kittens)!

Mike Arpino

Beautiful place. Everybody was friendly and helpful.

Jake Simon

Our family of 4 had planned to stay for about two hours, but ended up staying more like 3 1/2 because the 10 & 7 year old girls were having so much fun doing everything. We’ve read enough of the books and watched enough of the shows to have a foundational understanding of what to expect, but the combination of fun hands-on things to do and authentic feel and connection to history was pretty amazing. We were fortunate enough to run into one of the founders of the museum, who gave more insight about where we were - “over there are the two lakes that Laura wrote about how she and Almanzo would go there during courting.” In was nice that everything was hands-on for the girls (they spent a LOT of time hand washing clothes! Lol) I love participating via Google Reviews - if you find this review helpful, please click Like below. Thanks!

Tracey Cohn

This was such a fun experience. I did not want to leave. Everyone is so nice and we had such a great time.

Brent Wahlstrom

Great hands on experience at rope making and corn shelling. Experienced Ingalls sod home and more.

Eric Buhrow

Great stop if you are interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder and her history. The buildings may not all be originals, but the made an effort to make them realistic and time appropriate.

Liz Fick

Fun and interesting. Well worth the time!

rsfreedom

A really great place to take a family to learn about pioneer days. You could spend over 8 hours there and not do everything. There are hands on games and projects to show you how they did things back then. They teach you how to make a popular game that Laura and Mary used to play. They sell art in the gift shop... some by local artists. They have items authentic to the Pioneer times. There are bus tours... several replicas of the original buildings and businesses...from DeSmets Early days .... I especially liked the art in the gift shop at the homestead... the paintings done on a slate tile like Laura used to use as a chalkboard. Those paintings are all pioneer themed... Especially depicting the Ingalls family. I know this review seems scattered but there is so much.. I didn't want to leave anything out... I know I am tho.... You just have to go...see for yourself... And maybe even see the pageant if your there in July.

Lauri S

This place was amazing, in history and what it was like to live back in the good old days

Christy Freeman

Very quaint place and nice stop on our way to the Badlands. Clean facilities and cool history. Was able to fit our 38 foot travel trailer and truck.

Tami Jo Redinger

This is the original land Charles Ingalls claimed through the Homestead Act of 1862. I visited this place as a child and have now worked there for 9 summers. I cant get enough of it! I literally cannot say I had a summer without spending part of it working here! I have brought family and friends for tours and we always have a blast! I always have fun working here, as well! I meet all kinds of people from all over the world each summer and enjoy seeing kids excited to learn about an important piece of American History (through hands on activities, of course!)! There is so much to do, and at a leisurely pace: check out the sod house/dugout, like the one they lived in in Walnut Grove, MN. Then there is a real shanty that was moved to the property. Next is the hayroof barn built in the original location and Ma's Little House (where I work) which is a replica built in the original location (sadly before the current owners purchased the land, previous people turned the land into a corn field, so original buildings had been removed or had fallen down due to disrepair). Then there is the livestock barn where you can get pony cart rides and ride a covered wagon down to the school house. Next is the Flindts Garage, which is a building moved from town. You get to make ropes, corn cob dolls, try hay twisting and wheat grinding, make button buzzers, and start braided rugs! Dont forget this is a U touch and climb museum, so you can try everything out! Just be careful! Lastly, there is camping facilities and a gift shop! Dont forget to try or check those out as well!

Matt Smedley

My wife and daughter wanted to visit as they were fans of the books. I went reluctantly, but was pleasantly surprised. Beautiful setting, great activities for the kids, and just peaceful and relaxing.

Roger Myers

Little House on the Prairie. 3 Three Granddaughters loved it. 6 yr old got to take the reins of a covered wagon being pulled by mules. She started the on and off the dirt trail thru the Prairie. Made corncob dolls and rope. Road a horse and petted a 2 week old pony.

Benson Five

We enjoyed a beautiful day on the prairie and the family learned a great deal!!

Paul VanDenBerghe

This deserves all its high ratings. The area is beautiful. The entrance price is high, but it really was a ton of fun. The exhibits-- like the sod house, shanty, and Ma's house--pony rides, covered wagons, pioneer activities, along with the bonus baby animals ( a whole barn full of kittens!) illustrated pioneer life very vividly--all while tying it into Little House on the Prairie. We also planned on only a short visit and stayed until it closed.

Steve Clark

Tour at your own pace. See want you want skip what you want. Interesting and educational.

AntiJames 13

Highly recommend. Nice folks sharing great history. Good value. Stayed in covered wagon, loved it!

Lucas Moldenhauer

One of our top favorite places in all of SD. Every trip is a different experience. We always spend all day and our 6 year old never gets bored. The owners are so personable. You'll want to come back every year.

B Humbracht

Lots of fun

Kay Elizabeth Hughes Marchand

If you love to the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, you will thoroughly enjoy visiting this place!

Fidelia Friedman

I love this place! Visiting Laura Ingalls's house, dugout, and school was like going back to her time. The only disappointing thing was the pageant. The sound and acting were horrible. Ah, and the mosquitos attack! Wear a lot insect repellent if you stay for the pageant.

Ryan Eby

Didn't get to view the homestead due to thunderstorm but I saw the play.

Tina Marshall

Very laid back and kids can touch and play with everything there. They even let my kids drive the mules and wagon. Wonderful relaxing time but also lots of walking to get exercise. It was great to stop after driving the day before.

Michael Cockrell

Very fun! This was an unexpected visit as I was here on business and didn't know this was here. A blast from my childhood. Wish I would have had more time to spend. Would have been even better if my Wife and Daughter had been with me.

Sara Skees

Lots to do. Camped here. Water and electric hookup.

Michelle Spires

Great to experience how things were done before technology

Sara Lindholm

So much fun. Great history behind this for field trips to learn about. Definitely coming back in the summer with my family

Tigger Moore

A lot of walking but kids get to ride a horse!

Sarah Gaida

I have such a great time every time I go. So many activities for children and fun for adults too.

Jathan Good

Way better than I expected! So much to see and do! Very impressed.

TJ

We didn’t know what to expect but we came away completely charmed by this bit of living history. After reading all the Ingalls books as a family, we decided to visit the South Dakota homestead, where the majority of the events from the books take place. Another draw to this SD homestead was the outdoor pageant/drama across the road from the homestead that takes place during several weekends in July. The pageant was fun and cute and well done, for community theatre. We then headed to our family cabin on the Homestead grounds, which was much nicer than we imagined it would be. Clean and neat construction with A/C and a small fridge, as well as nice bunk beds and a firm, sealed vinyl double mattress to put sheets on. Shower and bathroom facilities were a few steps away, and impeccably maintained. The second night we stayed in one of the covered wagons, which was fun and also more comfortable than you might expect. During the day, we had a blast with the kids learning about prairie life for early settlers. Highlights included wagon rides to the one room school house, all kinds of farm animals, choosing whether we’d rather live in the well-recreated demonstration sod huts or a board and batten claim shanty, and learning how to make rope, wash and ring laundry, and fashion corn cob dolls. At every turn we were so impressed by the staff; the experience is self guided but there are knowledgeable young staff in costume helping at just about every turn. Room and activities were extremely reasonable, cost-wise. We loved it and highly recommend stepping into the past at the Ingalls’ Homestead in Desmet, SD.

Dewey G

Not the original, but of filming was done there

Jackie Zimmerman

Awesome, easy and relaxing as well as highly informed and helpful staff!!!!

Liz Siravo

So beautiful here! Enjoyed our visit, and can't wait to go back!

Michael Stoner

We camped overnight here with the kids and had a lovely time. Lots of kid activities. Wagon ride was fun, school house tour was fantastic. The buildings, dugout, horses and scenery are all amazing and will be appreciated by any fan of the books.

Kristin Hannon

What a great experience! The people that work here are absolutely amazing. They are friendly and kind. We loved every minute here!

Roxeann Ford

I have always wanted to visit the Ingalls Homestead. It was great to see how Laura and her sisters lived and worked while growing in South Dakota. My grandson also loved it. The staff encouraged young and old to take part in the hands on work.

Jonnie Fry

It was an amazing experience for my 6 year old. We did it for her birthday & she said it was the best birthday ever.

Ken Reed

Very fun place to visit. They have a great setup with many hands-on things to do. We spent over 4 hours here but it only felt like 1 because the kids had so much fun. All of the staff were really friendly.

Catherine Martinez

Loved it!

Debra R Hooverson

I thought it was interesting but we're short on time. I didn't have enough time to see it all.

Stuart Klingbeil

Interesting trip

Bob Manz

This is a nice place to visit and really lets you see some of the history behind the Little House books. There is a lot more to see at this location than I had anticipated with a lot of the stuff spread around in different areas of the town and countryside. To see everything here plan on at least 4 to 6 hours... maybe a little more. Well worth the visit. (We were there 5 hours and didn't have time to see quite everything.)

Kendra Intermill

The Homestead is a perfect showing of how Laura Ingalls and her family lived. The homes and barns are a sight to see. There is a beautiful old church to visit and look at. The school is fun to go in and learn how school was conducted. The staff here is friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

Frank Sherman

This was our third time at the Ingall’s Homestead. We make this a stop on our cross country road trip. This we stayed two nights and loved having that extra time to relax. The kids had a great time exploring and playing with kittens and Macy the baby horse. Our girls enjoyed all the activities and learning about life on the prairie. The staff is wonderful. The showers have hot water. They have bundles of firewood and fire rings at each site and at the covered wagons.

Audrey Stoneburner

Inspiring to put a place to go with the books and author. Deeper appreciation for all of the sacrifices early pioneers made. Owners very friendly and knowledgeable of area and author/books. Gift shop well stocked with memorabilia and pioneer items. Great place to camp!

Linda Mullin

The owner gave us a personal tour, answered our questions, and was very informative! I'd like to thank her for taking the time to show us around, and share her knowledge!

Dexter Gibson

To expensive for a tour, that you show your self

Ellen Burford

My daughter loved this experience. We stayed in a covered wagon. We only had about 3 hours before we had to hit the road again, but she was able to do everything. Would rather spend a whole day here though. Definitely recommend this place for Laura fans!!

Gary Hunt

Not worth the 52 miles off the interstate. Only original thing is 5 cottonwood trees. Expensive

Gina Jobe

Open until 6 on Fridays. Thanks!

Brandy Shaw

Great place. Friendly people And fun things to do.

Lisa Zvorak

Very neat place but expensive to get in.

Kelly Schneider

This is such a well done historical site for families. Covered wagon ride, rope making, pony ride, and of course the kittens in the barn. My girls loved every second of it. Thanks for the great day!

Kristina KeelWilcowski

If you grew up watching this program, you have to stop here. You can walk through the building and ring the school bell that Laura would had heard. It is worth visiting.

Mike Stone

Our family had an incredible time here! The historic interpreters were so engaging with my daughters, there were more things to see than we had time for, and everything we saw had such a sweet balance of the story of the books and the real life history of the time and place. I really hope we get to visit again!

Elizabeth Loper

This is an amazing piece of history. There are tons of hands-on experiences and the staff is very knowledgeable.

Andre Hoyt

Great piece of history! Take the kids, have some fun!

BLC Transport LLC

Cool to see but disappointed that only one building was original.

Sherry's Crocheted Happiness

Love this place

Gerta Zinda

Two different areas in DeSmet, MN related to Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood. One in town and one down a dirt road. Both are interesting.

Mark Schmidt

Lots to do. The staff is great

James Marsh

Good kid's place. Made rope, shucked corn, rode a wagon the kids helped steer, made a corn doll, gkid ran a horse cart, went inside authentic dugout and shanty. 3 story tower gives a great view. Were students for a half hour in 1880's school. Much more to do, give yourself several hours to see and do things. Lots of info about the period. Separate cost from downtown wrist band and pageant, so be prepared; 5 of us were $80. Camping available. Gift shop was ok. Go on an unrainy day, you won't get there on muddy roads otherwise. Staff was enthused, good at what they did, and very knowledgeable; gkid with autism was handled with genuine kindness.

hammer101

Great historical site. Larger than expected. Just a mile out of town. Plenty of parking. Camping sites available. Gift shop, covered wagon tour, walking tour. Personnel are very helpful and knowledgeable. The Ingalls grave sites(and others from the little house series) are close as well as the Ingalls house on 3rd st. A must for lovers of the little house series and history.

Cassie

This was amazing experience for kids!

Melanie Mason

What a wonderful experience! Great staff, interactive displays, and was highly educational. We will definitely be back!

Harold Wright

Awesome historical experience especially if you have kids. Friendly staff and great activities.

Chadd Smith

Great stop on our trip out west! The whole family loved the experience! Staff was terrific and all the hands on activities had my kids fully engaged. We camped onsite (only 4 sites). Highly recommend!

Kitt Wattenphul

This is the actual homestead of author Laura Ingalls Wilder! The guides are very knowledgeable about her and the history of the era. Covered wagon ride is fun and kids get to drive (adults too!) Take pony rides, make rope and a corn cob doll like Laura had. Visit a historic church and get a lesson in the schoolhouse. The gift shop has lots of books not only by Wilder but also other books about that time period on the prairie, and homesteading and all that entails. Great value!

Sherrie Dulany

One of the MOST amazing stops along the Wilder Trail. Awesome to camp here in a covered wagon. I highly recommend this place!

briana kb

Really a great place. Would love to go back.

Chris Brynga

Awesome place for the kids. Very clean and everything was hands on which made the time really enjoyable for the kids. Sleeping in the wagon was a nice clean night. Very quiet and relaxing. Will definitely be back to ingalls homestead in future trips.

Amy Redhage

Lots of hands-on activities, good tent camping facilities, fun to see the land where the Ingalls family lived

LindaSue Jorgenson

Great family adventure with lots of hands-on activities. There are several options for overnight camping available. Fun for all ages even if you're not a die-hard Laura Ingalls fan.

Ken Davies

Great place for the entire family. So many activities with the best staff.

Stefanie Williamson

This was a wonderful side trip to make on our family roadtrip. Since my daughter and I read the series together, we found it a necessity to visit and experience life like Laura. The entire family had a great time, even the dogs! Our dogs were allowed to wander with us, which only made the experience even more enjoyable.

Roy Werner Hanssen

Little house on the prairie

Jeramy Elley

A delightful place. Very well done. Kids had a wonderful time. Clean and safe. Staff was a delight. Will definately do this again!

dawn floyd

Everyone was so fruendly and acknowledgable about the Ingalls and Wilder families.