Two educational, historical spots that are worth a visit for both adults and kids!

Having educators as parents means that we love experiences that are full of learning. So far, our kids haven’t complained. Earlier this year, I realized Walnut Grove is not too far from us which led us to start reading the Little House on the Prairie series. After completing only one book, we decided to take a visit to apply what we had learned. Boy, was I completely shocked by how much the two older kids had retained and remembered from the book. By visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, they were able to truly imagine what life was like in the time frame of the books. What an experience!

Walking up to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, it’s engaging right from the start with a covered wagon that you can climb in and with cut-outs of people for pictures. The first stop in the museum is the gift shop and where you purchase your admission. Whether you stop to look in the gift shop before or after your self-guided tour, it’s worth the time! A wide variety of things are available for purchase from the book series to bonnets and dresses to souvenirs such as cups, mugs, and blankets. We bought a hand-quilted piece to use as an ornament on our Christmas tree to remember our time at the museum. Our kids loved seeing the pencils (made out of bark), games that kids might have played with in that time frame (think jacks and ball in cup), and the candy they talk about in the books. Each kid bought their own rock candy to enjoy.

After the gift shop and buying our admission, we headed on the self-guided tour. The first building consists of lots of things from Laura Ingall’s Wilder’s past and things that were included in the book. Our favorites were the sled from the story about Grandpa and the pig and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s quilt. In the next room was Pa’s fiddle and memorabilia from the TV show of the Little House on the Prairie. They even had the show playing.

Next, we headed to Grandma’s house. In this spot, there were many things on display that they had used during that time frame. The kids were shocked at what washing machines, ovens, phones, and butter churners actually looked like. My girls loved trying on the bonnets and aprons to see what their normal outfit would consist of. Much to their surprise, they were ecstatic to find that Grandma’s attic contained a play area for them. They all quickly found spots they enjoyed from writing on chalkboards to a computer game of the Oregon Trail to an old Noah’s Ark to a play kitchen. We easily could have spent awhile playing in this space.

Moving along, we took a visit to the jail where the kids were mortified that two people had to fit, sleep, and bathroom in this small, not private area. They also, had an example of a dug-out. This was definitely a highlight as imagining a house like this was well out of the kid’s ability level until they saw it in person. We were amazed at the temperature difference as we walked into the dug-out. Also, we were in awe of the hard work it must have taken to make a home like this. Pretty amazing to compare our houses today with a dug-out!

Next was the schoolhouse. The kids were bewildered at how a one-room schoolhouse worked. Many questions and lots of learning happened in this space. Naturally, everyone took a turn finding a desk that fit themselves and listening to Daddy teach! Next were two different spaces that showed us a little more about what life was like during this time period. One area had a full house set up and the other area had many parts of town set up. These included a store, a railroad station, a post office, a newspaper, a phone booth, and what a covered wagon looked like when it was all packed up for a move. This was wild because we had never thought about all the things they had to bring and fit into this small covered wagon with a large family too. My kids loved the interactive pieces such as Lincoln logs to build with and the store to actually play and shop in. While the kids played, there was lots of information that could be read by the adults or kids who can read too.

After we finished touring the museum, we ate our lunch outside and talked about all the things we had learned. You can visit the banks of Plum Creek too if you choose, but there is an additional fee to visit. Instead, we chose to stop at one other location instead.

Overall, I loved how educational and informative the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum was. Not only was it enjoyable learning, but it also directly correlated to what we had read making it much more memorable. Another thing my kids loved about this spot was doing a scavenger hunt throughout the museum while competing against other “teams/families” that were visiting. This definitely is a spot that you will want to check out!

Here is some more information about the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum:

Address: 330 8th Street Walnut Grove, MN  56180

Hours: Monday – Saturday from 10am – 5pm

Sunday from 12pm – 5pm

Visit earlier to beat the crowds!

Admission: Ages 4 & under…………….Free

Ages 5-12 ………………………$4.00

Ages 13 & over ……………$10.00

The additional spot that we stopped at was called the Sod House on the Prairie. Located seriously in the middle of cornfields, it was an interesting spot. We were disappointed to see the pricing was different there than had been advertised online. I’d suggest visiting here because it’s interesting to compare the two different kinds of houses and the variety of things they showed. A short walk, there are two sod houses that you can explore on your own. One is better kept than the other. There is also, a log cabin that you can visit too. Walking around the prairie is beautiful and has a wide array of wild flowers as you meander around the trails.

Inside each spot, there is an assortment of articles that might have been present in sod houses for that time frame. One negative was that some of the materials did not seem to appropriately fit the time in history. On the other hand, things were able to be looked at closely and even touched, which allowed a very hands-on experience for the kids.

I did feel the price was steep for what they offered at Sod House on the Prairie. Yet, it was an overall good experience with many hands-on experiences and definitely allowed our family to compare and contrast both spots. This also, opened up many discussions about building sod houses and dug-outs. It gave us a better picture of what living out on the prairie was truly like as the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum is now within a very small town, but still different than wide open prairie.

Here are additional details for Sod House on the Prairie:

Address: 12598 Magnolia Ave, Sanborn, MN 56083

Hours:  Daily from sunrise to sunset.Spring, summer, and fall. Closed for the winter season.

Admission: $5 per person. Age 6 and under – free. Cash only.

Both of these spots will provide your family, adults and kids, with a hands-on experience. You will leave imagining and understanding what life was like during Laura Ingalls Wilder’s era of time. As you continue to read the series after visiting, the spots in the book will come to life in your family’s imaginations. I’d recommend this spot for anyone who loves Little House on the Prairie and wants to learn more.

Until my next adventure,

Allie