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September 2023 by Angie Nolt
Very interesting place!
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September 2023 by Ray Johnson
Very entertaining guide. The cost was a little too high.
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August 2023 by Sarah Linder
Wow, we got here after hours, but information available outside was enough for a wonderful trip down the memory lane of childhood reading.
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August 2023 by Lisa Baxter
Very nice tour and awesome gal giving the tour , very knowledgeable and kind . It was $16.00 for the tour , well worth the money and learned so many interesting things . If you are passing thru DeSmett , be sure and stop by this treasure . Also a gift shop and many more artifacts in the back part of the gift shop . Many treasures and artifacts from so many of the Ingalls family . Five stars ✨✨✨ ✨✨
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August 2023 by alice schadewald
DeSmet is one of the homes of Laura...as we pulled in we walked in one-room school room ..the interesting piece was a former governor had attended the school in his youth ...after using a modernized bathroom we walked around the buildings...some moved in from other areas in the region...we were welcome to the souvenir shop but turned down the paid tour due to time....
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July 2023 by Allan Jagd Esmarch
The young guide was great and you truly felt like stepping right into the books and even beyond as the tour took you through the later life of Laura and her family.A MUST for everyone who has read the books.
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July 2023 by Cyndie Chinnici
A must for any Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. Books or television. We've also been to Mansfield, MO, where Laura and Almanzo lived and ultimately died. Mansfield was beautiful, peaceful and exudes the Wilder family. It's where the books were written, edited. It's where the legacy was conceived and born.We have also been to Walnut Grove, MN.But DeSmet is *it*. There's *so* much to see and absorb. They were real people that lived and endured in a wild unknown, unpredictable part of a young new nation. They represent all the pioneer families that took similar risks. It took strength. I find that fascinating.Now, there are no living direct descendants of the Ingalls family. Which is sad, kind of, but I think that also adds to the legacy.The tour starts here, takes you a little ways across town to the last house Pa built. Laura & Almanzo's first house is not far either. Their unnamed infant son, and the rest of the Ingalls are buried in the cemetery.Outside of town is also the Ingalls Homestead. That is quite large and gives one an idea of the scale of a plot of land and attempting to tame it may have been like.
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July 2023 by Kimberly Hunter
So amazing to visit a house where Laura lived! ❤️ Tour guide was fabulous! If you love Little House books, this is a "must see!" ?
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July 2023 by 868mandim
Don’t waste your time unless you are ready to pay $20 per person to see anything. You can’t even look inside any of the houses or buildings without paying. Very disappointing.
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July 2023 by Amanda Hubbard
This is a great stop, especially if you are familiar with the Little House series. This is the third spot that we have stop of the 5 houses and the tour was very well done. We did the half tour, due to time, but there was a lot of information and our guide Willem was very knowledgeable!
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July 2023 by Climber24817121079
Had an amazing tour here. Great information and I consider myself a super fan, but I still learned some new things! Each building had a great history and story to hear then time was alloted for pictures and exploring. The Gift shop was wonderful and I was very lucky to be visiting when the Garth Williams drawings were on display. A real treat for book fans. I'd highly recommend this stop for any fan of the book series or show!
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June 2023 by Hadley96
Our guide was very informative. Free off street parking. There is a gift shop. They have a few original buildings and a lot of original things from the Ingalls family.
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November 2022 by Kerry Troche
It is so interesting to see how life was lived so long ago! I am impressed with how well this place has been preserved and in some areas, restored. Also, if you have read the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, it’s like the books come alive and you can just picture Laura here with Mary and Ma And Pa! There’s just something about being there! It’s like, “wow!”I strongly encourage a visit if you are anywhere near De Smet, SD! It’s worth the drive.They do a great job on the tour, explaining the history of the house and sharing stories about how it was back then. They also give you plenty of time to look around and ask questions. Very friendly people!
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October 2022 by Tony Hill
This is a wonderful piece of preserved Americana.After reading the books, Seeing these preserved building just takes on another respect and admiration for those who settled some of the harshest territories this great nation had to offer and the hard work and struggles of those who helped tame it to what it is today.Whether or not you know the Ingalls' story, this is worth the time to relive a little piece of American history.
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October 2022 by JDEKAM
This was a great place for families. We camped on-site and had a nice time. I would recommend for any families who loved the stories and books