Discover Laura!
Take a Guided Tour of the Original Homes and School
Take a Guided Tour of the Original Homes and School
Take a Guided Tour of the Original Homes and School
- Original Surveyors' House" from Wilder's fifth book, "By the Shores of Silver Lake"
- Original Ingalls Home: built by Charles "Pa" Ingalls in 1887-1889
- Original First School of De Smet: attended by Laura and her sister, Carrie
- Exhibition Room: view original Ingalls-Wilder artifacts!
Learn More!
Take a Guided Tour of the Original Homes and School
Take a Guided Tour of the Original Homes and School
- The Discover Center for some hands-on fun!
Open June-August Only
- Tour Calumet Avenue- walk De Smet's main street and read about the early businesses.
- De Smet Cemetery-visit the grave sites of the Ingalls family, friends and neighbors.
De Smet Attractions
Take a Guided Tour of the Original Homes and School
De Smet Attractions
- Visit Charles "Pa" Ingalls homestead one mile southeast of De Smet.
- Visit the five original cottonwood trees that "Pa" planted for his wife, Caroline, and his four daughters on the first acre of the Ingalls Homestead
- Visit Almanzo Wilder's homestead and tree claim north of De Smet on Hwy 25.
Guided Tours
Access to the historic homes and school is provided with a guided tour.
About the tour:
Staff will lead tours though three historic structures, the Surveyor's House, the First School of De Smet and the Ingalls Home. Throughout your tour you will learn about the Ingalls arrival to Dakota Territory in 1879, The Long Winter of 1880-81, Pioneer Schooling and the lives of the family including Charles, Caroline, Mary, Laura, Carrie, Grace and Laura's daughter Rose. Each historic structure offers a glimpse into living conditions during the the late 1800s while also showcasing some original artifacts.
Visitors are welcome to walk our grounds and read the signs on each building for more information. Our app, Discover Laura, offers a shortened version of the guided tour for both adults and children.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions that you have. We look forward to providing a memorable visit to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society.