One of the things that immediately attracted me to the writing of Laura Ingalls Wilder was the fact that, unlike the other books I'd read to that point, these stories were true and Laura was a real girl. All of her many adventures really happened, that was so exciting. Even better, one day I realized that I could actually go and visit all the places she lived. Luckily a lot of people had the foresight to realize what a national treasure LIW was and they worked together to discover and document her life all over the country.
Pepin, Wisconsin - replica cabin on the land where LIW was born plus a museum in town
Independence, Kansas - replica cabin on the Ingalls' land
Walnut Grove, Minnesota - museum, ability to visit Ingalls' land including dugout site
DeSmet, South Dakota
LIW Memorial Society - original homes (Surveyors House, Third Street house), original school
Ingalls Homestead - Ingalls original homestead land, replica cabin
Mansfield, Missouri - Laura and Almanzo's farm home for more than 60 years
Burr Oak, Iowa - Laura didn't write about the year her family spent managing the Masters Hotel
Malone, New York - the boyhood farm of Laura's husband, Almanzo Wilder
Spring Valley, New York - museum exhibit on the Wilder family who lived here during Almanzo's teenage years. In addition, it was the home of Laura & Almanzo early in their marriage
Westville (New Hope), Florida - historical marker identifies property where Laura and Almanzo lived for a very brief time in the 1890s
It took me several years but I have been to each and every one of the homesites. Don't ask me which is my favorite because I love all of them but next time I'll be happy to tell you about my favorite visit which was my first trip to a homesite.
I was going to ask what your favorite was. :) I have yet to visit Independence and Malone. Not bad for one who went on her first LIW trip only seven years ago (not counting the De Smet quick drive through of '78).
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