Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway: Walnut Grove, Minnesota – Part 3

We are finally going the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove! The museum consists of several buildings: an 1898 depot, a chapel, an onion-domed house, a dugout display, little red schoolhouse, early settler home, and covered wagon display … plus SO much more!

There are also memorabilia displays from visits of some of the stars that were on the television series “Little House on the Prairie.” There is one whole room dedicated solely to the TV series. The mantle over the reproduction of the stone fireplace in the Ingalls’ TV home is the actual mantle from the set of the show!

There is a quilt owned by Laura and her daughter Rose, a bible from the church the Ingalls attended, and historic documents such as letters, pictures, and articles. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 5-12, and 4 and under are free. Check their website for more information:

walnutgrove.org

Here are a few of the many pictures I took. Be sure to zoom in to be able to read some of the information.

Ummm … where do I begin?

The 1898 depot.

This is the room dedicated to the television series “Little House on the Prairie.”

The basket that Karen Grassle (who played “Ma”) carried frequently on the show.

Certified costume and jewelry from the TV show.

The stone fireplace is a replica of the fireplace used on the show. The MANTLE is the ACTUAL mantle used on the set of the show!

This is Garth Williams, illustrator of the Little House books. Did you know he was the second illustrator? Helen Sewell and Mildred Boyle were the illustrators for the first editions published.

The doll room was UNBELIEVABLE!

The replica of a dugout.

It was VERY tiny. This one was maybe ten feet by ten feet.

Replica of a settler’s house.

This area was planted with indigenous flowers and plants from the era in which the Ingalls would have been in Walnut Grove.

The last building was loaded with historical artifacts (and some replicas) from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

I have never seen a typewriter like this one! Look at how the letter arms are positioned, and I think they struck down one the roller where the paper would be.

There was SO many more things in this museum to look at and read than what these pictures depict. I could have spent all day in there! We still have two more stops in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway: Burr Oak, Iowa, and Vinton, Iowa. Look for those posts … coming soon.

So, for now ….. “On the Road Again!”

Betty

3 Comments (+add yours?)

Linda Harvey
Jul 15, 2020 @ 22:29:11

I live in so many country’s and when I came to the United states we were station in Grandforks ND and I been to all of the little house museums, I miss that place so my daughter is in college and I hope some day I will get a job in SD and keep little house a part of my life and my daughter…

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- Betty Huffman
  Jul 15, 2020 @ 23:29:09
  
  I love all the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I hope you get to come back to the United States.
  
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  - LINDA HARVEY
    Jul 16, 2020 @ 00:12:23
    
    I want to go back to Europe but my daughter is in college here and I also read all of her books as well and my mom and I used to watch little house on the prairie and my daughter when she was little thanks for your comment may God bless you always.
    
    On Wed, Jul 15, 2020, 6:29 PM Retirement……LOVE IT! wrote:
    
    > Betty Huffman commented: “I love all the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I > hope you get to come back to the United States.” >
    
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Retirement……LOVE IT!