Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society - De Smet, South Dakota
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society is located in De Smet, South Dakota.
Open year round, they offer tours of two original Ingalls family homes filled with items that belonged to Laura and her family. There are 16 other sites in De Smet that Laura mentioned in her books that visitors may see.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society was founded shortly after Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Death in 1957. This non-profit agency has done a spectacular job preserving, restoring, and sharing the artifacts of the life of a most beloved author. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about her childhood on the midwestern prairies, and her vivid descriptions are matched only by the honest beauty of the land today.
Admission is by guided tour only -Please allow a minimum of 2 hours to complete the tour of the two original homes and to visit the Discover Laura Center.
Accessibility - The Gift Shop, Surveyors’ House and first floor of the Ingalls Home are wheelchair accessible.
Group and Student Tours - Reservations are required for group tours. Teachers, group tour escorts and bus drivers recieve a complimentary pass. Please call in advance for reservations.
Hours:
9am to 4pm Mon-Fri year round.
9am to 5:30pm Sat May thru August (in May, closes at 4)
May: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Open Sundays June, July*, and August 9am to 5:30pm
*Extended hours on pageant performance days.
Admission:
Adults $7.00
Children $4.00
Children under 5 free
Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society
P.O. Box 426, De Smet, SD, 57231
Phone: 1-800-880-3383
What are your group size limits for schools regarding teachers, parents and students for your tour of the two houses of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Discovery Center?
Gretchen,
Thank you for contacting http://www.southdakotabeautiful.com regarding the Laura Ingalls Wilder houses and the Discover Center. I just spoke to Diane at the foundation (delightful lady) who told me that they take large groups through on their tours, when the group is big they do rotations so that everyone gets to see everything. The one house holds approximately 20 at a time so rotating would go rather quickly.
Hopefully you will enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the visit and be sure to write a review of your experience for other to read on our site!
The Editor