We stopped since we were close by and we had a very good visit. The museum is very well done and... read more
We stopped since we were close by and we had a very good visit. The museum is very well done and... read more
We took a trip to Branson, Missouri and, being Little House on the Prairie fans as well as Laura... read more
We really enjoyed our girlfriend time, left the kids (even the older ones) at home and we took our time, soaking in all the history. I never read the books but only saw the TV show which in itself intrigued me to know more when I not too long ago realized it was not fiction. I would say this is very interesting for anyone interested in the Little House on the Prairie even a little or to anyone who appreciates history. The tour guides for the brief tours of the insides of both homes were very informative (we did one twice in order to take it all in) and the museum were very interesting. This made me really want to read the books. We were probably there for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Although the weather didn't cooperate (rained the whole time!), our 10 year old daughter and her parents had a wonderful visit. The museum and home were very interesting and historically factual. We also were privileged to view a musical play production put on for the Wilder Days Festival by a group called Laura's Memories. This was awesome as well. Really nice. If you have an interest in Laura, I strongly encourage you to visit.
The quiteness that it offered. It was like Mrs Wilder was away at a neighbor and would return soon. was nice a place that was not changed in any way. Kudos to the folks that take care of this historic place. My entire family loved it.
My wife was very impressed with me when I agreed to stop here when we were passing through. I definitely earned some extra points that day. I actually thought it was interesting and she loved it.
I love LIW so I enjoyed it. Not very good for small kids because they want to touch things. I also wish the upstairs was open.
I loved every single homesite we visited on our Laura Ingalls Wilder tour, but somehow, knowing this was the original home that Almanzo built, knowing that Laura lived here the longest, and seeing all the many items from their life that have been saved and are still there, for those reasons and many others, we enjoyed this so much and looking back felt it was the best of all the places we visited to get a sense of the real Laura (known as Bessie after her marriage to Almanzo- who she called Manley) and not the Laura of the books.
It is out abit in the countryside and is really a very beautiful place. Coming from Mansfield you come across it fairly unexpectedly. Watch out for people crossing the road as the parking is on the other side from the house. I was also impressed, as another reviewer was, with the number of visitors. I was so glad, these places are national treasures. We paid for our tour and then wandered through the museum as we waited. There is so much here and of course front and center is the fiddle. Just an ordinary old and tattered instrument, but what stories were told about the tunes coming from the now broken strings. No pictures of course due to copyright issues. Buy the cookbook and get the pictures.
Our tour guide was a wonderful older woman who had so much to share she talked very fast trying to give us as much information as she could in our alloted time. Tours begin in the original two room home which became the kitchen. Everything was hand crafted by Almanzo and built to accommodate Laura's small size. Next was the back bedroom and then the small area where Laura wrote her books, then the beautiful newest part of the house, somewhat reminiscent of a log cabin, which became the large front room and then the music room with Mary's organ. It is a wonderful home and filled with their own furnishings it is like they have just stepped out for a minute. Such a wonderful privilege to visit and enjoy it.
After the tour we explored the grounds, took our pictures, finished the tour of the museum, visited the fairly large gift shop and soaked up the atmosphere here. We had come a long way to see it, we were in no hurry.
We then drove around for a tour of the Rock House- the home Rose had built for her parents at the cost of $11,000. They lived in it eight years, but moved back to their first home later. It is a very nice and modern home but is rather soulless in comparison to the other one and set away from the road as it is might be considered too quiet. We had a picnic by the little draw where Almanzo's old goat milk shed is located. By the time we were done we had spent more than half a day exploring Mansfield and the house.