Early Thursday morning, we headed out to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. We passed several lakes, including Brush Lake in South Dakota before crossing the state line.
Just before lunch, we arrived at the Walnut Grove Museum Complex. It is located across the street from the train tracks; we heard a train but never saw it.
This museum is more about the TV show and generally what the area what like when the Ingall's lived here.
We toured a little red school house. The stove in this school house is just like the one Craig had growing up.
The museum even had a replica outhouse - something to kids thought was interesting.
Next to the schoolhouse was a settlers house that included many things the Wilder's had in Farmer Boy - spinning wheel and loom. It also had an excellent display on what farmers grew at the time the Ingall's lived in the area.
There was also a dugout type house - it had a grass roof, but wasn't underground. Interesting but smelly, just like the other ones.
In the main museum, they included tools that were like what Pa would have used and they had a nice exhibit on the grasshoppers - which are different than the ones we see today. We also found a crab - the boys wanted to know if it was the same one that snapped at Laura and Nellie.
In the center of the museum complex, they had a garden which grew some of the plants that were growing when the Ingall's were here. We found a very pretty maroon, almost black flower.
The last building we toured included a store play area where the kids could pretend to be store keepers, shoppers, bankers, and mail deliverers.
There was also a "horse" outside!
We ate lunch at the provided picnic tables in the cleaning just up from Plum Creek - very likely a spot Laura and Mary played. We were joined by a few native bees.
The big rock Laura stood on was probably moved and this is all that remains.
The dugout site - first from across Plum Creek, the rocks are possibly in the same location where the foot bridge that Laura slipped on and almost fell into the creek would have been. Across the creek, you can see the big brown size that marks where the dugout was. Today, it's a wallow covered in grass next to the creek.
Plum trees!!
Looking toward what sounds like a waterfall - maybe where Pa set his fish traps?
Driving out from Plum Creek, past the 1900's farm house and barn and the corn fields. Thank you to the Gordan's!
Just before lunch, we arrived at the Walnut Grove Museum Complex. It is located across the street from the train tracks; we heard a train but never saw it.
We toured a little red school house. The stove in this school house is just like the one Craig had growing up.
The museum even had a replica outhouse - something to kids thought was interesting.
Next to the schoolhouse was a settlers house that included many things the Wilder's had in Farmer Boy - spinning wheel and loom. It also had an excellent display on what farmers grew at the time the Ingall's lived in the area.
There was also a dugout type house - it had a grass roof, but wasn't underground. Interesting but smelly, just like the other ones.
In the main museum, they included tools that were like what Pa would have used and they had a nice exhibit on the grasshoppers - which are different than the ones we see today. We also found a crab - the boys wanted to know if it was the same one that snapped at Laura and Nellie.
In the center of the museum complex, they had a garden which grew some of the plants that were growing when the Ingall's were here. We found a very pretty maroon, almost black flower.
The last building we toured included a store play area where the kids could pretend to be store keepers, shoppers, bankers, and mail deliverers.
There was also a "horse" outside!
Outside the museum complex, they had a covered wagon the kids could climb on and a family "portrait" place.
For lunch, we headed north to the Plum Creek site of the dugout. The Dugout is no longer intact. There is a depression where the owners believe the dugout probably was. The current owners have a beautiful farm and have turned some of it into a visitors area, with a picnic spot, and native prairie grasses - you feel like you are Laura and Mary walking the prairie!
We ate lunch at the provided picnic tables in the cleaning just up from Plum Creek - very likely a spot Laura and Mary played. We were joined by a few native bees.
The dugout site - first from across Plum Creek, the rocks are possibly in the same location where the foot bridge that Laura slipped on and almost fell into the creek would have been. Across the creek, you can see the big brown size that marks where the dugout was. Today, it's a wallow covered in grass next to the creek.
Plum trees!!
Looking toward what sounds like a waterfall - maybe where Pa set his fish traps?
Driving out from Plum Creek, past the 1900's farm house and barn and the corn fields. Thank you to the Gordan's!
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