Little House on the Prairie Museum, Inc

Little House on the Prairie was one of my favorite shows to watch as a little girl. I really had no idea it was a real place because as an adult I sort of forgot about it. It just so happens when I moved from Florida to Kansas I relocated very near where the story originated.  It’s an easy drive from my house to the Little House on the Prairie Museum.

Little House on the Prairie Museum, Inc. is a non-profit, privately owned historic site on the location of the Charles Ingalls family homesite (1869-1871) in Kansas. During the summer you can go inside of the buildings, gift shop and restrooms but during the winter, while you can still walk around, the buildings are closed including the restrooms - you will need to keep in mind when planning your visit in the winter there are no facilities. 

We happened to go when the buildings were opened which I recommend because walking inside of them really adds to the charm of the site and helps take you back to imagine what life would have been like.

As you can see from the picture with my husband in the doorway the one room cabin is rather small by today’s standards.  When I went inside, at first it felt cramped but then as my imagination kicked in it began to feel cozy. I could almost imagine how it must have been to live here, especially in Kansas with the harsh weather.

Inside it is furnished with items that look like they are from the time. I especially like the chairs carved from trees and the ceiling braces which are also made from unfinished trees. We were very lucky to be alone to explore the day we visited and being in such a rural area I imagine if you visit during the week you too can have an undisturbed walk around.

Also on the site is a school house and a post office. You will also find a hand dug well and some barnyard animals that you can pet if you’d like. The gift shop has a nice selection of fun souvenirs to help you remember you visit back in time. They even have costumes in case you want to have a special photograph made to have for a keepsake.

There is no admission but a donation of $3 for adults and $1 for children is greatly appreciated and will help ensure this wonderful site stays open to future visitors. If you are going to be in the area plan a trip using their website.

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve, Oklahoma

My husband and I love day trips. We especially love finding unique places that speak about the area. We had a lovely day at the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve.

 

They have a wonderful variety of wildlife, most of which roam free. You will notice when you arrive that you are instructed to stay in your car until you arrive at the museum parking lot. It won’t be long before you realize why as you pass within feet of the animals who seem totally oblivious to your presence. It really is magical to see them in such a natural state just going about their day.

One the way in we saw a variety of deer: sika, fallow and wapiti. They were all gorgeous. We also saw a few llama. Then we entered the Haunted Grove where we saw water buffalo, they were huge and honestly I was glad this section had a fence between us and the buffalo! There was also an ostrich in this section, also behind a fence.

The Grove lets out at the museum where you can get out of the car and have a walk around. This area had a lot to do. We started with the museum which had a wonderful assortment of artifacts from this and surrounding areas. The relics went all the way back to the Indians and we were happy to see some relics from the Spiro Mounds, which we also plan to visit.

After the museum we walked over to the Heritage center where you can watch films or sit down to eat. Just around the corner is a concession stand in case you didn’t pack a lunch of your own. This is also where the walking trails, which we opted not walk, begin. We decided to head over to the petting barn which is just beyond a cute little playground.

I was a bit sad because the inside of the barn where all the petting takes place was closed but we did walk around and have a look at the goats and ponies that were in the outside pins.

From there you get back in the car and start the drive out, again once you pass a certain point there are signs warning not to get out of the car.  I was just commenting to my husband that we hadn’t seen any bison yet and that was they main reason we came. As we rounded a corner we were stopped by a herd of longhorn cattle crossing the road, mixed in were two bison. This was the most thrilling part for me because of the sheer size of the animals and how close they were to us. I did roll up the windows while they walked beside us. We sat there awed at the beauty, it really was a magical ending to a wonderful day.

Being a preserve that allows the animals to roam free means you cannot be guaranteed to see any of them in particular but of all of the animals listed the only ones we did not see during our visit were the zebra.

Woolaroc is a really special place and if you happen to find yourself in North East Oklahoma you should stop in and see the fantastic collection of free roaming wildlife. Please visit the website for details to plan your own visit.