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Rock House
The English Cottage house from the Sears Catalog. Original roof and front door from 1928!Geo: 37.1067, -92.5806
I've loved the Little House books since I was a kid. I can't tell you how many times I have read them over the years, but it's a lot of times! Except Farmer Boy because that is my least favorite and I usually skip it, no offense to Almanzo. Today I got the chance to visit the place where these beloved books were written.
The Wilder Museum is a short, maybe 4 minute drive outside of town. I probably could have walked, but by the time I had breakfast and got ready, it was almost 9 and that's when the museum opens. I figured it would be very busy due to it being a holiday weekend and wanted to beat the crowds. Well I certainly did that as there was no one else there! The ladies at the museum said it usually wasn't busy until 11 because people like to sleep in. I also think it's because people don't stay in Mansfield and have to drive from wherever they are staying.
Anyway, the Museum was recently moved earlier this year from an old building by the farm house to a beautiful new building that is much larger and nicer.
Rocky Ridge Farm
The second half of the Little House books were written in this beautiful home. The fee to visit the museum and tour both houses is $14. I read several reviews where people complained the fee was too high. I don't know what they were talking about! The tour starts with an 8 minute video explaining how Laura, Almanzo and Rose ended up in Mansfield, how they built the farm house and how Rose later built the rock house for her parents. You then enter the museum, in which you could spend a fair amount of time as there are lots of artifacts to look at and articles to read. Pa's fiddle is one of the first items you see as you enter the museum. They take it out once a year to play during the Wilder Festival. I think it's impressive this instrument from the 1850s has survived after all the traveling and hardships the family went through. It is one of the main points of interest for any fan visiting the museum because it plays such an important role in all the Little House books. You can also view quilting and sewing samples, Mary's bead work, the slates from school, Laura's teaching certificates and lots more. I spent about 45 minutes total in
Final Resting Place
Laura and Almanzo were married for 63 years! She wanted to live to be 90 because he had. She died 3 days after her 90th birthday. the museum and bookstore.
There are then two houses to visit. The farm house is a short walk from the museum and has a guided tour every hour starting at 9:30. The rock house is a longer walk from the museum and opens at 10 with self-guided tours. I went to the rock house first because I was too late for the 9:30 tour and too early for the 10:30 tour at the farm house. So I did this backwards from what most people do. (If I go again, I would do the 9:30 farm house tour and then go to the rock house to avoid crowds!) The walk to the rock house takes you along the highway to a gravel road. It was about a 15 minute walk and the morning was cool, which made for a pleasant walk. I took a picture of some cows and they did not like it as they promptly turned and ran the other way!
I was the first person to arrive at the rock house and was able to take plenty of photos without worrying about others getting in the way. As a side note, there are no photos allowed in either house. This house was built in 1928 as a gift from Rose to her parents. She paid $11000 for a home out of the Sears catalog and it's beautiful. It still has it's original room, wood floors and bathroom fixtures. Pretty impressive for being 88 years old! Laura and Almanzo lived here for seven years before they moved back to the farm house and it then had two more owners before the museum was able to buy it. The house has a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms and that's about it. You can't walk into the kitchen, bathroom or one bedroom but you can get a good feel for the house. The lady that was the "guide" said this house didn't have the warm feeling that you get when you walk into the farm house. She said the farm house feels more like Laura, and I learned later that she was right. I wouldn't mind living in the rock house as it's cute, in a very peaceful and scenic setting and is well built. But it did not feel as cozy as I would picture a Laura Ingalls home to be. She did write the first four Little House books in this house.
I walked back to take the tour of the farm house and had to wait about 45 minutes for the 11:30 tour. Unfortunately, there were a lot of other people who also wanted to do the 11:30 tour, which is why I would do this differently if I go again. Rather than the lady leading everyone from room to room, she handed out the self guided tour pamphlet and was available for questions. This tour enters the home from the back door which leads right into the kitchen. It's a very cozy kitchen with soft yellow tones and just the right amount of room for one person to bake and cook. The second floor of the house is not available for touring, but was added on later to provide space for Rose and guests. (I think I read they do open the second floor once a year, but that was not today.) There is a small dining room with Laura's rocking chair. Then the bedroom with two beds and a small bathroom. An office study is next and this is where Laura's desk is displayed and where she wrote many of her books. The front of the house contains a music room, library and parlor. Most people moved through quickly so I was able to spend some time in each room and did get to appreciate how cozy and livable the house was. Compared to some of the earlier homes Laura lived in, this home must have felt like a mansion!
The only thing I wish the site had was cute little cafe for lunch. As it was, I went back to town and had Subway. My last stop for the day was the cemetery where Laura, Almanzo and Rose are buried. Their tombstones are very modern. I was hoping for something more weathered but then I realized that they really didn't die that long ago and wouldn't have old grave markers. There was no one else there and it was quiet and peaceful, just like the house sites.
It's easy to imagine Laura sitting in her study writing down her memories of her childhood in such a beautiful home. The farm house sits on a small hill with lots of trees. It's quiet and she would have had lots of time to remember what her life was like. She went from riding in covered wagons to driving cars and living in sod houses to living in a house with real windows and an indoor bathroom. I really enjoyed sitting on the bench in her front yard just listening to the wind rustling the tree leaves and not thinking about anything other than how relaxing it was. Sometimes, I think life would be simpler living like she did, but then I remember how many layers of clothes women wore and they only bathed once a week and only had an outhouse and I'm thankful I live when I do!
The day was really a pretty short one in terms of sightseeing, but that's ok. I came back to the beautiful inn, got myself a fancy coffee drink and a muffin and read outside in the courtyard for a bit. It's nice to just relax!
For dinner, I decided to go with the Mexican restaurant that is two doors over from the Inn. I had a really delicious chicken quesadilla with home made chips and salsa. The ladies at the Inn had highly recommended it the first night and they were not wrong. What a delicious way to end my day!
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Mom
non-member comment
Love this story. I can get a real feel for how it is there. Now I want to go.