Visit De Smet

03/06/2025

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for this year's Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant! 🤩

This year is the 54th annual pageant here in De Smet and we're excited for you to see it. Mark your calendar, invite your friends and family and make the day or weekend trip to come see us and all we have to offer!

Hope to see you soon! 🥳

03/05/2025

We're just a few days away from the 4th Annual Outdoor Show! Stop and visit with exhibitors and grab some tasty lunch — all at the beautiful De Smet Event & Wellness Center!

03/03/2025

De Smet is once again up for USA TODAY Best Small Town Cultural Scene in America! You can vote EVERY SINGLE DAY until the end of March. Be sure to VOTE and SHARE to help us reach number one! 🥳👇

De Smet, South Dakota: Which small town has the best cultural scene? Vote now!!

02/26/2025

De Smet's 4th Annual De Smet Outdoor Show is happening on Saturday, March 8 at the De Smet Event & Wellness Center!

Get out and think SPRING while visiting with some of your favorite outdoor vendors.

02/21/2025

Book your group or students for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society and Ingalls Homestead! 🥳 It will be an experience the kids will never forget!

Have you booked your group or students spring field trip yet?
During the month of May we offer exclusive field trips to school groups. With hands on activities plus a lesson your group can learn about "Mary's Education", "Pa Goes Hunting", "Ma's Kitchen", "Wagon Adventures", or "Behind Closed Doors/Exhibits".
Contact us today to schedule your trip to the "Little Town on the Prairie"!

02/19/2025

We have been in an "Extreme Cold Weather Advisory" the last few days with temps nearing -30 degrees... On the bright side, the sun dogs were out! 🥶😎

02/13/2025

A great piece on why you and many families visit De Smet!

DE SMET, S.D. (KELO) — You’ve probably read her books and watched the television show based on her family, but do you know the full story behind the life and legacy of Laura Ingalls Wil…

02/10/2025

Frontier Time Machine - A Historical Pioneer Tour of De Smet, SD — written by .meets.outdoors 👇

If you are a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan, a trip to De Smet, SD is a must. My daughter has just begun her journey with the books and I have been a fan since I was her age. It was here that our family was able to step back in time to see the world, and specifically South Dakota, as Laura saw it.

Start with a tour and exhibit by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Heritage Foundation. The original school and Surveyor’s house were both moved next to the museum along with a recreation of the Brewster School where Laura taught in “These Happy Golden Years”. You also get to travel across town to the original Ingalls house. Speaking of the Ingalls home, if you visit De Smet, you need to make a visit out to the Ingalls Homestead where kids can have the experience of living like Laura by trying their hands at countless activities pulled from the books.

No historical tour is complete without a visit to the De Smet Cemetery. This is the final resting place for Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie, Grace, Laura and Almanzo’s weeks old baby boy. Many of the characters from the book and town residents who inspired characters in the book can be found here.

So join us as we jump back in time to what life was like on the frontier when Laura lived in De Smet.

https://shrpa.com/itinerary/frontiertimemachineahistoricalpioneertourofdesmetsd

02/07/2025

Happy birthday to Laura Ingalls Wilder!! 🥳

02/05/2025

Mark your calendars! 👇

In the tenth year of De Smet concerts, five Sunday afternoon performances are scheduled April through September with renowned entertainers who have performed all over the country and internationally, coming to the stage at the De Smet Event Center Midstate Theatre. 🎶

Season tickets are $65; individual tickets purchased at the time of each concert are $25. Call the Event Center to reserve yours today!

02/03/2025

LOOK WHAT I CAUGHT 🎣

Eric Larson of Lake Preston caught this 24-inch walleye through the ice on Lake Thompson, using a tungsten jig with a minnow.

If you're out hunting or fishing around the area, send your photos and information to [email protected] for your chance to be featured in the Kingsbury Journal!

01/27/2025

Check out this Kid's Ice Fishing Tournament on Lake Thompson on Saturday! 🎣

01/22/2025

Covered Wagons and Tasty Vittles -
Where to Eat and Stay on Your Prairie Adventure

Instagram's .meets.outdoors came to visit this fall and shared with us:
Can you envision waking up to see the golden sun dripping over 10 acres of corn just as it did over a century ago when Laura Ingalls Wilder was exploring the prairie for the first time? Guess what? If you are looking to get a glimpse into a simpler time, De Smet offers authentic places to rest your head and fill your tummy.

When our family visited De Smet, SD we used the following itinerary to enjoy a Laura Ingalls Wilder-inspired prairie adventure. If you want an authentic pioneer experience then you have to try the covered wagon camping at the Ingalls homestead. With a cozy atmosphere and quick access to the fresh air and sunshine Laura often talks about in her novels, this was the perfect place to experience the frontier firsthand. Breakfast at the buffet in the Ward’s store offered a hearty start to the morning. We followed that up with a cup of seasonal coffee at the .coffeehouse. We finished up with some classic diner food at the Oxbow Restaurant that played into the Little House spirit.

https://shrpa.com/itinerary/coveredwagonsandtastyvittleswheretoeatandstayonyourprairieadventure

01/16/2025

We've seen some ice fisherman out! This weekend is supposed to be COLD🌡

Send us some photos of your setup or you catch!

01/07/2025

It might be cold outside, but De Smet has lots of shopping options inside! Grab a friend and shop around — we promise you'll find something you love. ❄️

01/03/2025

Just announced — Kid's Ice Fishing Derby🐟

Here's a fun family event coming up on February 1 on Lake Thompson. 🎣

01/02/2025

Mark your calendar for 2025’s pageant dates!

Thank you for your continued support in 2024. We can't wait for you to see our pageant this summer. Mark your calendar and start planning your trip for 2025! 👇
July 11, 12, 13 — 18, 19, 20 — 25, 26, 27