Pepin, Wisconsin: Birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder

My kids and I took a trip to Pepin, Wisconsin to visit Laura Ingalls Wilder's Birthplace.  It is about and hour and a half drive from Saint Paul.  We traveled on Laura's historic highway and it was a beautiful picturesque drive.  I took tons of pictures but unfortunately my camera is on the verge of breaking and for some reason won't download any of my pictures from Pepin.  So the images you see in this post are taken from google images.  

Laura was born in February of 1867
 in Pepin, Wisconsin.  Her house and the story about her time there takes place in her first book, Little House in the Big Woods.  The house if no longer in the woods but surrounded by farmland.  The house you can visit is a replica and not built to be exact.  It is exciting to be on her property and in the area where she was born.  There is no cost to visit the house, the museum or park in town.  The beach at Lake Pepin is also free.  

 The house is seven miles from downtown Pepin off of County Road 7.  Laura describes her visit to town in Little House in the Big Woods and her view of the seeing the Lake.  Visiting the town and swimming in the lake was a great experience for my kids.  It was extremely hot when we were there and we got an ice cream cone at one of the old storefronts, possibly where the mercantile was.  

I would definitely suggest a visit to this hidden little town, it is quiet, peaceful and not very expensive.  We did not stay overnight here but there are accommodations available.  We also visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in town and the park 4 blocks down that is dedicated to her. 

The museum is really nice with a cute gift shop.  My kids actually walked through it and asked lots of questions.  Next door to the museum is a interactive museum where the kids can play school or jump on a boat.  There are places to take your picture and lots of brochures about the other Laura houses and the area. Every year in September the town holds Laura Ingalls Wilder Days Festival, with a pageant, parade and a play based on the book.  I am definitely going to attend that festival soon, maybe this year.  I would highly recommend a trip to the area if you are a Laura fan or if your kids are reading the books.  I am so glad my kids and I had this experience.