Fresh air, sunshine and wide open prairies greet you when you explore the "Little Town on the Prairie." Whether you are looking for a fun family vacation, a hunting or fishing trip or some unique shopping and dining, De Smet has it all.

Visit the original homes of famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder and take a covered wagon ride or take in the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant.

Visit Lake Thompson, just eight miles east of De Smet, South Dakota's largest natural lake. It's an angler's haven with walleye, perch and northern pike. The De Smet area also offers the best pheasant hunting in east central South Dakota.

De Smet also offers many unique shops on Main Street, midwestern hospitality at a wide selection of restaurants and lodging options that include, camping, hotels and bed & breakfasts.

• Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society, Inc. - www.discoverlaura.org
  Discover Laura Ingalls Wilder with a visit to "The Little Town on the Prairie", De Smet, South Dakota. Laura's stories come to life when you join our costumed guides for a visit to the original homes of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. (800) 880-3383

• Ingalls Homestead - www.ingallshomestead.com
  Visit the prairie of Laura's "Little House" stories. Pa Ingalls and his family claimed this piece of Dakota Territory as their homestead. (800) 776-3594

• Laura Ingalls Wilder Pagent - www.desmetpageant.org
  Capture the pioneering spirit of the little girl called "half-pint", in this years live production of "Little Town on the Prairie." This is a heart warming and unforgettable story of Laura Ingalls and her family's joy's and struggles as they pioneer the Dakota prairies. (800) 880-3383 or (800) 776-3594

• The Loftus Store - www.loftusstore.com
  The Loftus Store your "Quality Store" since 1879. The original building still stands today. (800) 335-3271

• De Smet Depot Museum - Harvey Dunn School
  De Smet traces its history to the year the railroad reached this location. The railroad depot is now a museum that features exhibits on De Smet's early history, a South Dakota wildlife display and a country print shop.

  Adjacent to the museum is the schoolhouse attended by prairie artist Harvey Dunn who was born near De Smet. Several of Dunn's original works are on display in the city library, along with a collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder family memorabilia. Public internet access computers are also available at the library.

• De Smet Tourism and Marketing - www.desmetsd.com
  All of the things to see and do in De Smet, SD. Make the most out of planning your vacation to De Smet. (866) 528-7273

• For De Smet Information call (866) 528-7273 or (866) LAURASD

  History of De Smet SD De Smet SD is 125 years old this year. Laura Ingalls Wilder started her heritage in this town in the 1880's- Six of her books were written about or around De Smet. Her popularity has increased over the years to bring thousands of tourists to this area. Go to www.desmetsd.com to see all of the attractions and why visitors find it so attractive for family vacations. De Smet is the county seat and we reside in Kingsbury county. De Smet is located on historical Highway 14 and is between Brookings to the East and Huron to the West. De Smet maintains a population of about 1200 persons, but don't let the size fool you. Some people seem to be interested in living a ways out and commuting to work. Huron 30 miles to the West is getting two new processing plants and a rendering company. Also Super Wal-mart is building and opening in the spring of 2006. Brookings is 45 miles East and has the state of SD. College. Also they have just put up a Super Wal-Mart. Lake Thompson is the Lake that Laura and Almanzo courted by and now the lake is a new recreational state park with much to offer the recreational fisher and camper. It has been a big attraction for the area and encouraged another C-store and fast food businesses. De Smet has a hospital that works with a larger hospital to give all necessary care. We have several doctors with private clinics and a dentist and chiropractor. The chiropractor brings in patients from a wide area for the technique he uses. De Smet has a large industrial park area and an active main street. The community is very stable and the work force has very good ethics and we have a very low un-employment. We also have great schools through 12th grade - a national guard armory - a nine-hole golf course and other amenities to make a well-rounded community. We have a Good Samaritan nursing home and assisted living area. It is one of the top nursing homes in the area with many cleanliness awards and good management. About our area dining: We have 2 great super clubs in the area and fast food and casual dining.

• Born Again B&B- INN MISOURI!
  Your Laura Ingalls Wilder experience would not be complete unless you visit her historic home & museum in Mansfield, Missouri. Laura & Almanzo moved to Mansfield in 1894 and lived there the rest of their lives. She wrote all of the "Little House" books there, on their farm. The Home and Museum are open March through mid-November. The museum has a great collection of Ingalls family artifacts and daughter, Rose. You can visit their grave sites in town, too. Stay at the Born Again B&B to round out your visit. The Born Again B&B was built in 1881 and carries its own history with Laura. There are two guest bedrooms decorated with antiques, "Laura memorabilia" and has a Christian emphasis. Advance reservations are necessary.
  Website: www.bbonline.com/mo/bornagain/

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