Musings on Museums

Specifically, writers' houses. I just read an interesting book called A Skeptic's Guide to Writer's Houses by Anne Trubek, in which she visits several such sites across the U.S. and ponders why we're interested in such places and if they're worth preserving. (It's a great read, by the way.) I admit, I can't pass up the opportunity to visit writers' homes when I have the chance. Sometimes they're a disappointment, an odd collection of "things that are like the things the writer might have had" as opposed to real artifacts. The gold standard for me is the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth. When you visit, you don't see just a period-appropriate sofa, you see the sofa the Brontes owned--and the sofa on which Emily died.

So this past summer, while researching my book (and oh, hello--it's available for presale!), I was feeling jolly about visiting another literary legend's site: the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but certainly not what I got. Yes, I try to stay positive on this blog, and there is some positivity coming. Bear with me.

No, this isn't Laura's house, even though it's on the museum's grounds. It's some other historic home. With a doll collection. That wasn't Laura's.

This wasn't Laura's church, either. It's a recently constructed replica. Apparently it's very popular for weddings.

The only building in the area that had a connection to Laura was this one:

The former Master's Hotel, where Laura worked for a time. Now it's a private residence, not open to the public.

The Museum itself has two large rooms, one full of stuff, some of which actually belonged to Laura.

But there were more things that were either replicas or photos of items that are on display at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home in Mansfield, Missouri.

So why visit the Walnut Grove site? Well, if you're a child or traveling with kids, especially those interested in pioneers in general, there's plenty to take in--there's just not a lot specific to Laura. IAs a kid, I would have loved it. Or if you were/are a big fan of the TV show, you'd want to stop too; there's an entire room (sizable) with a collection of items from the show. Most of the show's stars have visited the site at one time or another, and there are photos and autographs from them.

For me, though, it finally came down to this: a visit to the gift shop, where I saw the limited edition bobblehead Laura.

I left in a very grumpy mood. The Bronte Parsonage this was not.

However, as I was paying for some postcards, the gentleman ringing up my order told me to be sure and visit the Ingalls dugout site, just down the road. I thanked him, but thought, yeah, right. How much of a tourist trap is that going to be?

Turns out, not really a tourist trap at all. And it had the authenticity I was looking for.

That's it. It hasn't been reconstructed, or fitted out with replica stuff, or dandied up in any way. Just a small depression where the hollow has collapsed a bit. Yes--they actually lived in this hole in the ground.

Nice view, though.

It's just uphill from Plum Creek, where Laura and Mary played. And you can play there too.

The dugout is located on private property, and the owners ask for a nominal entrance fee (I think it was $4). To their credit, there's no gift shop, no stand hawking t-shirts and bobbleheads, just a sign noting the actual dugout site. Near the gravel parking lot they've carved out a picnic area, and they keep a mowed trail to the creek and dugout. Otherwise, it's wild and untouched, much like it would have been in Laura's day.

While I was there, a few other visitors stopped by, a family with young kids who waded and splashed in the creek, and a mother and tween daughter. The daughter kept her distance from her mother--obviously in one of "those" stages. The mother was smart enough to just let the girl be. You could almost see the girl struggling; she wanted to be cool and above it all, but clearly she was a Laura fan, and it meant a lot to her, to visit the dugout. As it did to me.

So, go to the Museum, but keep your expectations in check. Then go visit the dugout. That's the real deal.

 

Comments

[Dominique King]

I'm with you when it comes to cheesy sites, so I'm glad to hear there was something of value to see here.
Your story reminds me a bit of going to one of the Anne-of-Green-Gables sites on PEI, where we walked through Anne's "Haunted Woods", which emptied out onto a golf course!
A writer's home site I'd highly recommend if you travel Indiana way would be Gene Stratton Porter's home near Rome City (nw Indiana). Great site on a lake with some lovely gardens and a nice, docent-guided tour through the house. I wrote about our springtime visit there a while back. We spent a couple of hours just wandering the gardens and talking photos!
Porter wrote Freckles, Girl of the Limberlost, plus a ton of other novels and books on nature.

[Amy]

That's interesting about PEI--that's a place I've always wanted to visit too! If I ever do, I'll keep your warning in mind. :-)

[Audrey Kletscher Helbling]

I love the dug-out site along Plum Creek and I agree that this is "the place" to experience in Walnut Grove. I've waded in the creek along with my children. A dog, whom we called Jack, even splashed through the creek once when we were there. I cannot get enough of the beauty and solitude that define this spot on my beloved prairie. I grew up 25 miles from Walnut Grove.

If you have not seen the outdoor pageant, based on Laura's books, you must return in July for this event. You'll be caught up in the stories as you sit side-by-side with bonnet-clad Laura and Mary look-alikes.

As you can tell, I'm a big Laura Ingalls Wilder fan and a big fan of Walnut Grove.

[Amy Rea]

Audrey, I do want to see the pageant sometime. I missed it by one day last summer, but it was just the way the schedule worked out, sadly.

[Linda]

I was reading your post and thinking, "Go to the dugout site! Go to the dugout site!" I completely agree--museum is a nice overview, the dugout is the real thing.