South Dakota's Famous Literary Destination Brims With A Historic Main Street, Cute Shops, And Small-Town Charm

South Dakota is known for dramatic landscapes like Badlands National Park and the iconic Black Hills, but near its eastern border is a tiny city famed for its huge history. De Smet is a picturesque community that attracts history lovers and literary fans as one of the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder based her beloved "Little House on the Prairie" books. De Smet, also known as the "Little Town on the Prairie," is home to just over 1,000 residents and blends history, hospitality, and timeless Midwestern scenery.

Located roughly 100 miles northwest of Sioux Falls — home to striking, under-the-radar Palisades State Park – De Smet is best reached by car. Travelers can fly into Sioux Falls Regional Airport and drive west along I-29 N and US-14 W for a scenic journey just under two hours through farmland and rolling prairies. You won't find any public transport in De Smet, so a personal vehicle is the easiest and most flexible way to explore the region.

De Smet's expansive prairies form a seemingly endless horizon and a peaceful escape from the rush of modern life. Beyond its natural beauty, these grasslands hold historical significance. Long before homesteaders moved west, the area was home to Native Americans. Today, the prairie serves as a living reminder of the place where Indigenous heritage and the American frontier first intersected. De Smet is the kind of place where American history is at the tips of your fingers and time seems to slow down. From century-old storefronts, Victorian homes, and schoolhouses, to the same wide-open land that inspired Laura Ingalls Wilder more than 150 years ago, De Smet is not to be missed when visiting South Dakota.

Just outside of De Smet, you'll find the Ingalls Homestead Visitors Center, a historical farm that recreates prairie life in the 1880s. Open from May to September, visitors can ride in covered wagons, twist hay sticks, make corncob dolls, and drive a pony cart. A short drive from downtown De Smet will also bring you to Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Homes, where visitors can tour the original homes and school of the author's family, and see where she eventually settled and wrote the "Little House" series. A popular time to visit De Smet is in July, when the city hosts its annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant – a long-running summer tradition where local actors stage an outdoor play based on different books each year. 

De Smet's small-town charm extends beyond its literary fame. Its historic main street, Calumet Avenue, is lined with preserved storefronts, antique stores, and boutique shops. Be sure to pop into the Loftus Store for souvenirs. It's one of the oldest businesses in the city, and it even gets a shout-out in Wilder's stories. You can also check out Prairie Town Gifts for more literary merchandise. 

For a sit-down breakfast or lunch, visitors highly recommend Ward's Store and Bakery, an erstwhile opera house on the main street that's praised for its pastries. To appreciate the natural landscape of De Smet, drive about a mile and a half outside downtown to view the vast prairies. Sunrise and sunset are optimal times to view the landscape, as this is when the horizon is at its most picturesque.

The best time to visit De Smet is from late spring to early autumn when the weather is warm and most historical sites are open. Travelers wanting a quieter trip might consider late or early September, when temperatures are comfortable but crowds are lighter. Winters in De Smet can be harsh, as Laura Ingalls Wilder documented in "The Long Winter," with snow, wind, and bitter cold taking over, and most attractions closing for the season.

Since the city hosts pageant weekends and events during the summer, accommodation fills up quickly; therefore, it's smart to book a place to stay a few months in advance. De Smet Super Deluxe Inn and Suites is the primary hotel in the city, or you can stay at the Prairie House Manor, a Victorian-style bed and breakfast located just a few blocks from Calumet Avenue. Alternatively, travelers can rent covered wagons at the Ingalls Homestead Visitors Center. If you have a tent or an RV, the Ingalls Homestead also offers overnight camping, allowing you to wake up in the heart of prairie country before hitting the road to explore the rest of the state. 

If you're planning a road trip across South Dakota, consider taking the scenic Iron Mountain Road all the way to Mount Rushmore. Pop into Keystone — referred to as the "playground of the Black Hills" – just 4 miles from Mount Rushmore, then head to Deadwood, the "Las Vegas of South Dakota," known for its casinos and saloons, only an hour away. In a country where places like Florida, California, and New York dominate mainstream tourism, South Dakota offers a refreshing alternative, rich in scenery and culture.