LauraPalooza is the only academic and fan gathering of its kind, dedicated to celebrating the literary, historical, and cultural legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and their families. It brings together scholars, educators, writers, and fans from around the world for a dynamic exchange of ideas, presentations, and community.​

Conference History:

• 2010 & 2012 – Held in Mankato, Minnesota. The inaugural conference received the Greater Mankato Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Bring It Home Award.​

• 2015 – Hosted at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.​

• 2017 – Held at the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Missouri.​

• 2019 – Held at the Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center in Onalaska, Wisconsin.​

• 2022 – Hosted at the DoubleTree by Hilton in South Burlington, Vermont.​

Upcoming Event:

• 2025 – LauraPalooza will take place at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with a field trip to De Smet.

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Why Sioux Falls? Why Now?

LauraPalooza 2025 is more than just a conference—it’s a homecoming to the heart of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s prairie legacy. Located just a short drive from De Smet, South Dakota, this year’s conference offers a rare opportunity to experience the setting of five of Laura’s beloved books:

• By the Shores of Silver Lake

• The Long Winter

• Little Town on the Prairie

• These Happy Golden Years

• The First Four Years

De Smet was not only Laura’s real-life home during her formative years—it became the backdrop for some of the most powerful stories in the Little House series. Our July 11 field trip will bring those pages to life as we walk the very streets and visit the historic homesites that inspired them.

Don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow fans and scholars where the stories truly began!

Nobody. That’s why we started it.  🙂

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association and its volunteers.

For LauraPalooza 2025, the Events Committee is Lynne Forder, Susan Sanelli, and Heidi Thorley.

No, LauraPalooza travels!

Each conference is hosted in a different location, often near a Laura Ingalls Wilder homesite. This gives attendees the opportunity to explore the landscapes and communities that inspired Laura’s books and shaped her life.

Past conferences have been held in:

• Mankato, Minnesota (2010, 2012)
  Nearby Homesite: Walnut Grove, MN – the setting for On the Banks of Plum Creek.

• Brookings, South Dakota (2015)
  Nearby Homesite: De Smet, SD – the setting for five of Laura’s books, including By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years.

• Springfield, Missouri (2017)
  Nearby Homesite: Mansfield, MO – where Laura lived most of her adult life and wrote the Little House books.

• Onalaska, Wisconsin (2019)
  Nearby Homesite: Pepin, WI – the setting of Little House in the Big Woods.

• Burlington, Vermont (2022)
  Nearby Homesite: Malone/Burke, NY – the setting of Farmer Boy, which tells the story of Almanzo Wilder’s childhood.

The upcoming 2025 conference will be held July 8–10 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with a field trip to De Smet—the setting of five of Laura’s books—on July 11.

LauraPalooza typically welcomes around 150 attendees from across the country and around the world. The conference features a robust program that includes a keynote speaker, special invited guests, and approximately 20 presenters offering a wide range of academic talks, panels, workshops, and interactive sessions.

LauraPalooza is typically held every two to three years, allowing time for thoughtful planning, high-quality programming, and meaningful engagement with the Laura Ingalls Wilder legacy.

The conference combines academic and research-oriented topics with hands-on activities and sociable. “LauraPalooza” captures the festive atmosphere of this group of scholars and enthusiasts.