Backyard Chickens: Are They Worth It? Eggs, Food Security & the Cost of Raising Your Own

 

Backyard Chickens 

Are Backyard Chickens Worth It?

With egg prices, shortages, and recalls making headlines from time to time, backyard chickens start looking pretty appealing. But are they really worth the trouble—and do they actually save money?

I grew up around chickens, and I've raised my own backyard chickens several times over the years. I've only rehomed my flocks when travel made keeping them impractical, and every time I've had chickens, I've enjoyed having them.

The biggest benefit?

I never ran out of eggs.

We ate fresh eggs every day, and sometimes I had more eggs than we knew what to do with.

Fresh Eggs

Getting Started Doesn't Have to Be Expensive

You really don't need a fancy setup to raise chicks.

I've started chicks right in my kitchen using a dog crate, along with inexpensive feeders and waterers purchased at Tractor Supply. You'll also need appropriate chick feed and, when they're young, a safe source of warmth.

I've even ordered chicks through the mail. Yes, live baby chicks can actually arrive at your local post office!

Baby Chick in kitchen box

Once they're old enough to move outside, you'll need a secure coop and enclosed area.

Because I live within city limits, I've never wanted my chickens roaming freely.  I supplemented their regular chicken feed and scratch with table scraps and weeds. 

I'd even gather suitable greens and plants, including chickweed and other vegetation growing nearby or from the park, to give them some variety.

They loved it.

My compost bin, however, did not.

Once I had chickens, it seemed like almost every kitchen scrap that would normally have gone into the compost suddenly went to the hens instead.

Box and leaves for their nest. Used a simple office lamp for heat. 

Did Backyard Chickens Save Me Money?

Maybe. 

After factoring in feed and supplies, I think I roughly broke even.

If your only goal is obtaining the cheapest possible dozen eggs, backyard chickens may disappoint you. Feed costs money, caregiving is a daily requirement, and hens don't produce the same number of eggs throughout their entire lives. If you live on acreage, there are other ways to supplement and replace their feed. 

But farming my own eggs wasn't the only reason. 

I knew where my eggs came from.

I had fresh eggs practically every day.

I could turn many of our kitchen scraps into eggs instead of waste.

And most importantly from a preparedness standpoint, I wasn't completely dependent on the grocery store for eggs. Or worried about recalls and shortages. 

That has value too.

Overwhelmed with eggs 

Before You Buy Your First Chicks

Getting started can be surprisingly simple but check your local rules first.

Find out:

• How many hens you're allowed to keep.
• Whether roosters are permitted.
• How far the coop must be from neighboring homes or property lines.
• Whether your HOA has additional restrictions.

And don't underestimate predators.

Keeping the girls extra safe during the day

Chickens need a secure place to be locked up every night.

Raccoons, foxes, coyotes, opossums, snakes, dogs, and other animals can turn an unsecured backyard flock into a disaster surprisingly quickly.

table scraps - nothing wasted! 

So, Are Backyard Chickens Worth It?

For me, yes.

Not because they saved me a fortune.

They didn't.

They were worth it because we had fresh eggs every day, fewer kitchen scraps going to waste, and one more small piece of our food supply coming directly from our own backyard.

There's also something satisfying about walking outside in the morning and finding breakfast waiting for you. Sometimes from your opened window, you might even hear your breakfast being made! 

Chicks in the City: Chicks in the Kitchen: Raising Baby Chickens Indoors

Good Morning to You too: When Our Hen Turned Out to Be a Rooster

Brooding for More: Frizzle Cochin Bantam Chicks Join the Coop

How to Make Hardtack: The Survival Cracker That Lasts for Years

 

The Pioneer Cracker That Fed Sailors, Soldiers, and Settlers for Centuries

Hardtack may not be the most exciting cracker you'll ever eat, but it has earned its place in history. Made from just a few simple pantry ingredients, this humble cracker helped feed sailors crossing oceans, pioneers heading west in covered wagons, U.S. Army soldiers, and even served as an emergency ration aboard the Titanic.

If you're looking for an inexpensive food storage staple that you can make yourself, hardtack is hard to beat.

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Easy Homemade Hardtack Recipe

Makes: 12–16 crackers

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: About 1 hour

Shelf Life: Several years when thoroughly dried and stored properly.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup water (add a tablespoon more if needed)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. Mix the flour and salt together.
3. Slowly stir in the water until a stiff dough forms.
4. Knead for about 3–5 minutes until smooth.
5. Roll the dough to approximately ½ inch thick.
6. Cut into squares about 2½ to 3 inches wide.
7. Using a fork or skewer, poke holes across each cracker. These help moisture escape during baking.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Turn each cracker over and bake another 30 minutes.
10. Turn the oven off and allow the crackers to cool inside the oven with the door cracked open. This helps remove as much remaining moisture as possible.

The finished crackers should be completely dry and very hard.

Homemade Hardtack Crackers

How Long Does Homemade Hardtack Last?

One of the reasons hardtack became famous is because of its incredible shelf life.

If properly baked until completely dry and stored in an airtight container, homemade hardtack can easily last several years.

For even longer storage:

• Store in a cool, dry location.
• Vacuum seal with oxygen absorbers.
• Protect from moisture.

Museum collections have preserved Civil War-era hardtack for well over a century. While those crackers aren't considered food today, they demonstrate just how durable properly dried hardtack can be.

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Hardtack Cracker tin found on Lifeboat from the Titanic 

Hardtack Aboard the Titanic

When I visited the Titanic Museum, one display especially caught my attention.

It was a small metal emergency tin that had been placed aboard the Titanic's lifeboats.

Inside these tins were emergency supplies—including hardtack biscuits.

The crackers were selected because they were lightweight, inexpensive, durable, and capable of remaining edible for years if kept dry.

Standing there looking at that small tin, it reminded me that preparedness isn't a new idea. More than a century ago, people understood the value of keeping simple foods that could survive almost anything.

Ways to Eat Hardtack

Let's be honest—most people don't eat hardtack because it tastes amazing.

Historically, people softened it before eating.

Some favorite ways include:

• Dipped in hot coffee
• Crumbled into soups or stews
• Topped with peanut butter
• Spread with butter and honey
• Served with cheese and summer sausage
• Crushed into breadcrumbs
• Paired with canned meats
• Used as a camping or emergency cracker
• 
  

Although I enjoy making homemade hardtack, I've also purchased Sailor Boy Pilot Bread to add to my preps. There are other versions of hardtack on the market out there, but the recipe is simple and making your own costs only pennies and gives you another old-fashioned skill worth knowing.

Hardtack for long shelf life 

A Cracker with Hundreds of Years of History

Hardtack has existed in one form or another for thousands of years, but it became famous during the Age of Sail.

Long voyages across the Atlantic required food that wouldn't spoil. Fresh bread lasted only a few days, but hardtack could survive months aboard damp wooden ships as long as it remained reasonably dry.

It kept people alive. 

US Army Bread Hardtack

The U.S. Army's Famous Survival Cracker

Long before MREs existed, the United States government depended heavily on hardtack to feed its soldiers.

During the American Civil War, Union soldiers received hardtack as one of their primary daily rations. Government bakeries produced millions upon millions of crackers because they were inexpensive to make, lightweight to transport, and remarkably durable.

Soldiers often joked that hardtack was so hard it could break a tooth. Some nicknamed it "sheet iron crackers." Others softened it in coffee, fried it in bacon grease, or crumbled it into soups.

Even with all the jokes, it remained one of the most dependable foods carried by the U.S. Army throughout long military campaigns.

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Hardtack on the Oregon Trail

Families traveling west in covered wagons also packed hardtack.

The trip from Missouri to Oregon or California often lasted four to six months, making food preservation one of the greatest challenges pioneers faced.

A typical adult required roughly 1½ to 2 pounds of food each day. Along with flour, beans, bacon, rice, coffee, dried fruit, and salt pork, hardtack provided dependable calories that could survive the rough journey.

Unlike fresh bread, hardtack:

• Didn't mold easily.
• Traveled well over rough trails.
• Withstood changing weather.
• Stayed edible for months.
• Could be eaten dry or softened in coffee, milk, soup, or stew.

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Sometimes the Old Ways Still Work

Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that have already proven themselves for generations.

From sailing ships crossing the Atlantic, to U.S. Army rations, to covered wagons heading west, and finally to the emergency lifeboats of the Titanic, hardtack earned its reputation by doing one thing exceptionally well:

It lasted.

In a world filled with high-tech emergency foods, it's comforting to know that one of history's greatest survival staples can still be made today with little more than flour, water, salt, and an afternoon in the kitchen.

The 5 Cheapest Foods That Could Help Keep You Alive During Hard Times

FOODS THAT NEVER EXPIRE: What You Can Safely Store for Decades

The Most Important Prep You Can Never Lose

 

Every day we watch the news and see tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, pandemics, power outages, and financial hardships turn lives upside down. Even families who spent years preparing sometimes lose nearly everything in a matter of hours.

Natural disasters don't care if you live in the city or the country. A house isn't automatically safer than an apartment. Living off-grid doesn't make someone immune to emergencies any more than living in town does. Every lifestyle has its strengths, and every lifestyle has its risks.

But there is one investment that follows you wherever you go.

The things you learn.

Leaves of three, let it be 

No one can take away your education, your experience, or the skills you've spent years developing.

That's why I believe education belongs at the very top of every preparedness plan.

Take that Master Gardener course you've been putting off.

Enroll in a CPR or first aid class through the Red Cross or your local community college.

Learn basic plumbing.

Learn how to sew.

Study edible plants in your region.

Read books on food preservation, water purification, home repairs, and cooking from scratch.

Learn how engines work.

Practice growing a small garden.

Don't depend entirely on the internet to teach you these things when an emergency happens. Electricity isn't guaranteed, and neither is internet access. The best time to learn is while life is still comfortable.

How Far Could You Walk in an Emergency?

One thing I've noticed after many years of following preparedness communities is that some people encourage the idea that the only "real" way to prepare is to move off-grid and live deep in the wilderness.

I respectfully disagree.

I've lived both in large cities and in remote locations, and I can honestly say that neither lifestyle is perfect.

Off Grid 

Remote homes are often targets for theft because there are fewer neighbors nearby.

Simple repairs may require driving long distances.

Medical care can take much longer to reach.

Fuel costs are higher.

Deliveries are slower.

Even the most self-sufficient families usually depend on some form of infrastructure. We buy flour, gasoline, replacement parts, medications, phones, and many of us use the very internet needed to share ideas about self-sufficiency.

On the other hand, communities offer advantages that are often overlooked.

Neighbors can watch over one another.

People can share tools, skills, equipment, and labor.

Communities rebuild together after disasters.

There is tremendous value in having people around you who know different trades and different skills.

Preparedness has never been about doing everything alone.

It's about becoming more capable.

For me, learning has always been one of the most rewarding parts of preparedness.

Over the years I've taken medical classes because I wanted the confidence of knowing what to do before an emergency happened. There is tremendous peace of mind in recognizing symptoms, understanding basic treatment, and knowing when someone needs professional medical care.

One class especially stayed with me.

A fellow student introduced herself as the first woman in Texas to earn a Master Plumber license. She certainly didn't need the class because she lacked ambition. She was there because she understood something many of us forget:

There is always something new to learn.

Miles Apart

Sometimes I think about the fictional world I created in my grid-down survival novels.

If everything suddenly changed tomorrow...

What skills could I offer my neighbors?

Could I safely filter water?

Could I identify edible plants without guessing?

Could I cook without electricity?

Would I know how to prevent illness if clean water became limited?

Could I prepare meals for someone with diabetes or gluten intolerance using only the foods available?

These are the kinds of questions I ask myself.

The truth is, I don't write this blog because I think I know everything.

Quite the opposite.

Many times I'm writing these articles for myself.

I need reminders about which wild onions are safe to identify.

Wild Green Onions: How to Identify Them Safely (And Why I Still Grow My Own)

I want to remember which herbs make useful teas.

How to Make Homemade Dandelion Tea from Your Backyard

I like reviewing ways to reduce illness at home, prepare nourishing foods, preserve harvests, and stretch limited supplies.

When I took Master Gardener classes, it wasn't because I planned to become an expert. It was because I wanted to better understand the plants growing around me and become a better steward of my own little piece of Texas.

Sometimes preparedness can romanticize the past.

People talk about how much simpler life was a hundred years ago, before smartphones, processed foods, and constant distractions.

Tombstone, Arizona: Walking Through the Real History of Wyatt Earp and the Wild West

Recently, while writing about Tombstone, Arizona, I included a link to George Whitwell Parsons' diary, which anyone can read online through the Internet Archive. As I worked through his journal, I found myself gaining a much deeper appreciation for the hardships people truly faced.

Parsons was a well-educated attorney from New York City who chose to seek opportunity in Tombstone during the mining boom. His journal tells of disease, poor meals, dangerous travel, rattlesnakes, financial uncertainty, and the constant hardships of frontier life.

Reading his words reminded me that life in the "good old days" wasn't always as romantic as we sometimes imagine.

People lived with uncertainty every single day.

Today, we worry about paying bills, rising prices, insurance, or getting a letter from the IRS.

Generations before us worried about surviving disease, dangerous travel, failed crops, and violence on the frontier.

Every generation has faced its own challenges.

The difference isn't whether hardships exist.

It's how we prepare ourselves to meet them.

FIVE Survival Skills Van Lifers Already Practice Every Day

No matter where we choose to live—in a city apartment, a quiet subdivision, or a cabin miles from town—we all have skills we can continue learning.

Knowledge is portable.

Experience grows over time.

Education pays dividends for the rest of your life.

Food storage eventually gets eaten.

Equipment eventually wears out.

Batteries lose their charge.

But the things you've learned stay with you.

Those skills may one day save money.

They may provide comfort during difficult times.

They may even save a life.

And when communities pull together, it isn't the people with the biggest stockpile who make the greatest difference.

It's the people who know how to solve problems, teach others, encourage their neighbors, and keep learning.

In my opinion, knowledge will always be the most valuable prep you'll ever own.

Preparedness Isn’t Just About Survival — Comfort Foods Matter Too

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Top 10 Things That Sell Out First During a Crisis

Tombstone, Arizona: Walking Through the Real History of Wyatt Earp and the Wild West

Tombstone, Arizona 

I traveled to Tombstone during the winter while van camping on the outskirts of town. When I woke the next morning, I was surprised by just how cold the Arizona desert could become. The rugged drive into Tombstone also left an impression on me. The town sits about 24 miles south of Interstate 10 at Benson, reached by following Arizona Highway 80 through open, mountainous country.

Tombstone Arizona - Dragoon Mountains

As I traveled that isolated stretch of road, I could not help thinking about the miners, settlers, stagecoach passengers and outlaws who crossed this same harsh country during the 1800s. They made the journey without paved highways, dependable vehicles or roadside services. What now feels like a lengthy detour from the interstate would have once been a difficult and sometimes dangerous trip through the Arizona Territory.

Tombstone downtown

When I arrived, Tombstone was nearly vacant. The severe cold had frozen water pipes around town, and most businesses were closed. The Longhorn Restaurant was one of the few places with running water, so that was where I was able to sit down and eat. Although I had not expected to find Tombstone so quiet, walking through the nearly deserted downtown gave me the unusual opportunity to appreciate its historic buildings without the normal crowds.

"Old Tombstone's Cowboy Skillet" breakfast at the Longhorn Restaurant

Later, the museum opened, and it proved well worth the wait. That was where I learned more about Ed Schieffelin, the prospector whose 1877 silver discovery led to the creation of Tombstone. Schieffelin had reportedly been warned that the dangerous country would provide him with nothing but his own tombstone. After discovering silver, he named his mining claim Tombstone, and the growing settlement eventually took the same name.

Tombstone founder - Ed Schieffelin

The discovery transformed the remote area into a booming silver town. Miners, merchants, gamblers, saloonkeepers and fortune seekers poured into Tombstone. Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday later became part of its story, especially after the famous 1881 gunfight associated with the O.K. Corral. Hollywood has focused heavily on the gunfighters, but Tombstone’s survival depended just as much on mining, transportation and access to water.

Allen R. English was Tombstone's best-known attorney, famous for his brilliant legal mind, quick wit, and colorful courtroom antics during the town's silver boom years.

Where did my scissors go? 

One of my favorite exhibits in the museum was a quote from George Parsons, a young businessman whose daily journal became one of the most valuable firsthand accounts of life in Tombstone. His words captured just how wild the booming silver town had become in 1880: "A man will go to the devil pretty fast in Tombstone... Faro, whiskey, and bad women will beat anyone.

Water in a Desert Mining Town

Water was a constant concern in early Tombstone. Drinking water was initially brought from springs north of town and stored in tanks. A more ambitious pipeline was later built to carry spring water from the Huachuca Mountains. Sections of that historic system continued supplying the community long afterward.

Virgil Earp - Tombstone City Marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal

The lack of dependable water made everyday life difficult and made fires especially dangerous. Major fires swept through Tombstone in 1881 and 1882, destroying large portions of the business district. With too little water available to stop the flames, some buildings had to be dynamited to keep the fire from spreading.

Wyatt Earp, Deputy City Marshal of Tombstone

Ironically, water was scarce above ground but eventually became too plentiful underground. As miners followed the silver veins deeper, they reached the water table at around 520 feet. Powerful pumps were installed to keep the mines operating, but removing the water became increasingly expensive. After a major pumping plant burned and silver prices weakened, many mines could no longer remain profitable. Workers left, businesses closed and Tombstone’s population fell dramatically.

Morgan Earp, Deputy City Marshal of Tombstone

Doc Holliday, Deputy City Marshal of Tombstone

In many ways, water helped determine whether Tombstone would live or die. The town needed it for drinking, cooking, firefighting and supporting thousands of residents, yet underground water helped bring its silver boom to an end.

Big Nose Kate Saloon

The Real Big Nose Kate

Big Nose Kate was also a real person, not merely a character created for Western movies. Born Mary Katherine Horony in Hungary, she became best known as the longtime companion of Doc Holliday. She was remembered as independent, outspoken and unafraid of the rough people and places of the frontier West. The present-day Big Nose Kate’s Saloon is named in her honor, although visitors should view it as a historic-themed attraction rather than assume every story told about her is fully documented.

fashion in those days

My winter visit was much quieter than the Tombstone most tourists experience. I missed the crowds and reenacted gunfights, but I gained something different—the chance to walk its historic streets almost alone and imagine how isolated and unforgiving this landscape must have been during the silver-mining years.

Tombstone drought

For anyone traveling Interstate 10 through southern Arizona, Tombstone is well worth the approximately 24-mile drive from Benson. Arrive when the town is active and you may see staged gunfights, visit the museums, walk Allen Street and stop inside Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. Just remember that the Arizona desert is not always hot. In winter, Tombstone can become surprisingly cold—and, as I discovered, even its water pipes can freeze.

If you'd like to explore Tombstone's history firsthand, you can create a free account at the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library. After signing in, you'll be able to borrow and read thousands of historic books online, including The Private Journal of George Whitwell Parsons: The Tombstone Years, 1879–1887.

1867 (Age 17) – A photograph of Big Nose Kate seated beside her sister shortly after arriving in the United States from Hungary. This is generally considered the earliest known image of her and appears in many history books. 

A Visit to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Home in Mansfield, Missouri

Wild Green Onions: How to Identify Them Safely (And Why I Still Grow My Own)

 

How to identify wild green onions

Every spring and early summer, I notice what appear to be wild green onions growing along the creek bed near my home. Even though I grow green onions in my own garden and can easily pick up a bunch at the grocery store, I still think it's an important skill to learn how to recognize edible plants in the wild.

That doesn't mean I harvest every onion-shaped plant I see.

In fact, my personal rule is simple:

If in doubt, throw it out. Never eat a wild plant unless you are 100% certain of its identification.

wild onions

Why I Love Green Onions

Green onions are one of those vegetables I always try to keep on hand. I use them for:

• Scrambled eggs
• Homemade chicken stock
• Potato casseroles
• Soups
• Baked potato toppings
• Fresh salads

One of my favorite potato chip flavors growing up was sour cream and green onion, so they've always been a favorite in our house.

green onions from the grocery store

Don't Throw Away Grocery Store Green Onions

One trick I use is saving the white roots from grocery store green onions.

Simply place the roots in a small glass of water for a few days until new green leaves begin growing. Once they've started producing fresh shoots, I transplant them into a flower pot where they continue growing for weeks. It's an easy way to have fresh onion greens right outside the back door.

One of my favorite money-saving gardening tricks is propagating green onions from the grocery store. I simply place the rooted ends in a glass of water until fresh green shoots appear, then transplant them into a pot for a continuous harvest.

How to identify edible wild onions

How to Identify Wild Green Onions

One of the easiest characteristics to check is the stem.

A true wild onion has:

• ✔ A strong onion or garlic smell when the leaves are crushed
• ✔ Round, hollow leaves (not flat)
• ✔ An underground bulb
• ✔ Round clusters of flowers when in bloom

The onion smell alone is not enough for identification. Always look at several characteristics before deciding whether a plant is edible.

How to tell the difference on what is an onion or not

Beware of Poisonous Look-Alikes

Several poisonous plants can resemble wild onions when they're young, especially death camas, which can be deadly if eaten.

One of the biggest differences is:

• Wild onions smell like onions.
• Poisonous look-alikes do not.

Many toxic plants also have flat, solid leaves instead of the round, hollow leaves found on most wild onions.

I'll include comparison photos below so you can see the differences for yourself.

My onions going to seed - saving seeds to plant more! 

A Skill Worth Learning

Knowing how to identify edible wild plants doesn't mean you have to depend on them every day. For me, it's simply another preparedness skill worth having.

Growing green onions in water

I enjoy growing my own onions and buying them fresh from the grocery store, but if I ever needed to recognize a wild food source, I'd rather have that knowledge than not.

Just remember my favorite rule:

If you're not absolutely certain what you're looking at, don't eat it.

Fresh onions from the garden

 Green onions are especially easy to grow indoors! I talk about it here:

Why Growing Vegetables Indoors Gives Me Peace of Mind

How to preserve those green onions and make your own spices!

DEHYDRATED GREEN ONIONS

Need more ideas on wild edibles from your own backyard? 

How to Make Homemade Dandelion Tea from Your Backyard

I grew a lot of onions in my garden tunnel as well: 

Building My Texas Garden Tunnel: Cattle Panels, Raised Beds & Shade Cloth

A Visit to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Home in Mansfield, Missouri

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum 

If you've ever dreamed of stepping inside the pages of the Little House books, this is one destination that truly brings Laura's story to life.

Growing up, I loved reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Later, my own children discovered the series, and our family spent years volunteering at a living history museum where they experienced pioneer life firsthand. Visiting Laura's actual home in Mansfield, Missouri, felt like bringing those childhood memories full circle.

Little House on the Prairie TV Show

I had watched documentaries and seen countless photographs over the years, but nothing compares to standing in the home where Laura and Almanzo Wilder actually lived. This isn't a reproduction or a movie set—this is the real farmhouse where Laura spent the final decades of her life, wrote the beloved Little House books, and preserved so many memories of America's pioneer past.

Mansfield, Missouri - where Laura Ingalls lived 

Yes, This Is Laura's Actual Home

One of the questions I receive most often on my YouTube video of the museum is:

"Is this really Laura Ingalls Wilder's house?"

The answer is yes.

This is the farmhouse where Laura and Almanzo Wilder settled after moving to the Ozarks. It was here that they built a life together, worked the land, and where Laura eventually wrote the Little House series that has inspired generations of readers around the world.

Laura Ingalls house in Missouri 

Walking through the rooms is a unique experience because you're seeing the place where history actually happened.

Throughout the home you'll find many of the family's original belongings, including:

• Laura's sewing machine
• The Wilder family Bible
• Papa's fiddle
• Laura's books
• Handmade quilts
• Original furniture
• Personal household items
• Woodworking projects crafted by Almanzo himself

Every room offers another glimpse into everyday life more than a century ago.

Laura's toy tea set 

Laura Ingalls Wilder's collection of quilt pieces in museum

Quilt made by Almanzo's mother (love looking at the scrap fabrics used from old clothes)

The Wilder Family 1870, Almanzo, Laura Ingalls 

Basket Almanzo weaved

Toy dolls representing Laura and Almanzo's two children

Where Laura's sister Carrie lived. 1905 South Dakota where she claimed her land

Caroline and Charles Ingalls 1860

Charles and Caroline Ingall's marriage certificate

Charle's Ingalls fiddle 

Laura Ingall's bible 

Laura's Home Is Surprisingly Comfortable

One thing that surprised me was seeing how comfortable the farmhouse was.

Like many people, I imagined a much simpler cabin. Instead, the home reflects years of hard work and improvement. Laura even enjoyed a relatively modern kitchen for her day, showing how the Wilders slowly built a comfortable life after years of hardship.

It's easy to picture Laura sitting at her desk writing the stories that so many of us grew up reading.

Laura and Almanzo's living room

Piano in the Wilder's house 

Fireplace in the Wilder's home 

The Wilder's clock in the home

Desk in the Wilder's home. Did Laura write from here? 

Lamp that Almanzo Wilder made

Bedroom in Wilder's home

Up close to the Wallpaper in the Wilder's home 

Wooden ceiling

Laura Ingalls Wilder Kitchen in Mansfield, Missouri

Woodstove 

Modern electric stove added years later

Kitchen sink in Wilder's Home 

old calendar kept on kitchen wall 

A closer look at the tile floor in the Wilder's home

A Brief History

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 near Pepin, Wisconsin. Her family moved frequently across the American frontier, experiences that later became the basis for her famous Little House books.

In 1894, Laura and Almanzo moved to a rocky farm near Mansfield, Missouri, which they eventually named Rocky Ridge Farm. Although the early years were difficult, they transformed the property into a successful farm.

the route Laura Ingall's traveled 

Years later, encouraged by her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, Laura began writing the stories that would become the beloved Little House series. Those books introduced millions of readers to pioneer life through the eyes of a young girl growing up on the American frontier.

Laura remained at Rocky Ridge Farm for the rest of her life and passed away there in 1957.

Today, both Laura and Almanzo are buried in Mansfield, making the town an especially meaningful destination for readers and history lovers alike.

Laura Ingalls Wilder museum 

More Than a Museum

One of the things I enjoyed most about the museum was how authentic everything felt.

Rather than simply reading information on display panels, you can stand in the very rooms where Laura lived, look out the same windows she looked through, and see the objects her family actually used.

For anyone interested in:

• pioneer history
• homesteading
• living history
• early American farm life
• the Little House books

this museum is well worth the trip.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's final home 

Museum Information

When we visited, the museum offered guided access to the historic home along with museum exhibits featuring many of the Wilder family's original possessions.

Before traveling, I recommend checking the museum's official website for the latest admission prices, seasonal hours, and tour schedules, as these can change throughout the year.

Explore the Area

Mansfield itself is a charming small Missouri town that fits perfectly with a Little House visit.

If you're driving through the Ozarks, you'll also pass through Amish communities where you'll find:

• Amish grocery stores
• Country bakeries
• Handmade furniture
• Quilts
• Crafts
• Local produce

It makes for a wonderful day trip, especially if you enjoy slower travel and discovering small-town America.

My Thoughts

Of all the museums I've visited, this one stands out because it connects so many generations.

As a child, I imagined Laura's adventures while reading her books.

Years later, my own children experienced pioneer life through living history programs.

Standing inside Laura's actual home brought those memories together in a way I hadn't expected.

Seeing her sewing machine, family Bible, Papa's fiddle, handmade quilts, furniture, and personal belongings reminded me that behind every famous story was a real family working hard to build a life.

If you appreciate history, pioneer living, or simply want to visit one of America's most beloved literary landmarks, I believe the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home & Museum in Mansfield, Missouri is well worth adding to your travel list.

    More visuals of the Wilder home from my YouTube - 

     

LAURA INGALLS WILDER - Little House on the Prairie in Mansfield, Missouri               

I'm walking the grounds of Laura's property in video with more footage inside museum and reflecting over the Little House series. 

More Travel and Museums        

   

Homestead Heritage in Waco Texas: A Homeschool Field Trip

Pioneer Farms Austin, Texas: Living History, Treadle Sewing & 1800s Homestead Life

      

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