Where Was “Little House on the Prairie” Filmed and Other Fun Facts

Who doesn’t love “Little House on the Prairie“? While watching this series or reading the books, you get to learn about 19th-century life in the Midwest and the tough lessons the Ingalls family learned. Whether you grew up with it or not, we can all agree that this story is one of a kind.

Karen Grassle found her way to fame and fortune when she got the role of Caroline Ingalls, also refered to as Ma, on “Little House on the Prairie.” Karen’s life changed forever after playing an iconic character in one of America’s favorite shows from 1974 to 1983. She had no money before she landed the role and was running out of time to make her big break.

The cabin from “Little House on the Prairie” is a national treasure. Many have imagined their own versions of this house as it was one of America’s most beloved book series before it became a TV show. The Little House on the Prairie Museum is renovating a near-perfect replica of their original log cabin in Walnut Grove. The “Little House on the Prairie” set replica is in Independence, Kansas.

Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson in the series, is now a famous gay icon in America. After the end of “Little House”, her career faltered. She tried a few different roles, but they didn’t work out. Fifteen years ago, Arngrim said she had a “lightbulb moment” then she was no longer trying to change who she was and instead embraced herself as she is.

Wendi Lou Lee was a child actress who became a writer. She is well known for her portrayal of Baby Grace in “Little House on the Prairie.” In 2015, Wendi underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor. After the successful operation, she started sharing her life and talking openly about her Christian faith.

After each “Little House on the Prairie” episode, one star would take a small piece from the show–a lesson, fun memories, or a literal homestead set. John Carter actor Stan Ivar dismantled his “Little House on the Prairie” house set to carry it home with him. It was his way of keeping the memories alive after filming ended.

In 1984, Charles Ingalls, played by Michael Landon, ordered townspeople in the “Little House on the Prairie” movie to blow up the town so a land baron couldn’t have it. In real life, they blew  up the whole “Little House on the Prairie” location, too! According to Mental Floss, Producer Kent McCrary explained that NBC  had leased Walnut Grove from Getty Oil Company and Newhall Land Development Corporation as their set.

Have you ever wondered, “Where was ‘Little House on the Prairie’ filmed?” It’s an incredible feeling when you realize that the place where you work is actually part of your childhood, and that’s what Alison Arngrim felt that day. She shared that she couldn’t contain her happiness when she discovered that “Little House on the Prairie” filming took place on the same set as “The Wizard of Oz.”

When “Little House” became one of TV’s most popular shows and people watched it every day across America, Grassle asked for a pay raise. Even though she was one of the stars of her show, Grassle said that Landon (who was the producer as well as her co-star) refused her request.

Victor French, A.K.A. Mr. Edwards, was a well-loved cast member on “Little House.” In 1977, he left the show after appearing in the three seasons. He went on to star in a sitcom called “Carter Country“ that lasted two years before being canceled in 1980.

When the last season of “Little House on the Prairie” came to an end, many familiar faces were nowhere to be found. One of the most notable was Katherine MacGregor, who played Mrs. Oleson in the show. Her last credited appearance was before the series finale.

Though it had a compelling story, “Little House on the Prairie” also sported some Oscar winners in its cast. We’re not just talking about Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. Some of you might already know this, but we want to give you a rundown.

The power of an actor’s performance is brought to life by the depth and breadth that they have experienced in their lifetime. For Karen Grassle, this was clear when she began playing her character Caroline on “Little House.” Her mannerisms and portrayal were all based on her mother.

Michael Landon did more than just act in the series. In addition to playing Charles Ingalls, Landon was the managing producer on the series, and he was responsible for bringing Albert into season five. The producer thought that Charles would be looking for the opportunity to have a son since he and his wife had four daughters and had lost their only son.

Some fans of this series recall that the COVID-19 pandemic is similar to the storyline of “Plague and Quarantine,” an episode from “Little House.” With millions of lives lost in the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no wonder people are sensitive to anything resembling this situation in shows, films, and books.

Gilbert rose to fame in the role of Laura Ingalls Wilder on “Little House,” but she has since struggled with a number of health problems that have required surgery. It started with spinal fusions at both neck level (2001) and back level (2010), while two ruptured discs in the spine led to her third surgery in 2016.

The fatherly figure of the show took an opportunity to help his daughter get on-screen by casting her in a guest role! His decision led to accusations of nepotism. However, the issues didn’t stop this famous actor from giving his daughter a try on the show.

There are many exciting adventures with the Ingalls in season four of “Little House on the Prairie.” The original episodes aired from September 12, 1977, to March 13, 1978, and viewers saw some serious injuries and illnesses that involved actors in different roles.

“Little House on the Prairie” received 16 nominations, with only one going to an actor. Most of their awards were for cinematography, music composition, makeup, and creative technical roles.

Walnut Grove is a real town located in Minnesota, and the author of “Little House on the Prairie” actually lived there. However, her family didn’t move there until 1874. Before that, they had lived at the Osage Diminished Reserve in Kansas.

As one of the producers of “Little House on the Prairie,” Michael Landon dealt with pressures by secretly drinking with other crew members. One crew member revealed that Landon would go into hiding during filming to avoid being noticed and then return to work intoxicated.

This is not the first time that we have learned something about Alison Arngrim’s experience playing Nellie Oleson. In fact, she revealed in her autobiography how much it hurt to have someone put wigs on for each day’s filming of this iconic role.

Carrie Ingalls was such a cutie in “Little House.” She was the sweet character in the show. Many people didn’t know that she was played by identical twins. Yes, it’s true. Carrie’s character was played by Sidney and Lindsay Greenbush, the daughters of actor Billy “Green” Bush.

The Ingalls family’s life on the farm was not always easy. When was “Little House on the Prairie” set? Between the 1870s–90s.
Back then, they had to get food and other necessities from their own resourcefulness. The time period of “Little House on the Prairie” meant that Mr. Ingralls would provide for his family by farming crops and hunting animals like rabbits and deer.

When playing Nellie Oleson in “Little House,” actor Alison Arngrim noticed that one of her fellow cast mates never tried to make friends. The girl remained a mystery throughout filming, and she only interacted when on set for specific scenes.

Many cast and crew members of “Little House on the Prairie” seem to have been affected by radioactive waste from the Santa Susana nuclear meltdown, which happened in 1959. Michael Landon, who played Pa, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1997. Meanwhile, Victor French and Kevin Hagen lost their lives to cancer.

Melissa Gilbert revealed in her memoir, “Prairie Tale,” that Shannen Doherty slept with her husband. Gilbert and Doherty had met on the set of “Little House on the Prairie” as kids, so the betrayal was more than just a personal thing. There was an element to it that felt like the destruction of childish innocence.

You probably didn’t even notice, but one actor in the show played five different roles. That actor was EJ Andre. He played a gun dealer in “Little House on the Prairie” in his first casting. In 1976, he played Amos Thomas and later Matthew Simmons.

Nellie served as Laura’s main enemy in the series. Her manipulative personality contrasted with the calmer attitude of Laura. Eventually, their relationship matured, and the characters developed a fondness for each other.

Melissa Gilbert was clearly destined for fame, starting with commercials at just two years of age and then taking her iconic role in “Little House on the Prairie.” She has known nothing but fame for most of her life.

Filming the series was usually an enjoyable experience, but conflict arose from time to time. One such conflict was the disruptive attitude of Katherine MacGregor, who had a tough time getting along with the director and other cast members because of constant differences of opinion.

“Little House on the Prairie” was one of Ronald Reagan’s favorite shows. Reagan was one of America’s most beloved presidents, and he had been an actor himself before he got into politics. Thus, it would have felt like an honor for those working on the show to know that he loved it so much.

Each episode of the series required a lot of emotional scenes. The actors needed to be able to cry on cue, which isn’t always easy. Apparently, Landon could make the youngsters burst into tears with just one look. Somehow, he was able to reduce them to pure emotion with his eyes.

Mary Ingalls and John Sanderson were supposed to be husband and wife on the show. However, the duo failed in their portrayal of an engaged couple because they lacked any sort of natural connection with each other.

Linwood Boomer is a Canadian-American producer, writer, and former actor. He began his career as an actor with the role of Adam Kendall on “Little House on the Prairie.” He stayed in the role from 1974 to 1983 before moving behind the scenes of Hollywood.

In the episode “Sweet 16,” Laura kisses Almanzo, her love interest on the show. Almanzo was played by American-Canadian actor Dean Butler who’s eight years older than Gilbert. This was more than just Laura’s first kiss–it was Gilbert’s too, and she was unsure of what to do.

In 1981, Jason Bateman made his television debut in a recurring role on the classic series “Little House on the Prairie.” His career as an actor and director has spanned decades, but it all started with his first gig as James Ingalls, the adopted son of Charles and Caroline.

After being turned down by every casting agency in Hollywood, young Alison’s father told her that acting might not be the path she should take, but Alison was determined to audition again. After six months, she finally landed the role that changed her life.

The story of Michael Landon and Lynn Noe is one that ends in divorce. The two drifted apart over 20 years before their relationship hit rock bottom. Landon found himself attracted to someone else–a makeup artist on “Little House on the Prairie” named Cindy Clerico.

Willie Oleson was the second child and only son in the Oleson family. He lived on Walnut Grove with his mother, Nels Oleson, and sister Nellie Oleson. Willie was a spoiled and naughty child who was as much of a brat as his sister, Nellie.

Melissa Sue Anderson claims that the on-screen mother and father didn’t get along at all in real life. Apparently, there was some jealousy and tension between them, and even the kids on set noticed it.

Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Anderson play Laura Ingalls and Mary Ingalls, respectively. These two characters seem to be the type of sisters we wish we had who are as close as sisters can be. In reality, the two stars who play them couldn’t stand being around each other. This proves that they have the acting chops to pull off almost anything.

Melissa Gilbert looked up to Michael Landon, he was somewhat of a father figure to her. When the news broke of his affair she took his choices personally and didn’t talk to him for about 9 years. Thankfully though this story has a semi-happy ending. They successfully had the opportunity to make up and reconcile.

Hollywood is no stranger to famous stars making iconic appearances on hit television shows and films, but sometimes these stars make appearances even before they hit it big and they make it just under the radar. This is true for Sean Penn whose first job was when he was cast in Little House on the Prairie.

Kyle Richards makes it on this list as another cameo that you may have missed, especially if you weren’t paying attention. Before she was quite recognizable on screen as the reality star we know and love, she was a child actor with a small part in this timeless show.

Sometimes the most genius moments on screen end up by accident and here is no exception. Many viewers may have noticed during the opening credits there is quite a downhill tumble by Carrie Ingalls, scored by the “Little House on the Prairie” theme song.

Michael Landon was clearly comfortable with his body, considering he took every opportunity to remove his shirt although there was one thing he seemed to be concerned about, his height. Landon stands at a height of 5’9” which is a decent height for anyone, but he believed that Pa Ingalls should be taller.

We mentioned that Michael Landon’s daughter appeared on the show but that isn’t the only family member who made an appearance. Melissa Gilbert’s brother, Jonathan also had a role in the series. Jonathan played Willie Oleson although he didn’t end up pursuing an acting career like his sister.

Recycling is not only good for the environment, but apparently also good for TV. Michael Landon also acted in another hit TV show called, “Bonanza,” a western. Landon took some of the storylines from “Bonanza” to make “Little House on the Prairie” the bonanza that it was.

The show may have been set in Minnesota but like many entertainment classics, “Little House on the Prairie” filming took place in California, Simi Valley to be exact. The California sun caused lots of problems especially when actors had to wear many bulky layers to make it believable to the time period. Talk about discomfort.

All children eventually grow up, especially in Hollywood, some would even say faster than others. Often times child actors don’t play their real age but that doesn’t stop them, there are many easy fixes to making sure that this goes undetected. Melissa Gilbert encountered some of these challenges when she began to grow up right before our eyes.