Where was Little House on the Prairie filmed? Inside the Ingalls’ western world

In Netflix’s new adaptation of Little House on the Prairie, the Ingalls family’s journey from Wisconsin to Independence, Kansas, is off to a rocky start when the wagon carrying them nearly overturns in a river. The raging waters and lush countryside that surround the foursome, however, are nowhere near the American midwest; cameras were rolling throughout the Canadian province of Manitoba and its capital city, Winnipeg.

Based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved book series, the reboot of the 1935 children’s novel (and the hit 1970s television show) of the same name charts the Ingalls family’s new beginning on the Western frontier. While Mary, Laura, and their parents had to brave the elements rain or shine, shooting the series hit a slight delay due to Manitoba’s snowy winter, showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine told CBC News. Her goal during filming was to “capture the vastness of the prairie but also all the details that make the book so special for people,” according to Netflix’s Tudum.

They must’ve captured some sort of magic out in the prairielands, as the show was renewed for a second season in March, months before its July 9 debut on the streamer. In fact, Little House on the Prairie is already back in production this summer. AD breaks down everything you need to know about where and how Wilder’s Western world comes to life.

Where was Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie filmed?

Unlike the 1970s NBC series starring Melissa Gilbert, which filmed in various locations in California, Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie was shot in and around Winnipeg. The city is located in the province of Manitoba, Canada. All the action takes place in sets constructed specifically for the series as well as in the real outdoors, where the Ingalls family build a life—and a home—on land occupied by the Osage people. The reboot’s creative team worked with Osage scholar and consultant Robert Warrior to draw inspiration for the characters of William Mitchell and his wife, White Sun, from 19 Osage families who lived in Kansas at the time settlers arrived. “The family represents the West at this time,” production designer Jonah Markowitz told Tudum. “The father is half European, half Osage; the mother is Osage. Many cultures are reflected in their house.”

How did Netflix create the Little House on the Prairie log cabin?

Building the town of Independence was a “really fun challenge,” Markowitz said, adding that the set is populated by 29 full-standing buildings.

When it came to the Ingalls family’s log cabin—a whopping 96,000 pounds of timber—Markowitz said the biggest obstacle was constructing it just like they would have done in the 1800s: with wooden pegs instead of nails and with natural materials that would’ve been sourced from the surrounding land.

“We paid particular attention to historic accuracy and detail,” said set decorator James V. Kent. “I went out of my way to purchase really authentic American antiques. I hired a local blacksmith to make hooks and pieces that you can actually hammer into the logs. I mean, that’s the kind of detail we went into on this show.”

Where will Season 2 of Little House on the Prairie take place?

While Netflix has shared little details on a planned second season of Little House on the Prairie, the series is currently back in production. This time around, the Ingalls family is heading to Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

The second season is rumored to be based on the fourth book in the Little House series, 1937’s On the Banks of Plum Creek.

The Season 1 finale (semi-spoiler alert) ended with the visual of the Ingalls family’s covered wagon riding off into the unknown, capturing what the creative team had hoped was a feeling familiar to readers of Ingalls Wilder’s iconic series. It gave viewers “a connection to the books,” production designer Markowitz told Tudum, and made them “feel like they’re watching what they read.”