School Tours
Students will view examples of pioneer life in the 1870s; join in pioneer games and activities; walk where Laura walked through the hotel, along the creek and the spring; dress up like a pioneer and climb in the wagon.
School tours are welcome from May 1 – October 31.
Reservations are required in advance.
Please call the museum at 563-735-5916 or click on the reservations button.
The month of May fills up quickly, so call as early as you are able for your first choice.
- Students $4.00
- All chaperones $4.00
- Teacher and bus driver receive complementary passes.
Rates also apply to home schooled groups of 12 or more school-aged children. Complementary pass for one teacher. Please limit the number of children under the age of 5, as our space is very small.
A tour guide will greet the entire group of students in front of the museum.
Tour guides will lead small groups of students through the museum, activities and pioneer games. You will be asked to divide your students into groups before your visit. Groups will rotate through the activities.
A shelter with picnic tables is available for classes bringing lunches, with playground equipment nearby.
Buses may park parallel to the sidewalk just south of the museum on 236th Ave. adjacent to the fence and the flag pole. If coming into town from the south, just pull into the driveway at the storage sheds north of the museum on 236th Ave. and head the bus south. Guests will then be able to exit the bus onto the sidewalk near the museum. Parking is also available on the gravel shoulder across the street from the Burr Oak Mercantile/Visitor Center.
Motor Coaches
Motor coaches, buses and vans with large group tours are welcome from April 1 – October 31.
Reservations are required in advance. Please call the museum at 563-735-5916 or click on the reservations button.
For groups of 20 or more, a $75 non-refundable deposit is required 2 weeks before the scheduled date of the tour. This will be applied towards the tour price, with the balance due the day of the tour.
- $10 per adult; $6 per student
- Tour escorts and bus drivers receive complementary passes.
A tour guide will board the bus to greet guests, give background information, show a short introductory DVD about Laura’s life and travels, and answer questions.
Tour guides will lead the guests through the museum and answer questions.
Guests are invited to browse in the Visitor Center, built in 1908 as the Briggs Day Light Store, later renamed as the Burr Oak Mercantile, and restored in 2025 as the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum Visitor Center. It houses the bookstore and gift shop, accessible restroom, and copies of letters Laura wrote to her fans. Guests may also walk through the one-room schoolhouse next to the Visitor Center and the restored bank building across the street.
The main floor of the museum is wheelchair accessible. The bottom floor is accessible by use of the sidewalk leading to the back of the building. The top floor is not accessible by wheelchair.
Large group tours generally spend 2 hours in Burr Oak. A self-guided walking tour will lead visitors to the Burr Oak sites Laura wrote about in Pioneer Girl, including the Burr Oak Cemetery, where you may view the same headstones read by Laura as she and her friend walked through the cemetery on Saturdays. Free tour maps are available in the Visitor’s Center.
Drivers may park parallel to the sidewalk just south of the museum on 236th Ave. adjacent to the fence and the flagpole. If coming into town from the south, just pull into the driveway at the storage sheds north of the museum on 236th Ave and head the bus south. Guests will then be able to exit the bus onto the sidewalk near the museum. Parking is also available on the gravel shoulder across the street from the Burr Oak Mercantile/Visitor Center.