Where Was Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ Filmed? Everything to Know About Life on the Prairie
Find out where the cast and crew created the town of Independence, Kansas and what it was like
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our editorial team.- Filmed in Manitoba: Cooks Creek and Winnipeg served as key locations.
- Authentic setcraft: 96,000 lbs timber and wooden pegs built the show's Ingalls cabin.
- Cast praised Winnipeg's friendly people and the smoky, scenic skies.
Recreating the American frontier of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood was no small task for Netflix’s new Little House on the Prairie. The real Ingalls family traveled by covered wagon across the Midwest during the 19th century, living in places that would eventually inspire Wilder’s beloved books.
To bring that world to the screen more than 150 years later, the production needed a location that could convincingly stand in for the sweeping, largely unsettled prairie the Ingalls family once called home. Fortunately, the filmmakers found just the place—and transformed it into the world viewers see in the new series.
While the original series, which ran from 1974-1983, was filmed throughout California, the new version was created in an entirely new location. Find out more about where Little House on the Prairie was filmed and what the stars have said about living on the prairie.
Where was ‘Little House’ filmed?
The recent adaptation of Little House on the Prairie was filmed far away from where the original series was and from where Laura and her family actually lived. The Netflix series was set in the Canadian province of Manitoba, with a majority of the filming taking place in Cooks Creek and Winnipeg.
Cooks Creek housed the town of Independence, Kansas, where the Ingalls traveled to, which consisted of 29 buildings and the family’s log cabin. Winnipeg was where the cast and crew filmed many of their exterior prairie scenes, as well as the moments that took place in the winter.
Historical accuracy extended all the way to how the buildings were constructed. The Ingalls family’s log cabin alone required 96,000 pounds of timber, with the production team using wooden pegs rather than modern nails to assemble it—recreating the construction methods settlers would have relied on in the 1800s.
“We paid particular attention to historic accuracy and detail,” set decorator James V. Kent shared. “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.”
What is was like filming in Winnipeg
Little House wasn’t filmed on a set but rather in Manitoba’s open lands, an area the cast and crew loved. Woman’s World previously spoke with Rebeca Amzallag, who starred as Lacey Aubert on Little House, about what it was like to film in Winnipeg.
“I love Winnipeg,” Amzallag shared. “I’ve shot in Winnipeg a few other times and the people are so friendly. It is not a surprise to me that more and more shows and movies are shooting there… the food is amazing in Winnipeg. The people are really sweet.”
Amzallag added, “Because of the fires that were occurring all around, the sky was always a little bit smoky and it made for such a beautiful landscape shot. You have this pink light because of the smoke. This really challenging time for Canadians is commemorated on the show by the beautiful landscape.”
Give Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie a rewatch and be sure to stay tuned for Season 2.
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