‘Little House On The Prairie’ Was Filmed At The Same Place As ‘Gunsmoke’ And ‘Rawhide’

Movie and television magic is, at its best, transformative in every way, transporting the viewer to a different time and place. Little House on the Prairie succeeded at this for close to a decade and it did so while not filming remotely close to Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

In fact, Little House was actually filmed in California, specifically a venue called Big Sky Ranch, located in Simi Valley. The show’s setting was something of a character itself, so this may feel like a significant deviation – but actually, this practice is pretty common and has been used in the likes of Father Murphy, Highway to Heaven, and more.

A little house far from the prairie

Little House on the Prairie is based on the novels by the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, which themselves are based on Wilder’s childhood in the Midwest, specifically Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Wilder’s life journey starts in Pepin County, Wisconsin, goes through Independence, Kansas, and then finds her in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. After that, it’s back to South Dakota.

RELATED: Why They Blew Up The Town At The End Of ‘Little House On The Prairie’

The show stays true to much of the source material, although it adds some plot points and drama, as series lead Michael Landon noted that much of it read like a cookbook more than a narrative, but it did not use the actual locations. Instead, filming relied on a mix of California farms and custom studios.

Filming primarily took place in Southern California, just a bit above Hollywood. Interior shots took place in Paramount Studios. Unlike most of the exterior Little House sets, the Paramount lot remains today.

‘Little House on the Prairie’ was filmed in the same place as ‘Gunsmoke’ and more

Interior shots were a different beast from exterior scenes; the former allowed for more control and to create from the ground up exactly what the script and actors needed. But for exterior shots, they relied on Big Sky Ranch, a venue that’s seen a lot of use.

Other television shows that have relied on Big Sky Ranch include Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Highway to Heaven, and Father Murphy. The latter was, like Little House, a Western drama created by none other than Landon in partnership with his Little House colleagues Victor French and Leo Penn.

It’s also seen use for filming Tales from the Crypt and, most recently, HBO’s Westworld.

But no remnants of the original set remain because, famously, the finale saw the town blow up, an act that Landon called “a nice catharsis for the cast and crew.” Among the sets that escaped the plot-driven blast, a fire in 2003 finished the job.