Help us restore our park!

Burr Oak, Iowa was once home to famed author Laura Ingalls Wilder, from 1876-1877. In 1973 the museum was founded and the Master's Hotel (childhood home of 9-yr old Laura) was opened for tours and is still operating today.

Burr Oak is an unincorporated village of approximately 150 residents. It has no public park or playground. The park and playground of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum are used by those living in Burr Oak and northen Winneshiek County, school children experiencing field trips and families visiting the museum. The playground was once filled with several pieces of equipment dating back to the late 1980's and early 1990's. Most pieces have since been removed for safety reasons. The children living in and near Burr Oak need safe, high quality playground equipment that will engage them in activities, are compliant with playground safety standards, and can support many children playing within the playground area at the same time.

In 2015, the museum hosted 740 school children from 14 schools, from Helping Services of Northeast Iowa mentoring Program, and 2 summer school programs. Each of these groups used the playground to entertain the children after their tours and museum activities. These numbers do not include the families with young children residing in Burr Oak, or the many families with children that visit the museum during the summer season.

The goals of this project are:
- Remove the existing equipment, level and prepare the ground prior to delivery of new equipment
- Install a new playground structure
- Install safety mulch beneath the structure.

We are kindly requesting your assistance to help us accomplish this goal. The total cost of the project is $25,500+. To date, $12,710 has been raised through donations and the museum's general budget.