10 Travel Destinations from Children's Literature

The mind of a child is a fascinating world of dreams and imagination, absorbing the words of a good book with complete acceptance. When children read stories about the adventures of their favorite characters, they become enchanted by the tales and absorbed in the experience of the book. Planning a literary travel vacation for your family is a great way to bring those wonderful stories to life. How thrilling to walk the path to the farmhouse where Anne of Green Gables lived, or to how about exploring the ranch where Jack London wrote Call of the Wild. Here are ten great travel destinations from children’s literature…

Little Women: Home of Louisa May Alcott

Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts is the home Louisa May Alcott made famous in her enthralling stories about life with her sisters in Little Women. This historic, 19th century manor house is completely restored to a museum honoring the Alcott family and the famous authoress. Much of the antique furniture actually belonged to the Alcotts, including Louisa May’s writing desk where she penned her beloved books. Guided tours are given year-round with $9 adult admission, $5 for kids. Nearby you can also visit Thoreau’s Walden Pond, and the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Edward Gorey House

This quirky home with its somewhat macabre décor and creepy atmosphere gives kids a fascinating glimpse into the world of the author of the phenomenal story, A Series of Unfortunate Events. Kids are thrilled by his spooky stories and genius illustrations, loving how Gorey’s tales bring a twisted sense of humor into a scary situation. The Edward Gorey House is also located in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts. Admission is $5 adults, only $2 for kids, and visiting hours vary by season.

Anne of Green Gables: Green Gables Heritage Place

You will feel as if you’ve stepped back in time a hundred years to the days when the intrepid red-haired orphan grew up in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic story, Anne of Green Gables. You can visit the Haunted Wood and take a wagon ride in Avonlea Village, where guides in period costumes bring the story alive. The beautiful gabled house that inspired the setting for Anne’s stories is located in Prince Edward Island National Park in Ontario. Green Gables Heritage House is open May through October, adult entry less than $8 and kids under $4.

The Raven: The Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site

This Philadelphia brick house was once the home of author and poet, Edgar Allen Poe, where he lived while publishing some of his most famous works. Kids study his classic tales in school and are thrilled by his ultra-scary stories, learning to recite lines from the famous poem, Annabel Lee, and shivering at The Tell-Tale Heart. A statue of a black raven greets visitors to the museum, which is open free to the public Wednesday- Sunday.

Tom Sawyer: The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum

See the white picket fence that inspired the story of Tom Sawyer conning his buddies into painting for him. The boyhood home of Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri has become a museum honoring the famous author’s infamous tales of youthful escapades along the mighty Mississippi River. You can visit Mark Twain’s Cave, as well as the homes of Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn. Take a photo with the statue of Tom and Huck, and visit the museum daily for a $10 adult entry fee, $6 for kids.

Little House on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum

Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, is the home where Laura Ingalls Wilder settled after the extensive travels of her pioneer childhood and the place where she wrote her classic Little House on the Prairie series. Now a museum, her historic home displays many of her belongings and personal photos. You may also want to see the Ingalls’ dugout house in Walnut Grove, Minnesota and the Ingalls homestead in De Smet, South Dakota. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum is open March-November, adult admission $8, kids $4.

The Call of the Wild: Jack London State Historic Park

Glen Ellen, California is where you can visit the sprawling ranch where Jack London spun the adventurous tales of White Fang, Call of the Wild and Sea Wolf, stories that have enthralled young boys and girls for over 100 years. You can roam the 39-acre park on 26 miles of connecting hiking, biking and horseback riding trails, visit London’s gravesite and explore the ruins of Wolf House. Kids love visiting the House of Happy Walls Museum and learning more about London’s own real-life adventures. The park is open Thursday-Monday, with a $10 vehicle entry fee.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes Museum

221B Baker Street in London may be the most famous address in the world- the house where Sherlock Holmes lived in the popular detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The museum is a perfect reproduction of the Victorian study as described in the Holmes novels, with amazingly natural-looking wax figures of Holmes and Watson. Visit any day of the year except Christmas for £6 adults, £4 children.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre

Walk the Village Trail through the streets that inspired scenes from Dahl’s famous stories Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. The house in Buckinghamshire where he lived and wrote for 36 years provides a fun, interactive adventure that encourages kids to express their own creativity. In the Story Center kids can dress up in costumes and act out stories themselves. The Roald Dahl Museum is open daily except Mondays, £6.60 adults, £4.40 kids.

The Moomin Stories: Moomin World Theme Park

The cute, hippo-like trolls of Trove Jensen’s famous Moomin books are the stars of this imaginative theme park in Naantali, Finland. Moomin Word is a recreation of the fabled Moomin Valley of Jensen’s books, where kids can experience fantastical trails and interactive, educational experiences while exploring the magical blueberry-colored Moomin House, the Hattifatteners Cave and Witch’s Labyrinth. The park is open June-August with a week of Winter Magic in February, one-day wrist bands are 23 euros adults and kids.

Article author: Cathy Jones