“Little House on the Prairie”'s Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle and Alison Arngrim Reunite Ahead of 50th Anniversary

The beloved NBC western, which ran from 1974 to 1983, will celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary this coming September

The Ingalls family is still strong after half a century!

In anticipation of Little House on the Prairie celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary later this year in September, three of the show's stars, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle and Alison Arngrim, reunited on Good Morning America to reflect on the series' resonance after so many years.

On Thursday's episode of GMA, Gilbert, 59, Grassle, 82, Arngrim, 62, got back together at Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California, where the show was filmed during its nine-season run from 1974 to 1982.

As fans will recall, Gilbert played lead Laura Ingalls, Grassle portrayed her mother Caroline and Arngrim took on the role of classmate Nellie Oleson on the NBC western.

The former costars visited recreations of the schoolhouse, mercantile and the iconic little house itself, which are set up, along with costumes and memorabilia, for an upcoming fan event known as Prairie Palooza.

Related: 'Little House on the Prairie' 's Melissa Gilbert on Aging: 'I Finally Feel Comfortable in My Own Skin' 

After lovingly touring recreations of the set and recounting their memories filming there, the three actresses also opened up about how special it is that the series, following Laura Ingalls' coming of age while living in Minnesota in the late 1800s, is still so beloved.

"When we did the show, we went, 'Yeah, this is a really good show, Oh, it seems to be a hit, that's nice.' But the idea that 50 years later, people would still be excited about it, it's absolutely mind-blowing," Arngrim said.

Grassle reasoned that audiences still connect to the show because "people are finding values, comfort and message that they long for."

"And I think, it's just simple human decency," she added.

Related: Little House on the Prairie Star Melissa Gilbert on 'Half Pint' Hitting Menopause — and Why It's a 'Gift' to Grow Old (Exclusive)

Gilbert also opened up about how "emotional" it was for her to be back at Big Sky Ranch, since she spent her entire adolescence from the time she was 10 years old until she was 18 on the show. "It's overwhelming, actually," she admitted. "I'm remembering so much and so much of my childhood and so many wonderful experiences and emotional experiences attached to all of these people."

The performers on the Emmy-winning series took the opportunity to reflect on the legacy of their late costar Michael Landon, who played the father Charles Ingalls and died at age 54 from pancreatic cancer in 1991.

While Arngrim joked that "he was the TV girl dad" of his time, Gilbert reflected on what it meant to star alongside the late actor/filmmaker.

"He was magnetic," the former Dancing with the Stars contestant said. "He drew me in, but he also played with me right away. And our relationship immediately became parental in that way, but he treated us when he worked with us like contemporaries, not like kids."

Related: Michael Landon's Daughter Urges People to Take Care of Their Health on 30th Anniversary of His Death

Little House on the Prairie was loosely based on Laura Ingall Wilder's iconic Little House book series about her childhood growing up in the Midwest in the late 1800s. The show aired over 200 episodes and a handful of specials during its nine-season run and was lauded for both its performances and compelling depiction of adolescence and family issues at the time.

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In November of last year, Gilbert spoke to PEOPLE about embracing aging as a former child star and shared what it means to her that fans still love Little House and her character, who was nicknamed "Half Pint."

"There are people who will perennially assume that I'm 12 years old," the West Wing actress said. "And I will always be that girl, full of wonder and running through the fields. Half Pint is inside me always. But we are all aging."

She added that "having the fan base with me as we age together is a huge plus. We can share these conversations together."

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