Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

The Homestead Act of 1862 transformed the world. Millions were invited to file claims including families, women, immigrants, and formerly enslaved people. Over 10 percent of the United States was homesteaded! The land, long inhabited by indigenous cultures, changed forever. Homesteaders created settlements and farms, drove industrial advancement, and built our nation chasing the American Dream.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Compass and GPS
  • Geocaching
  • Food
  • Picnicking
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Hiking
  • Living History
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Birdwatching
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Trails and Grounds: Trails and park grounds are open from sunrise to sunset. Picnic areas are available at the Education Center and Heritage Center. There are a total of 3.0 miles of trails through the tallgrass prairie and woodland.

Getting there

The park is 4 miles west of Beatrice on State Highway 4. From the U.S. 77 and U.S. 136 intersection in downtown Beatrice take U.S. 136 approximately 1.2 miles west. Turn right onto Nebraska Highway 4 and follow the signs. After the road has curved west and you have traveled 4 miles, you will enter Homestead National Historical Park and see signs for the different buildings at the park.

Visitor centers

Weather

Homestead NHP's weather can vary quite a bit, even in a single day. In the summer, average daytime highs can exceed 80°F (27°C), only to drop 20 or more degrees when a thunderstorm rolls through. Winter lows fluctuate day to day and year to year, but average lows were measured at about 16°F (-9°C) for January and February over a 20-year period. Wind is common throughout the year.

Phone: 4022233514

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

A historic one room schoolhouse
Freeman One-Room Schoolhouse · Homestead National Monument of America
The tallgrass prairie is yellow with goldenrod in full bloom.
Grounds
The tallgrass prairie spans to the Heritage Center on the horizon.
Grounds · Mel Mann
A homestead cabin at sunset
Palmer-Epard Homestead Cabin · Homestead National Monument of America
Image of the Heritage Center building surrounded by prairie grass.
Heritage Center at Homestead National Historical Park · Mel Mann, artist in residence of Homestead National Monument of America
Image of a building taken from the parking lot at Homestead National Historical Park.
Education Center at Homestead National Historical Park · NPS

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