Homestead National Historical Park
The Homestead Act of 1862 transformed the world. Millions were invited to file claims including, families, immigrants, single women, and freed slaves. Over 10 percent of the United States was homesteaded! The land, long inhabited by American Indian cultures, changed forever. Homesteaders created settlements and farms, drove industrial advancement, and built our nation chasing the American Dream.
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.
- Arts and Culture
- Compass and GPS
- Geocaching
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Hunting and Gathering
- Gathering and Foraging
- Living History
- Junior Ranger Program
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- African American Heritage
- Arts
- Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite
- Colonization and Settlement
- Farming and Agriculture
- Industry
- Immigration
- Native American Heritage
- Presidents
- Schools and Education
- Science, Technology and Innovation
- Social Movements
- Civil Rights
- Westward Expansion
- Homesteading
- Animals
- Birds
- Foothills, Plains and Valleys
- Forests and Woodlands
- Grasslands
- Prairies
- Natural Sounds
- Trails
The Palmer Epard Cabin and the Heritage Center
The Palmer Epard Cabin and Heritage Center at Sunset
Freeman One-Room Schoolhouse
An original one-room schoolhouse, the Freeman School preserves educational history and allows for visitors of all ages to walk into history.
Grounds
The overlook from the picnic area at the Heritage Center showcases the beauty of the tallgrass prairie in late summer.
Homestead Heritage Center
Thousands of visitors stop to view the oldest restored tallgrass prairie in the National Park Service from the Heritage Center back patio.
Grounds
The oldest restored tallgrass prairie in the NPS spans to the Heritage Center.
Homestead Education Center
The Homestead Education Center holds historic farm implements from the vast archives and collections of the Monument.
Palmer-Epard Homestead Cabin
The historic homestead cabin that can be found on the America the Beautiful Homestead Quarter, this cabin has been preserved in it's original condition for visitors to enter and see the inside of a historic structure.