Homestead National Monument of America (U.S. National Park Service)

QUICKLINKS:

FREE LAND was the cry!!

The cry was FREE LAND! The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting free land it allowed nearly any man or woman a chance to live the American dream of owning their own land. Visit this fee free Unit in the National Park System to gain an understanding of the impact of the Homestead Act. More...

Heritage Center

The uniquely designed Heritage Center which has received several awards was dedicated on May 20, 2007. It brings the epic homestead story to life for visitors of all ages and demonstrates the true scope and importance of the Homestead Act of 1862. The vista from the main balcony provides visitors with a view of the tallgrass prairie much like early pioneers would have seen from the hilltop. Go here for information about tallgrass transplant at the Heritage Center.

Fall Hours and Programs

Daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Outdoor trails will be open from dawn to dusk. The Freeman School, a historic one room school house, will be available to view by visitor request. The monument will be closed on Thanksgiving.

Homestead National Monument of America is a NO FEE park. Admission, parking and special events are all free of charge.

Palmer-Epard Cabin relocation has begun. Click here for a daily photograph of progress and here and here to read regional news articles about the cabin's story.

Watch the video of the Palmer-Epard Cabin being dismantled. Threes days of footage condensed into an eleven minute video.
[wmv file. 320 x 240 pixels. 27.1MB]

________________________________________

"Pow Wow Plains" Exhibition at Homestead National Monument of America
Homestead National Monument of America is pleased to announce that the photographic exhibit "Pow Wow Plains" opened on October 10, 2009 at the Education Center. This exhibition, featuring photographs by Nebraska photographer Tom Tidball, is on loan from the Great Plains Art Museum. The subject matter of the exhibition includes stunning images captured at the annual pow wows of the four American Indian tribes in Nebraska. more.

________________________________________

Homestead National Monument of America will be featured on the Nebraska Quarter in 2015! Beginning in 2010, the United States Mint will issue quarter-dollar coins featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites in accordance with the "America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008". Click here to view a list of the states and their sites.

________________________________________

The Friends of Homestead National Monument of America are sponsoring an exciting new program for co-ed young adults 16-20 years old called Venture Crew #82. If you want to get involved, click here for more information.

________________________________________

Free Access to Digitized Homesteading Records Available at Homestead
As part of an ongoing effort to make homesteading records more accessible, Homestead National Monument of America is pleased to announce the arrival of computer terminals at the monument. Historians and amateur genealogists will have free access to the records through footnote.com on these terminals. The records may also be accessed from your home computer by paying a monthly or annual fee to footnote.com. more.

*Homestead Records, Broken Bow, NE Land Office (partnered with University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

*To access Homestead Records, NE on footnote.com, click here (note: you must have a subscription to view premium records).

*For more records/genealogical information from the National Archives and Records Administration, visit their website.

*BLM Homestead Patent Project

____________________________________________

Attention facebook fans!

You can now find Homestead National Monument of America on facebook. Become our fan!

____________________________________________

On Flag Day, June 14, 2009 Homestead National Monument of America hosted a Naturalization Ceremony. Fourteen people from 11 countries became U.S. citizens. Click here to learn more.

To see the Naturalization Ceremony on NET's "Nebraska Stories," click here.

________________________________________

The 2009 Monumental Fiddling Championship was a great success! Click here for a listing of the winners.
*Championship Highlights Video
[1:33 wmv file, Video Size 320x240]

________________________________________

First ever Artist-in-Residence Program at Homestead National Monument of America! Homestead National Monument of America welcomes artists to share their inspiration and talent with visitors this year, to live and work at the monument, and to interpret the park's natural and cultural resources through their unique creative vision. more.

____________________________________________

New Exhibits Installed more.

Interpretive Film Land of Dreams more.

2009 Spring Prescribed Fire at Homestead.
Watch slideshow [wmv file, 4.32MB]

____________________________________________

UPCOMING EVENTS

Heirloom Corn Available for Harvest!

The public is invited to Homestead National Monument of America to harvest corn from the Heritage Farm Field. The corn variety is Hickory King, an open pollinated heirloom variety of white corn. It is known for its large kernels and small cobs. Last spring Homestead National Monument of America’s volunteers planted the field with corn using a check-row planter pulled by horses. The crop has grown, and it is now time to harvest the bounty from the field.more.

_______________________________________

November 12 & 24, 2009
Help Wanted with the Deer Census
On November 12 and November 24, 2009 at 9:30 a.m., Homestead National Monument of America will be conducting a deer census. Please come and help the monument count deer, no experience is needed; just show up at the Education Center for a 9:30 a.m. orientation. Wear long pants and good walking shoes. The walkers will hike approximately 3/4 of a mile through the prairie. The survey will be completed by 12 p.m. more.

_______________________________________

November 15, 2009
Battlefields of Nebraska Author to Present at Homestead National Monument of America
Homestead National Monument of America will host Battlefields of Nebraska by author Thomas D. Phillips for a program and book signing on Sunday, November 15, 2009, at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Education Center. Mr. Phillips will speak about his new book detailing more than 150 major battles, significant encounters, skirmishes, and incidents covering every corner and almost every county in Nebraska. more.

______________________________________

ABRAHAM LINCOLN BICENTENNIAL EVENTS

Lincoln Listening Sessions:
Listen to the letters, speeches and other excerpts from our nation's 16th President as read by the current Nebraska congressional delegation. more.

What was President Abraham Lincoln's greatest legacy? more.

Click on the link below for more information about Abraham Lincoln and Bicentennial events throughout the National Park Service.
http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/lincoln200/index.html

__________________________________________

Special events are held throughout the year. They are a great way to learn about our history.

Homesteading Chrisman Sisters, S. Butcher Collection

Are You a Homesteader or Descendant?

The Homestead Act of 1862 transferred more than 270 million acres of land from Federal to private ownership. We are seeking your help in locating people who filed claims under the Homestead Act. The goal is to locate and record the experiences of remaining homesteaders before the opportunity is lost. Oral histories will be taken under direction of the University of Nebraska and Grand Valley State University, Michigan. Homestead National Monument of America is developing a database of homesteaders and descendants. If you are a homesteader or a descendant, please help us by sending your name, address, telephone number and e-mail to:

Friends of Homestead
Homestead National Monument of America
8523 W. State Highway 4
Beatrice NE 68310

To view the Friends of Homestead National Monument of America's website, click here.

Homestead Congress is a Friends of Homestead National Monument of America program dedicated to communicating with those persons interested in learning more about the mission of Homestead National Monument of America and the effect it had on the growth of this nation. To meet its communication goal, Homestead Congress maintains a blog site.

Write to

Superintendent
8523 W. State Hwy. 4
Beatrice, NE 68310

E-mail Us

Phone

Visitor Information
(402) 223-3514

Park Headquarters
(402) 223-3514

Fax

(402) 228-4231

Climate

Weather varies greatly. Please look at www.weather.com for predictions. Use the zip code 68310 for the locality. Summers can be warm and humid with occasional thunderstorms. Temperatures may range from 75-105 with lows in the 50s. Winters can vary between mild and very cold with rain, ice/sleet, snow and blizzard conditions. Spring and Fall are moderate.

Park Regulations:

Alcohol, hunting, and firearms are prohibited. Fishing is permitted with a valid Nebraska fishing license. Smoking, all terrain vehicles, horses, pets, and camping are not allowed on the trails, on the prairie, or in the forested area. Visitors must stay on the trails and in designated areas. Cross country skiing is allowed on the trails.

The Heritage Center, Education Center, Freeman School, and Palmer-Epard Cabin are smoke free facilities. Food and drink are not allowed in any of the buildings.

Pets must be kept on a leash and in designated outside areas.