Sneak peek at what you can experience at Homestead National Historical Park! Come visit our museum, watch our engaging park film, research your family's connections to homesteading, visit a cabin of the time and learn more about technological changes of the homesteading era and hike through the restored tallgrass prairie.
“Read with a Ranger” programs begin in January. Join the rangers at the park’s Education Center at 10 a.m. on the 3rd Tuesday and Saturday each month throughout 2025.
BEATRICE, Neb. – This year’s film festival kicks off at the Education Center on Saturday, January 4 at 2 p.m. with Episode 1 of Ken Burns’ film The West!
Attention kids of all ages! Come to the Education Center at Homestead National Historical Park on Saturday, January 11, at 10 a.m. and join us in a ranger-led outdoor walk and indoor craft activity as we solve a mystery about critters that call the park home during winter. And of course, the event is FREE! Come dressed for the weather. Jackets, hats, and gloves are recommended.
The historic Palmer-Epard Cabin in Homestead National Historical Park is once again open to visitors following an approximately $180,000 restoration project funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund. Visitors to the small cabin are transported back to the 1860s and given a glimpse into the world of courageous homesteaders in search of a better life.
Homestead National Historical Park’s 2025 Artist-in-Residence program is now open to practicing artists seeking inspiration from Homestead National Historical Park’s rich cultural and natural resources! Homestead National Historical Park welcomes applications from artists practicing any form of artistic expression, including painting, sculpting, photography, performance, writing, video/filmmaking, musical composition, etc. To apply for the program, visit https://go.nps.gov/HomesteadAIR and follow the application requirements. The deadline for accepting applications is January 31, 2025. For applications to be considered, they must be postmarked on or before this date. Artists will be notified of selection results by the end of March 2025. Selected artists will channel their individual talent into one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by the homestead story and the park’s environment. Those selected will also conduct a public presentation related to their work as a part of the residency.
Attention kids of all ages. Join us at the Education Center at Homestead National Historical Park on Saturday, December 14, at 10 a.m. for a ranger-led activity as we learn where homesteaders lived on the plains and construct our own homestead gingerbread cabins. And of course, the event is FREE!
Go back in time this holiday season, November 29 through December 31, at Homestead National Historical Park’s Education Center and Heritage Center, to see a beautiful tapestry of winter traditions of those who lived on the Great Plains.
BEATRICE, Neb. – On Sunday, November 10 at 2 p.m., Homestead National Historical Park will welcome Steven Tamayo from the Bluebirds Cultural Initiative. Tamayo will present a program on the deer skin Lakota winter count he created for Homestead National Historical Park’s Winter Festival of Prairie Cultures. This program will take place at the Homestead Education Center.
BEATRICE, Neb. – Attention kids of all ages! Come to the Education Center at Homestead National Historical Park on Saturday, November 9, at 10 a.m. and join us in a ranger-led activity as we learn about the many uses Native Americans and early settlers had for the bison. And of course, the event is FREE! Come dressed for the weather. Jackets, sunscreen, and insect repellent are all recommended.
It’s time once again for Howling Homestead at Homestead National Historical Park! This exciting, fun, and family-friendly event will be held at the Heritage Center on Saturday, October 26, 2024, starting at 4 p.m. There will be a variety of stations to entertain and delight. Join presenters to learn about Lakota stories, have fun with the “mad scientist,” observe snakes and raptors and take a hike through the tallgrass prairie, plus so much more! There is no fee for this event and the first 100 children receive a free pumpkin to take home from the Friends of Homestead, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the park.
