A historic cabin stands next to a concrete path that leads to a plow shaped visitor center
The Palmer Epard Cabin and Heritage Center at Sunset NPS Photo/Hunter Hendricks

Homestead National Historical Park

National Historic Site · Nebraska · National Park Service

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.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Hiking

Know before you go

Phone
4022233514
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: 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

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Compass and GPS · Geocaching · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Living History · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Museum Exhibits · Shopping

Photos

  • A historic one room schoolhouse
    Homestead National Monument of America
  • The tallgrass prairie is yellow with goldenrod in full bloom.
  • The tallgrass prairie spans to the Heritage Center on the horizon.
    Mel Mann
  • A homestead cabin at sunset
    Homestead National Monument of America
  • Image of the Heritage Center building surrounded by prairie grass.
    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.
    NPS

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79 parks mapped in Nebraska

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Guides for the trip

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12