Homestead NHP

Official National Park Service site dedicated to the Homestead Act of 1862 managed by park staff.

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[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Final birdie update.

They have flown the coop!

This is known as fledging, which usually happens 2 or 3 weeks after hatching.

#Nature

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

This is your last week to stop by and see "Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry" on display at our Education Center! We loved hearing visitors share their family stories of the Dust Bowl. What better way to celebrate #250 than sharing our American stories.

#HomesteadNHP #DustBowl

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival takes place on Saturday, May 23rd at our Education Center. The Shaw brothers are a multi-instrumentalist duo known for their versatility and creative synergy. Join us as they provide a dueling performance at the Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival.

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

On March 13th, 1958, Superintendent Ralph Shaver interviewed Herbert Palmer, the youngest of 10 children born in this cabin. At the time of the interview, Mr. Palmer was 85 years old.

Visit the Palmer-Epard cabin today, behind our Heritage Center.

Photo: NPS

#PalmerEpardCabin

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Dr. Marguerite Scruggs left church when the sky "turned solid black" on Black Sunday. She woke up every morning to her bed coated in dust. Stop by the Education Center to hear her oral history in our temporary exhibit "Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry"!

📸: LoC

#HomesteadNHP

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Apparently this is the universal sign for “we’re hungry.” 🐦

These tiny robins were just born at the park and they already know exactly how to let the world know it is time for dinner.

#Nature

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Any guesses as to what this piece of equipment is called? We have several pieces of farm equipment behind our Heritage Center. If you visit, let us know if you can name them.

Image: NPS/HOME

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Read with a ranger every 3rd Saturday of the month in 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Children of all ages are welcome. Listen to a ranger read a book and participate in an activity.

May 16, 10 AM – Tractor Mac Arrives at the Farm by Billy Steers

June 20, 10 AM – TBA

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

"Life, uh, finds a way." - Jurassic Park

We noticed this the other day, a bird had made a nest for her eggs within the ashtray bowl on the back of the Heritage Center here at Homestead National Historical Park. Happy Spring!

#Nature

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Attention kids of all ages! Come to the Education Center at #HomesteadNPS on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. and join a ranger as we discover the plants on the prairie. We’ll take a short hike and decorate a flowerpot that will grow into a plant. The event is FREE!

📸:NPS/HOME

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

The 2026 Tallgrass Prairie Fiddle Festival is almost here. Join us on Saturday, May 23, 2026. The festival will include a free fiddle workshop at 10am, a jam session at 11am, and the competition at noon. A dueling performance will take place during the Junior Division judging.

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Join us for a ranger program with Amber Kirkendall, where she will explain how Minecraft is used to teach homesteading and where you will get to experience it and try it out for yourself. Sunday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m. at #HomesteadNHP's Education Center.

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Attention kids of all ages! Come to the Education Center at #HomesteadNPS on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. and join a ranger as we discover the plants on the prairie. We’ll take a short hike and decorate a flowerpot that will grow into a plant. The event is FREE!

📸:NPS/HOME

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Caroline Henderson upended her life to homestead 160 acres as a single woman in "No Man's Land." Her recollections of life in Texas County, Oklahoma, give readers a first-hand account of the Dust Bowl's devastation.

📸: Library of Congress

#HomesteadNHP #DustBowl

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Join #HometeadNHP on Friday May 1, and Saturday May 2, at 8 a.m. for a bird walk. The walks will start at our Education Center and go through our prairie as we try to spot birds on the homestead. We encourage you to bring binoculars, however the park does have a few.

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Happy WanderNebraska Day!

Homestead National Historical Park is a stop on the WanderNebraska program.

Learn about Homesteading, explore Nebraska through WanderNebraska, and complete our Homestead Challenge.

Image: NPS/Amber Kirkendall

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Volunteers are an important part of #HomesteadNHP.

Each year, the park hosts the Winter Festival of Prairie Cultures.

These displays are set up by volunteers, along with partners such as Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln and Beatrice High School.

Image: NPS

#NationalVolunteerMonth

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Volunteers are an important part of Homestead National Historical Park.

Volunteers at #HomesteadNHP helped create visual schedules and social stories to improve accessibility and visitor comfort.

Find them here: https://t.co/aQCZDljxxx

#NationalVolunteerMonth #NPSVolunteer

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Volunteers are an important part of Homestead National Historical Park.

Our volunteers help bring history to life by sharing their time and talents through historic farm demonstrations.

Images: NPS/Rob Hartwig

#NationalVolunteerMonth #VolunteerAppreciation #NPSVolunteer

[Homestead NHP @HomesteadNHP]

Volunteers are an important part of Homestead National Historical Park.

Volunteers help keep things running smoothly, like handing out cookies at a Naturalization Ceremony.

Thank you volunteers for the heart you give to the park.

Image: NPS/Rob Hartwig

#NationalVolunteerMonth