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.

The Palmer Epard Cabin and Heritage Center at Sunset

The Palmer Epard Cabin and the Heritage Center

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.

Palmer-Epard Homestead Cabin

An original one-room schoolhouse, the Freeman School preserves educational history and allows for visitors of all ages to walk into history.

Freeman One-Room Schoolhouse

The overlook from the picnic area at the Heritage Center showcases the beauty of the tallgrass prairie in late summer.

Grounds

The oldest restored tallgrass prairie in the NPS spans to the Heritage Center.

The Homestead Education Center holds historic farm implements from the vast archives and collections of the Monument.

Homestead Education Center

Thousands of visitors stop to view the oldest restored tallgrass prairie in the National Park Service from the Heritage Center back patio.

Homestead Heritage Center

Heritage Center at Homestead National Historical Park

The Homestead Education Center holds historic farm implements from the vast archives and collections of the Park.

Homestead National Historical Park

Directions

Reviews