Homestead National Historical Park — Attraction in Beatrice

The park is located on the site of one of the very first claims filed under the Homestead Act of 1862. This act was an important part of American history, and the visitor center treats the topic appropriately. The staff is of course friendly and professional. There is even a little country schoolhouse nearby where on certain days a "school marm" in period dress will give you a lesson right across the knuckles.

I understand the importance of homesteading to the American experience and I appreciate the fact that our government has seen fit to construct a memorial. The problem is that this may be the most insipid landscape that surrounds any national park or monument in America. Normally, when you think national park, you think scenery. Not here. Now it's not the government's fault that Daniel Freeman chose such a non-scenic place for his homestead. But he did. Therefore the hiking trails to the site of the original cabin etc. through the restored tallgrass prairie are rather uninspiring, and on a hot day are simply a pain in the ass.

So be forewarned--this is a prairie pioneer museum, like so many others around here, and nothing more. Worth a visit if you are keenly interested in history, but don't expect to...

Nothing against the people working there at all. I'm a huge history buff. That being said... genuinely the most underwhelming museum or national park. Of course you can spend a few hours there, but for reading about a law? History of living in the most visually uninspiring place in America? I think reenactments would suit that kind of history a little better. The Eisenhower museum is much more worth going to or even the Union Pacific Railroad museum or SAC museum. I didn't expect any grand jaw dropping scenery in the Midwest to experience with national parks, but it feels like there wasn't something to do in a 200 mile radius so they looked at an old schoolhouse and said "bingo". I just have to be brutally honest, Nicodemus or Pipestone are more interesting parks historically even though the actual sites are underwhelming. Maybe if you're bored to tears looking at prairie, too, you can go here for three hours and escape for those fleeting moments: existentially imagining a slightly more interesting version of living in flat empty...

I had a lovely visit with my parents in late June 2021. The visitors center did bring in the histories and stories of Native American and Black Homesteaders which I am glad that these stories are not continuing to be whitewashed. Thank you, NPS for including difficult and oftentimes forgotten histories.

The facilities itself are gorgeous. The new visitors center houses a theater playing a rolling 20 minute film on the Homestead Act. The basement of the visitors center provides a space to tell the stories of the Act and Homesteaders across the US. We also visited the education center that houses an art gallery filled with local Nebraska artists and a gallery of agricultural artifacts. My parents got a kick out of seeing the old-time washing machine that they both grew up with.

There are many trails on the property that take you through grasslands much like what was found on the original homestead. We did spot a cottontail deer while out on...