Planning Your Visit

Operating Hours & Seasons

The park is open every day except Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1. The trail system and parking lot are open from dawn to dusk every day the park is open.

Summer Season (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
The visitor center and buildings are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Fall, Winter and Spring Seasons (Labor Day to Memorial Day)
The visitor center and buildings are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Fees & Reservations

There are no fees for visiting the park or for participating in the educational programs. Reservations are not needed for visits to the park. However, educational field trips must be scheduled and it is recommended that they are scheduled at least two weeks in advance by calling (402) 223-3514.

Contact Information

Mailing Address
8523 W. State Hwy. 4
Beatrice, NE 68310

Phone
(402) 223-3514

Fax
(402) 228-4231

Directions

By Car
Homestead National Monument of America is approximately 40 miles south on Interstate 80, a major east-west artery in the United States. Four-lane U.S. 77 connects I-80 with Beatrice, Nebraska. Beatrice is also approximately 70 miles west of Interstate 29, a major north-south artery from Kansas City, Missouri through Council Bluffs, IA, Sioux City, IA, Sioux Falls, SD, and Grand Forks, ND to the Canadian border. U.S. 136 connects I-29 with Beatrice, Nebraska. U.S. 136 has been designated as Heritage Highway, a Nebraska Scenic Byway. The park is 4 miles west of Beatrice on State Highway 4. From the U.S. 77 and U.S. 136 intersection in downtown Beatrice take U.S. 136 approximately 1.2 miles west. Turn right onto Nebraska Highway 4 and follow the signs.

By Plane
Full service commercial air ports with major carriers are available in Lincoln, Nebraska [located 35 miles north of Beatrice] and Omaha, Nebraska [located 90 miles northeast]. Kansas City, Missouri is the nearest international airport and is located 200 miles southeast. Beatrice, Nebraska which is 4 miles away has an airport for corporate and private airplanes.

Weather

Nebraska weather is notable for its wide seasonal variations in temperature, precipitation, and humidity. The average low temperature in Beatrice is 12 degrees Fahrenheit in January, and the average high is 90 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Since land heats and cools much faster than water; Nebraska's position in the center of the continent, away from major water bodies, leads to sudden fluctuations in temperature.

Nebraska receives cool, dry air from the Rocky Mountains in the west, as well as warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The interaction of these air masses produces frequent and sometimes violent thunderstorms, particularly from April through September. Precipitation averages 28 inches per year in Beatrice. Tornadoes are common in spring months.

Homesteaders harnessed frequent winds with windmills, which pumped precious water supplies to the surface. By the 1870s, windmills were a common sight throughout the countryside. Many of these historic structures still stand today, testaments to the resourcefulness of those who took what benefit they could from an often adverse climate.