Homestead National Historical Park
Homestead National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System known as the Homestead National Monument of America prior to 2021, commemorates passage of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed any qualified person to claim up to 1
A national historical park inside Blakely Township
June is the busiest month
June averages about 7,390 visitors, 4.4 times January. When to go ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 15°, with about 19" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Beatrice is the nearest base
Beatrice is 4 miles east, with 9 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Sep and Oct
May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 67–79°. When to go ↓
Established in 1936
Homestead National Historical Park dates from 1936 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds and weather, month by month
Bars: average monthly visitors, 2022–2025. Line: the typical afternoon high. Green months are mild and quieter than average.
Homestead National Historical Park
Homestead National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System known as the Homestead National Monument of America prior to 2021, commemorates passage of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed any qualified person to claim up to 160 acres (0.65 km2) of federally owned land in exchange for five years of residence and the cultivation and improvement of the property. The Act eventually transferred 270,000,000 acres (1,100,000 km2) from public to private ownership.
The park is five miles (8 km) west of Beatrice, Nebraska, on a site that includes some of the first acres successfully claimed under the Homestead Act. The national monument was first included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. In 2015, the United States Mint released a commemorative quarter as part of the America the Beautiful series honoring the park.
- Type
- National Historical Park
- Established
- 1936
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 2.9K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/home
Before you go
Where to stay near Homestead National Historical Park
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Beatrice (9) and Fairbury (8), and Lincoln has the most rooms in the area (93).
Lincoln
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
301,522 people
37 mi north of Heritage Center · 37 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blakely Township | in town | — | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 307 | $216K | — |
| Beatrice | 4 mi east | 5 min | 9 6 hotels · 2 motels · 1 RV park | 12,318 | $159K | B+ |
| Fairbury | 21 mi southwest | 30 min | 8 5 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 3,812 | $102K | — |
| Wymore | 14 mi southeast | 20 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B | 1,341 | $64K | — |
| Blue Springs-Wymore Township | 15 mi southeast | 20 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B | 1,736 | $69K | — |
| Crete | 24 mi north | 35 min | 5 3 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 7,747 | $224K | C |
| Wilber | 15 mi northwest | 25 min | 1 1 hotel | 1,978 | $186K | — |
| Odell | 16 mi south | 25 min | 1 1 lodge or cabins | 258 | $107K | — |
| Lincoln | 37 mi north | 1 hr | 93 76 hotels · 7 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 301,522 | $264K | C− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Also near Homestead
Other well-known places within 58 miles.
38 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
37 mi Stadium & arenaPinnacle Bank Arena
57 mi MuseumStrategic Air and Space Museum
37 mi MuseumSheldon Museum of Art
37 mi MuseumMuseum of American Speed
37 mi MuseumUniversity of Nebraska State Museum
36 mi Zoo & aquariumLincoln Children's Zoo
38 mi MuseumInternational Quilt Study Center & MuseumPhoto credits
Memorial Stadium: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Pinnacle Bank Arena: CrunchySkies, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strategic Air and Space Museum: User Kandykornhead on en.wikipedia, Public domain · Sheldon Museum of Art: Ammodramus, CC0 · Museum of American Speed: Amjackson16, CC BY-SA 4.0 · University of Nebraska State Museum: Hanyou23, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lincoln Children's Zoo: Hanyou23, CC BY-SA 4.0 · International Quilt Study Center & Museum: Maureenose, Public domain
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43,099 visitors in 2025
Every full year the Park Service has counted. 2020 (gold) was the pandemic year. Green is the record (2017).
Visiting Homestead
Is Homestead National Historical Park in Blakely Township?
Yes. It’s inside Blakely Township, NE. The address is 8523 West State Highway 4, Beatrice, NE 68310.
When is the best time to visit Homestead National Historical Park?
May, September and October, with highs of 67–79°. June is the busiest month (about 7,390 visitors).
How many people visit Homestead National Historical Park each year?
43,099 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 123,400, set in 2017.
How far is Homestead National Historical Park from Omaha?
About 79 miles northeast of Omaha, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Homestead National Historical Park?
Lincoln (LNK), about 39 miles away. The nearest big hub is Eppley Airfield (OMA), about 86 miles.
Where should I stay near Homestead National Historical Park?
Beatrice (4 mi, 9 places to stay), Lincoln (37 mi, 93 places to stay) and Fairbury (21 mi, 8 places to stay).
Tips from people in Blakely Township
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Blakely Township’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.