Homestead National Monument of America Nebraska

The site of Homestead National Monument is located in southeast Nebraska and pays tribute to the hardships of pioneer life. The monument covers 163 acres and includes a famous homestead log cabin. Visitors attend the national monument to witness the history that once occurred back in 1862 when Dan Freeman initiated the first Homestead Act. The act was a United States Federal law that gave applicants the title to over a hundred acres of land as long as the as the land was approved and a deed of title was filed. It was Abraham Lincoln who privatized the land among the American people and broadened the agricultural industry. The Homestead Act is recognized as one of the most important pieces of legislation in the history of the nation.

There are several things for visitors to see at the Homestead National Monument. A Visitors Center, Freeman school, and beautiful scenery provides hours of entertainment and educational enlightenment. The Visitors Center was recently updated and the new facility was expanded to allow for more information and exhibits. An Education Center is also located at the monument and is designed to meet the social and educational needs of the public. The Education Center caters to children and allows them to participate in fun, hands-on activities like arts and crafts as well as scientific experiences, distance learning, and demonstrations. Rangers are available at the center for various talks. The most interesting feature at the Education Center is the log cabin that was built in 1867. The cabin is filled with old artifacts from that age including farming machinery and tools. There is no cost of admission to visit the Homestead National Monument. Parking on the site is free of charge, and the yearly special events that are held at the Homestead National Monument are also free of charge.

Many of the visitors to the monument are enamored with the beautiful setting the Homestead is located on. Photography is allowed on the premises and amazing natural views can be easily captured for those interesting in taking pictures. Some of the most scenic natural vegetation in the area include Prairie Grass that is concentrated in large patches on the grounds. There are over a hundred acres of tall grass prairie located on the lands, and is the same type of indigenous plant that was on the property in the mid 1800's. The National Park Service, which has managed the restoration of the monument for over 60 years, restored the indigenous plants to recreate the wilderness that covered plains in the past centuries. Photographers love the unique ecosystem Homestead National Monument provides. The quaint cabin is a charming antique representation of the types of homes that the old pioneers lived in.

It was in 1936, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated the first Homestead site as a legal National Monument. The president stated that he wanted to retain the site as a memorial to properly encapsulate the hardships of pioneer life that lead to the cultivation of the country.