Visit Homestead in 2012

Homestead National Monument of America is excited to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Homestead Act of 1862 next year in 2012!

You don't want to miss the once-in-a-lifetime event on May 20, 2012. Plan now to be at Homestead! We also will be hosting a variety of special programs throughout the year at the monument as well as in nearby communities, partnering with other commmunity organizations.

This commemoration will take place over a two year period. 2012 will be dedicated to the Homestead Act and activities leading up to the passage of this momentous law. 2013 will focus on the people impacted by this law, whether they were tenacious homesteaders, the townspeople building the communities around the farms, the immigrants coming to the United States for the American Dream, or the American Indians displaced by the law.

Check back soon to find details of fun activities, programs, and other special events held in conjunction with this significant year in history.

Was 1862 the most important year in United States history?

 

Special Events Calendar for 150th Anniversary of Homestead Act

January/February, 2012 Film Festival
March-September, 2012    Exploration Exhibit at Education Center
March-September, 2012 1862 & the Making of the Great Plains Symposium Poster Exhibit
March 28-30, 2012     1862 & the Making of the Great Plains Symposium
April 25-May 29, 2012 Homestead Act on display
April 26-27, 2012             Heartland Storytelling Festival
May 20, 2012            Commemoration Event
May 21-25, 2012        Homesteading Chautauqua Event
                                 (Partnership with Nebraska Humanities Council and Homestead National Monument)
May 26, 2012             Monumental Fiddling Championship
June 14, 2012            Naturalization Ceremony
June 15-17, 2012        Homestead Days
July, 2012                  Homestead 4-H Connections competition first winners announced
December 31, 2012           Main Street Beatrice Civil War Era New Years Eve Ball
Spring, 2013                     One Book, One Nebraska