Basic Information

Physical Address

Directions

Operating Hours & Seasons

Weather

Fees & Passes

Entrance Fees:

Visitor Centers

Internet & Cellular Access

Public WiFi is available.

Internet & Cellular Access Details

 

When planning your visit, please keep in mind the average visitor spends two and one-half hours at "Connemara." Also, keep in mind that there is no place to purchase food in the park, water is available at fountains (bring your own bottle) and in the bookstore. Please recycle any purchased water bottles. Trash bins and recycling bins are available within the park.

Operating Hours:
Facilities within Carl Sandburg Home NHS including the Home, Bookstore and Barn are open everyday 9 am to 5 pm, closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Park grounds, including hiking trails and gardens are open everyday, all year, from sunrise to sunset.

Sandburg Home: The Sandburg Home is a great place to start your visit! The ground floor of the home contains visitor information, exhibits, tour ticket sales, a bookstore, and you can watch the park video. The main and top level of the home are furnished with the Sandburg family belongings. Visitors may only access the furnished ares of the home on a guided tour.

Parking: Free parking is available at the entrance to the park. The parking lot has three oversize vehicle parking spaces for RV's and buses. Vehicles with trailers will be unable to park in these spaces and should use the playhouse lot across the street subject to availability. On busy days the lot fills quickly.

Additional Parking Options

• There is a new Hikers' Parking Lot located 1/2 mile down Little River Rd from the Visitor Parking Lot for visitors who are just coming to enjoy a hike in the park.
• Visitors may use the Flat Rock Playhouse lot directly across the street in the morning until noon and in the afternoon when there are no performances. There will be signs posted at the playhouse to restrict parking for performances. Please be a courteous neighbor and pay attention to their signs.

* If you park at Flat Rock Playhouse, remember to move your car before noon or risk being blocked in for several hours on matinee days (Wednesday through Sunday).

• Visitors may park behind the Flat Rock Village Offices located at 110 Village Center Drive, Flat Rock, NC. It is a short walk to the park from this lot.

House Tour: Carl Sandburg and his family lived in this house from 1945 until Mr. Sandburg's death in 1967. They lived a simple life and surrounded themselves with things with which they were comfortable. Experience how the Sandburgs lived as a National Park Service Ranger or park volunteer guides you through the house. Please remember tours are limited to 15 persons, small fee for tour.

•Strollers are not permitted on the house tour, but there is a place to leave them for storage. Infants and small children should be carried through the house while on tour.

Fee: A fee is required to tour the house for those 16 years of age and older. This fee is $5.00 for adults age 16-61, and $3.00 for adults age 62 and older. Youth 15 years of age and younger are free. We can only accept cash and check for tour fees.

Visiting the Barn: Mrs. Sandburg owned and operated the Chikaming Goat Dairy. At its peak there were over 200 goats at Connemara! Mrs. Sandburg's goats were renowned for their quality milk production and superior breeding. Your visit to the barn is a self-guided venture, although, there are park volunteers at the barn who would be happy to answer any questions you may have about Mrs. Sandburg's Chikaming goatherd. Remember to wash up after visiting the goats and please do not bring any food or drink into the barnyard.

Audio-Visual Room: Your trip to Connemara would not be complete without seeing our video of an interview between Mr. Sandburg and Edward R. Murrow. It is approximately 12 minutes in length and can be viewed by approximately 20 people at a time.

Hiking: Mr. Sandburg used to take his chair out to some of the rock outcroppings along the trail to sit and write or just to sit. He enjoyed observing his natural surroundings. There are numerous trails at Connemara, which vary in length and difficulty. Please allow time to explore this beautiful setting. We encourage you to pick up a map at the park bookstore when planning your hike.

Ranger Programs: During the summer National Park Service rangers give 30 minute programs about a myriad of Sandburg related topics from bird walks to cultural landscape walks, cheese making demonstrations to sharing the letters of Carl and Paula Sandburg. Please check with the ranger at the park bookstore for the times and topics of these programs.

Bookstore: Eastern National, in cooperation with the National Park Service, maintains a bookstore with a great variety of educational materials about Carl Sandburg, the natural environment, the civil war, and literature for young people. Please set some time aside to investigate the resources available for continued learning in these areas.

Special Events: You may be able to plan your visit around Jr. Ranger Day, Memorial Day Folk Music Festival, summer stage performances of Rootabaga Stories, Fall Farm Festival or Christmas at Connemara.

Please call the park at [phone] from 9am to 5pm, May through October,
to make a group reservation or to inquire more about the park and the programs offered.

Thank you for considering Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site as a destination for your visit to western North Carolina.