Lincoln Conventions and Visitors Bureau

Join the more than one million visitors E.T. Mahoney State Park draws each year. There are more than 700 acres to entertain you, including a 40-room lodge with a restaurant, cabins and camping sites. State parking permit required.

Exit 426 – 30 minutes east on I-80
(402) 944-2523
www.outdoornebraska.gov 

“FREE LAND!” was the cry! The Homestead Act of 1862 was the greatest land giveaway in American history and brought sweeping changes to nearly every aspect of American life. This monument commemorates the Homestead Act and the vast impact it had on the United States and the world. The new award-winning Heritage Center uses interactive exhibits that bring homesteading stories to life. The monument encompasses the Daniel Freeman homestead claim, an original homesteader cabin, walking trails and an original prairie schoolhouse.

Hours: Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Special events take place throughout the year. Contact park for more information.
Cost: No admission charge.

Directions: 45 minutes south on U.S. 77. Located four miles west of Beatrice on Nebraska 4.
(402) 223-3514
www.nps.gov/home
 

Each year Seward hosts the state of Nebraska in an old-fashioned family celebration on the Fourth of July. The observance is unique in that major leadership is provided by high school youth. This event adds new attractions each year and draws upward of 40,000 visitors with a full day of family activities, entertainment, craft fairs, contests and a grand parade.

Directions: 20 minutes west on U.S. 34
(402) 643-4189