Guided Willa Cather Tours

The National Willa Cather Center and many of our historic sites are open for guided tours year-round. Four of the historic sites are fully accessible to those with limited mobility. Begin your exploration of settings from Cather's early years with one or more of these tours.

The one, three, and seven building tours all include the Willa Cather Childhood Home. Please check our hours of operation when planning your visit, and be sure to scroll through the full list of tour descriptions below to choose an itinerary that is right for you!

And, as of January 2025, we offer a curated two-day Cather Immersion Package for our visitors—featured below!

Walking on the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie

Cather Immersion Package

Spend Two Days in Red Cloud

From her quaint childhood home to the windswept prairie that memorializes her, visitors of all ages and backgrounds are guaranteed to depart Red Cloud with a fresh idea of Willa Cather and the Great Plains. Come witness the sites and sounds that changed American literature.

The National Willa Cather Center proudly offers a wide range of engaging activities and authentic experiences in the perfect 2-day itinerary.

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Guided Willa Cather Childhood Home Tour

Understand Cather's Youth

The Willa Cather Childhood Home is a National Historic Landmark that was restored in 2023. The accessible home is a short walk or drive from the National Willa Cather Center. Tours last approximately 30 minutes.

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Guided Three-Building Tour

Experience Downtown Red Cloud

This is a walking or driving tour of three historic sites associated with Willa Cather's life and writing. Guests should have their own transportation and plan to follow a tour guide from site to site. Tours last approximately 60 minutes.

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Guided Seven-Building Tour

Explore Cather's Hometown

This is a driving tour of seven historic sites associated with Willa Cather's life and writing. Guests should have their own transportation and plan to follow a tour guide from site to site. Tours last approximately 2 hours.

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Photo of the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie

Guided Prairie Tour

Hike the Trails

Your guided prairie tour will include an expert guide to provide an overview of this unique ecosystem. The prairie is also open for self-guiding year round. Tours last approximately 30 minutes.

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Exterior photograph of the Pavelka Farmstead

Guided Country Tour

Twenty Sites and Fifty Miles

This guided tour highlights twenty historic sites related to the life and writing of Willa Cather. Drive yourself through roughly fifty miles of the Webster County countryside, including settings from My Ántonia, O Pioneers!, One of Ours, short stories "Neighbour Rosicky" and "Peter," and others, as well as many scenes from Cather's own life—the Cather homesteads and the prairies and river where the Cather children played and explored.

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Students at the American Bittersweet Exhibit

School Field Trip

Bring Cather's Writing to Life

National Willa Cather Center education staff are always ready to create a customized field trip for K-12 students! Whether it is a special stop to the restored Pavelka Farmstead or a fun "guess the gadget" game, we are here to help learners of all ages make deeper connections between assigned readings and a visit to Red Cloud's beloved historic sites.

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Visitors walk outside near a trolley bus.

Group Tours

Curate a unique experience

Visit one of Nebraska’s premier historic attractions in a cultural oasis on America’s Great Plains. Enjoy an immersive and historic experience and let us create the perfect itinerary—and meal—for your timeframe. Basic tour packages are $10 per person or $25 per person (including a boxed lunch, with tax).

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Guided Seasonal Tour

Coming Fall 2025!

A new seasonal tour is in development for fall 2025! Get the latest updates about tours, programs, and bookstore merchandise by subscribing to our e-newsletter!