An Immersive Willa Cather Experience
"I am not exaggerating...I would rather go home to Red Cloud than to any of the beautiful cities in Europe where I used to love to go." —Willa Cather, 1945
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. Here are some of our most popular offerings:
- Enjoy a tour conducted by our friendly and knowledgeable docents to see remnants of Cather’s childhood that inspired her writing
- Witness the unbroken prairie that served as the setting in many of her works and enhance your prairie visit with a guided hike led by our own Master Naturalist
- Enjoy a concert or art exhibit at the historic Red Cloud Opera House
- Spend a night in the Cather Second Home Guest House or in a beautifully refurbished apartment steps away from the National Willa Cather Center
- Learn about Cather’s life and career by browsing exhibits at the National Willa Cather Center or attending a screening of Willa Cather: Breaking the Mold.
Below is a list of the services and experiences available to visitors and a prospective itinerary for our exclusive “Two-Day Cather Immersion” ” package. The tours and experiences listed can also be booked individually on our website as your schedule allows!
To book your exclusive visit to Red Cloud, please contact Nick Powers, at npowers@willacather.org.
Cather Immersion Package
Day 1:
1:00 pm — Connect with assigned tour guide for a tour of seven Cather sites in town
3:00 pm — Meet archivist, Tracy Tucker, for VIP tour of museum exhibit and archives
6:00 pm — Picnic on the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie, enjoy the sunset (seasonal)
Day 2:
9:00 am — Watch Willa Cather: Breaking the Mold (45-min. documentary) at the National Willa Cather Center
10:00 am — Experience the landscape and more than twenty Cather-related sites on the Willa Cather Guided Country Tour (weather permitting)
1:30 pm — Free time to shop and explore (ask our expert staff for recommendations!)
3:00 pm Departure — Be sure to leave us a review and any recommendations!