Barn Corn Crib

This open wood slated structure was used to store dry corn for feed.

• The Corn Crib sits within the main barnyard area. It is up on pillars about a foot off the ground. The open slated sides allow for air flow for the grain that would have been stored inside.

Barn Garage

The barn garage houses historic farm equipment as part of the barn complex of building at Connemara Farms.

• The barn garage sits on the edge of the gravel farm lane facing the historic garden area. Access to the goat yard is on the left as you face the barn garage. There are exhibits inside to view during open hours.

Be a Junior Ranger at the Sandburg Home

Learn about Carl Sandburg, poetry, goats and more when you participate in the site's Junior Ranger program. Junior Rangers simply visit the park store and request a free booklet, or can download a booklet to complete at home.

• The Junior Ranger program starts at the Sandburg Home in the ground level visitor information and park store area. When you enter the door under the porch turn to your right and walk towards the information desk to request a booklet.

Bean Lake, Missouri

Buck Kid Quarters

This smaller barn is one of several barn structures within the landscape of Connemara Farms and provided extra housing for nursing moms and kid goats, or during weaning periods.

• This little red barn is set within the main fenced barnyard area, to the right of the big barn, but provides separate living quarters for goats throughout the year. It has its own fenced play yard area as well.

Chicken House

Previously used as lodging for enslaved laborers, the Sandburg family converted this building to house a chicken coop, and play area for young goats.

• One of three outbuildings, set next to the large main house at Connemara Farms. This historic white building has two doors, several windows, as well as a ramp and small door into the building for chickens and young goats that would have been inside the fenced yard.

Cow, Chicken and Storage sheds

This shed houses the farm chickens.

• This little red building is accessed through the main barn yard area. Go thru the gate to the right and this Chicken Coop building is right in front of this gate.

Crow's Nest

Listen to the Crow's Nest Narration

• This room is on the third floor and over the front porch.

Denver, Colorado

Dining Room

Listen to Dining Room Narration.

• As you step out of the Farm Office, you come into the Dining Room, which is at the back of the house, in between the kitchen and a bedroom.

Emporia, Kansas

Farm Office

Listen to Farm Office Narration

• This room sits at the center of the home, entered from Sandburg's Downstairs Study on one side, and the Family Dining Room on the other.

Flat Rock Outcrop

This large, exposed rock was a favorite location for Carl Sandburg to bring a chair and orange crate for an outdoors study. He enjoyed the quiet and peacefulness of this location to edit his work. Exposed rocks like this are located throughout the area and have a long history of use going back to the first peoples to settle the area we know today as Flat Rock.

• At this stop is a large exposed granite rock. It covers an area of approximately 50 feet by 50 feet square. The surface is uneven with a slope. At the edges where rock meets the forest are small plant communities of lichen and moss which are soft to the touch.

Front Porch

Listen to Front Porch Narration

• A large second floor porch about 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep, with four Doric Greek Columns, two on either side of stairs that curve up from the ground below. The porch has two large 4 foot wide doors that enter the main living areas of the house. The porch looks out over the front pasture and lake with mountains appearing in the distance.

Galesburg Illinois

Goat Barn

This barn is home to descendants of Mrs. Sandburg's champion dairy goats.

• A large historic red barn, several related outbuildings, as well as live dairy goats are part of the farm complex of buildings on the 245 acres of Connemara Farms.

Goat Sheds

• These little houses, and fenced pastured areas, are across from the big red barn, near the vegetable garden.

Greenhouse and Garden

The greenhouse and root cellar were an important part of seasonal gardening.

• This building sits across from the green "Farm Manager's House", up near the garden and orchard between the tree line and the garden area.

Hikers' Parking Lot

House Garage

This pre-civil war kitchen building was converted to a garage by the Sandburg family.

• White garage building, with French door entrance at the middle and flanked by two garage doors

Hutchinson, Kansas

Janet's Bedroom

• This room is one of two rooms on the right side of the 3rd floor of the historic home. There are two rooms opposite with the Crow's Nest in the front Center.

Kansas City, Missouri

Keokuk, Iowa

Lakin, Kansas

Larned, Kansas

Lindsborg, Kansas

Main Visitor Parking Lot

• The main visitor parking lot is an asphalt paved lot with 30 passenger car spaces, 2 accessible spaces and 3 bus parking spaces. All spaces are marked with lines on the asphalt and the accessible spaces have a sign with a blue background and a white line drawing of a wheelchair.

Margaret's Bedroom

Listen to Margaret's Room Narration

• One of two bedrooms on the right side of the landing in the historic home. There are two bedrooms on opposite side, as well as the Crow's Nest in the middle front.

Margaret's Garden and Gazebo

This green lattice building was built next to Margaret's garden and offers a quiet place to sit and observe nature.

• This small green lattice octagonal garden gazebo sits next to the chain link fenced garden know as Margaret's garden. It is on the left just as you come up the hill from the lake parking lot. The lane splits off to the left by Margaret's garden and continues up to the main house.

McCook, Nebraska

Milkhouse

The Milk House was where goat milk was processed and bottled at Connemara Farms.

• The Milk House is part of the farm complex of buildings. As you walk into the main barn yard area, there is a gate to the right that provides access to see the chickens and coop, and then continue to the back of the barn for access to the gray stone milk house.

Mrs. Sandburg's Bedroom

Listen to Mrs. Sandburg's Bedroom Narration

• This bedroom is one of three rooms at the front of the house. It sits on the left side with a bay window and a view of front pastures

Nebraska City, Nebraska

Omaha, Nebraska

Park Store and Information

The Visitor Center/Park Store is open Thursday - Sunday (4 days per week) from 10am to 4pm, inside the Sandburg Home. The online park store is open everyday! The Park Store and visitor information area is a great place to start your visit! You can find information to plan your visit, get a passport stamp, participate in the Jr Ranger or BARK Ranger programs, and get a schedule of upcoming events. The park store has a wide range of Sandburg books, media, and other items.

Pump House

One of many support structures for live on the farm, this small building pumped water from a spring into the barn and houses.

• The pump house is a a small concrete block building with white painted frame, a door and a window. It sits behind the Sandburg Home near the wood shed and the spring house

Salida, Colorado

Sandburg Home

This historic 1838 home is the home Carl Sandburg and his family lived in for 22 years. The home, grounds and Sandburg story are preserved as one of our nations treasures.

• Upon arriving from the Front Lake parking lot, or the Hikers Parking lot, the large white 3 story Greek Revival home sits prominently upon the hill overlooking the front lake and pastures. In typical fashion, there are curved stairs leading up to a large front porch with four Ionic Greek pillars. There is a Porte Cochere, on the right side of the home with a glassed in sun room, and screen porch on the opposite side. The home is flanked by several white outbuilding on the right which have been used in a variety of ways throughout history.

Sandburg Home - Janet Sandburg's Bedroom

Sandburg Home Janet Sandburg's Bedroom for tour

• Janet Sandburg's bedroom is a large cheerful room with wood floors and a few rugs scattered over it. 2 tables are in the middle stacked with books, letters, paper and photographs for scrapbooking.

Sandburg Home Carl Sandburg's Bedroom

Sandburg Home Carl Sandburg's Bedroom for tour

• Carl Sandburg's bedroom is located on the west side of the house on the top floor, adjacent to his study. It has a full size bed with green cover. A dresser stands in the corner and a a record player sits along one wall under a large tackboard filled with magazine clippings.

Sandburg Home Carl Sandburg's Study

Sandburg Home Carl Sandburg's Study for tour

• Sandburg's study is located on the top floor of the home. Two small windows allow light to enter a room cluttered with chairs, satchels, a desk, filing cabinets, crates and a stove. The shelves and surfaces are piled with books, files, and papers.

Sandburg Home Correspondence Room

Sandburg Home Correspondence Room for tour

• The Sandburg Home Correspondence Room is the second room on the tour of the Sandburg Home. This room is filled with four walls of floor to ceiling bookshelves, a large picture window overlooking the front porch, three desks and a typewriter perched on a small table.

Sandburg Home Dining Room

Sandburg Home Dining Room for tour

• The Sandburg Home Dining Room is located in the back of the house. One wall has 5 windows overlooking a forested back yard. Two walls are lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves. A desk sits in one corner and a TV in the other with a comfortable brown recliner next to it. In the middle of the room is a large table covered in a white tablecloth with 4 chairs. The table is set with dishes ready for a meal.

Sandburg Home Farm Office

Sandburg Home Farm Office for tour

• The Sandburg Home Farm Office is located in the middle of the house. One wall is lined with bookshelves, while the other is lined with filing cabinets full of dairy goat records and business documents. Several photos are pinned to the wall of the family and prize-winning goats along with ribbons and awards.

Sandburg Home Kitchen

Sandburg Home Kitchen for tour

• The Sandburg Home Kitchen is a bright cheerful room with deep yellow painted walls, white metal cabinets and several large windows. A work table is in the middle of the room with recipe book, bowls and a mixer ready to start cooking.

Sandburg Home Living Room

The Sandburg Home living room for tour

• The Sandburg Home living room is the first room that visitors enter on a tour of the home. It is large and furnished with a sofa and coffee table with books and a checker board stacked on top, several armchairs around the room. A fireplace with a picture of Carl and Lilian Sandburg over the mantle and one corner with floor to celing bookshelves, full of books.

Sandburg Home Mrs. Sandburg's Bedroom

Sandburg Home Mrs. Sandburg's Bedroom for tour

• Mrs. Sandburg's bedroom is located on the front corner of the house. A large bay window with 4 tall windows creates an alcove on one end where a small table and 2 chairs are placed. The middle of the room is a large open space with a floral rug and 2 comfortable lounge chairs with a record player. Twin beds are placed near the doorway.

Sandburg Home Porch

Sandburg Home Front Porch for Tour

• The porch of the Sandburg Home is a wooden structure with gray painted wood slat floor, It spans half of the front of the home including 2 front doors and a large picture window. It is supported by 4 tall columns, and simple white painted rails. The view from the porch of the landscape includes a large pasture, trees and the tops of a mountain range in the distance.

Sandburg kitchen

Listen to Kitchen Narration

• The kitchen is just off the Dining Room and is one of the three large rooms at the back of the house.

Visitor Center/Park Store and Information

• Visitor Center/Park Store and Information
• The Sandburg Home Visitor Center/Park are open Thursday through Sunday (4 days per week) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours vary by season; the Holiday closures below will change by season. The visitor center/park store and information area is a great place to start your visit! You can find information to plan your visit, get a passport stamp, participate in the Jr Ranger or BARK Ranger programs, and get a schedule of upcoming events.

• Tour the Sandburg Home
• *Please call 828 693-4178 to ask about tour availability for same day visits. Limited tours may be available when staffing allows.* Each tour is 30-minutes, with a capacity of 10 people. (The only way to see the furnished interior of the Sandburg Home in person is through a guided tour.)

• Seasonal Programs and Special Events
• Each season brings a variety of unique program and special event opportunities. Find out what opportunities are available during your visit!

• Outdoor Pursuits and Trail Map
• Enjoy the solitude of Connemara. Hike its many trails and take from it the energy to avoid diversions. The park offers 5 miles of hiking trails ranging from easy to moderately strenuous.

• Self-Guided Tours
• Explore the park through a self-guided tour, or take a virtual tour of the interior of the Sandburg Home!

Carl Sandburg Home Home Tour

This tour is a virtual tour of the inside of the Sandburg Home. Visitors can only explore inside while on a guided tour. Due to COVID-19 guided tours may not be available at the time of your visit. Carl Sandburg and his family lived here for 22 years from 1945-1967. Learn about the home, how the Sandburg family lived here and the story of love and success they all shared.

Carl Sandburg Home NHS Grounds Tour

Carl Sandburg and his family moved to the property known as "Connemara" in 1945. This grounds tour will help you explore the landscape and structures as the Sandburg family and previous residents used them. As you explore the buildings and grounds you will get a sense of the history of this place, its productivity, and the creativity it has inspired.

Sandburg's Hobo Journey

Carl Sandburg spent six months traveling across the Midwest by train. Along the way he made observations about the people and landscapes he saw. Take a virtual journey along with Sandburg to the cities he visited on his Midwest Hobo Journey!