National Willa Cather Center

09/02/2026

On this day in 1927, Willa Cather's 'Death Comes for the Archbishop' was published. The novel has been described as “a grave, uplifting hymn to spiritual beauty.”

09/01/2026

The museum and historic sites will be closed tomorrow for a planned power outage as downtown construction continues. You can still shop, take a virtual tour, and get your Cather fix online at willacather.org or shop.willacather.org.

08/27/2026

Planning your Book-Cation? 📚✨

Enrich the experience by booking a room in the historic home where Cather stayed while visiting her parents. With our new reservation platform, you can:

✅Choose the perfect room
✅Book a tour of Cather's Childhood Home
✅Have a Cather novel waiting for you upon arrival
✅Reserve the full house for a group retreat

Make your next getaway a literary one. 📖
Book here 👇
https://app.mews.com/distributor/1f14dbc1-03fb-450b-8718-b43c00d189ac

08/26/2026

Would you like to spend a full day in Red Cloud, the hometown of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather? This one-day motorcoach tour brings Cather’s world to life as you travel through the “Divide” described in O Pioneers!, visit the Willa Cather Childhood Home, and explore other historic sites and landscapes connected to My Ántonia. Your all-inclusive package includes:

✅Comfortable motorcoach transportation
✅Guided visits to six historic sites
✅Exploration of museum exhibits
✅Chef-prepared lunch at Forrester’s in the beautiful Hotel Garber
✅Behind-the-scenes archive experience
✅Dinner to-go

To book:

Special Events Image One-Day Bus Tour to the National Willa Cather Center Special Events: Saturday, Sep 19, 2026 | All day CT For the first time, this popular one-day tour is being offered on two dates—including a Saturday option! Register for the September 19 Tour Learn More Image One-Day Bus Tou...

08/25/2026

Willa Cather was featured on the cover of TIME in August of 1931. In a letter to her mother about the publicity, Cather remarked of the photograph, “one just has to grin and bear such things.”

📸What do you think of the image?

Location of original letter: WCPM Collection, National Willa Cather Center, Red Cloud, NE

08/24/2026

Cool merch alert! Part of our Simply Cather collection, this vibrant silk scarf features "American Bittersweet," a beautiful painting by Elizabeth Honor Dolan. To create this exclusive scarf, Lindman New York used a photograph of the original painting to carefully adapt and redesign the artwork for silk—and to give it new life in a wearable, versatile design.

Limited quantities are available, so order yours before they’re gone. 👇
https://shop.willacather.org/simply-cather-bittersweet-scarf.html

08/22/2026

Join us in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a 3-day, 3-night excursion, November 10–13, 2026! Explore the vibrant city center and the best of its historic and arts offerings, while learning about Cather’s time in New Mexico. Learn more 👇

https://www.willacather.org/events/echoes-archbishop

08/18/2026

Step back in time with our new exhibit, “All Aboard! West-Bound Trains in American Culture,” at the restored Burlington Depot! Explore historical photographs, railway artifacts, hands-on activities, and the fascinating role trains played in shaping the American West.

🚂 What do you want to know about the history of the railroad and its impact? Like this post and drop your question in the comments for a chance at free tour admission! 👇

08/14/2026

Congratulations to the cohort of writers selected for the 2026 Willa Cather Residency! This year's cohort brings together a rich range of literary voices who are pursuing projects that span fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Full announcement in the comments. ⬇

08/11/2026

In August 1923, Willa Cather began sitting for a portrait by Russian artist Léon Bakst. She described the sessions in his Paris studio, as a "pleasant and stimulating experience," but maintained a lukewarm response to the portrait.

🎨 What do you think of Bakst's likeness of Cather?

The original portrait is currently on loan to the National Willa Cather Center courtesy of the Omaha Public Library.