The visitor experience parallels that of the historic migration.  Moving east to west, like the original settlers, visitors embark on a metaphorical journey traveling backwards to the virgin prairie that was the destination for so many courageous and tenacious homesteaders.  Visitors park their cars in the one-acre square parking lot (1/160th of a homestead) and approach on foot, symbolic of the struggle the homesteaders faced as they neared their new homes.  

A site wall binds the path to the building and provides protection against the whipping prairie winds.  Silhouettes of each of the homesteading states adorn the wall, each depicting a visual representation of the percentage of land successfully homesteaded in each state.  Ever present, the wall continues into the building, a constant reminder of the homesteading journey.

As one enters the center, an expansive view of the restored prairie dominates—the same view that greeted the homesteaders 150 years ago—emphasizing the untouched vastness that was the West.  From this vantage point, visitors recognize the challenges the homesteaders faced and the immense influence they had on farming and the development of the American Midwest.