Daniel Boone Homestead
Home to a Legend
So mythical is his buckskin stature in the story of early America that it’s sometimes difficult to imagine what Daniel Boone might have been like as a boy.
While a visit to the Daniel Boone Homestead in Exeter Township in Pennsylvania’s Americana Region may stir up memories of Fess Parker’s television portrayal of the frontiersman, there’s more to the story of the early adventurer.
“It’s important to come here and connect to Daniel Boone and how this area shaped his life before his legendary expeditions,” says Paul Kahan, site director at the homestead. “It was here that he learned to work with an already growing, diverse society — Germans, English, Swedes, African-Americans, Scots, French, Native Americans.”
A visit to the homestead offers insight into the work required to maintain a colonial-period house and farm as well as the roles of each family member. The site features seven 18th-century structures on 579 acres of preserved land and offers a rare look into everyday life in 1734, including a working sawmill and a blacksmith shop.
In spring and summer, the historic area is open Thursdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays noon to 4 p.m. Many weekends include living history events, especially around holidays. Tap into your inner child and plan to visit soon.