 |
 Red Cloud Opera House, now the foundation's headquarters, in Red Cloud, Nebraska | |
| Founded | 1955 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Local volunteers, under direction of Mildred R. Bennett |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°05′21″N 98°31′10″W / 40.08912°N 98.51948°W |
| Website | willacather |
The Willa Cather Foundation is an American not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Red Cloud, Nebraska, dedicated to preserving the archives and settings associated with Willa Cather (1873–1947), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and promoting the appreciation of her work.[1] Established in 1955, the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that promotes Willa Cather’s legacy through education, preservation, and the arts. Programs and services include regular guided historic site tours, conservation of the 612 acre Willa Cather Memorial Prairie, and organization of year-round cultural programs and exhibits at the restored Red Cloud Opera House.
In 2017, the Willa Cather Foundation opened the National Willa Cather Center—an archive, museum, and study center in downtown Red Cloud which houses the Red Cloud Opera House, art gallery, bookstore, a permanent exhibit on the life and works of Willa Cather, "American Bittersweet," and an expansive, climate-controlled Special Collections & Archives. The Foundation houses growing archival and museum collections and preserves ten properties that make up the largest collection of nationally-designated historic sites related to an American author.