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Step Into History

Brucemore’s iconic 1886 mansion is filled with 140 years of stories. We invite you to add to those stories when you visit. There are many ways to enjoy the mansion through tours and events. Use the calendar to explore upcoming mansion experiences and plan your visit today.

Please note that a ticket to a scheduled event is required to enter the mansion. Hours are scheduled by program. Please use the calendar or visit the tour landing pages listed in the visit menu to find available visit times.

Seasonal Collections Feature

June 3 through August 30: Weddings at Brucemore

Celebrate love at Brucemore this summer! This season’s collection feature focuses on the stories of Douglas family weddings. Learn about where the Douglas sisters held their ceremonies, how many people came to their lavish receptions, and where guests danced the night away. During your visit you’ll have the chance to see rarely-displayed photos of each sister’s wedding and a very special highlight: a piece of lace thought to have once belonged to Empress Eugenie of France.

These special highlights can be enjoyed on all tours through the end of August.

Tour Brucemore
grizzly bar

Browse the Brucemore Mansion

Explore the Brucemore mansion in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, including photos from the past and present. See how the home changed over the course of a century to meet the needs and tastes of the families who lived here.

Great Hall

black and white great hall

Douglas Era

For both the Douglases and the Halls, the Great Hall provided the first impression while welcoming visitors to the home. (Photo c. 1909)

black and white great hall

Hall Era

The families carefully considered how the décor portrayed their personalities and interests. The Hall family added modern furniture and carpeting throughout this room. (Photo c. 1950)

great hall

How it Looks Today

A Skinner Pipe Organ, portraits of family members, and a wall mural of Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung demonstrate heritage, wealth, and an interest in arts and culture.

Library

black and white library

Douglas Era

The library showcased Irene Douglas’s bookbinding hobby, several volumes of which are still on display today. George Douglas also entertained male visitors in this room. (Photo c. 1909)

black and white library

Hall Era

Margaret and Howard Hall updated the library by “antiquing” the wood and extending the bookshelves to the ceiling. (Photo c. 1978)

library

How it Looks Today

A Victorian home library was more than a room for work and study. Wealthy families who had the luxury of extra space and money for books saw the library as an exhibition space.

Dining Room

Hall Era

The Halls made few modifications to the room inherited from the Douglas family, altering only the paint color and upholstery fabrics. (Photo c. 1940)

How it Looks Today

The furniture on display today was purchased by the Douglas family. It reflects a more formal lifestyle.

Kitchen

black and white kitchen

Hall Era

The families invested in the newest technologies for their home. The room reflects the Hall era, but you can still see the Douglas family’s 1927 built-in electric refrigerator. Residential refrigerators were not common until the 1930s, putting the Douglases in a very elite class. (Photo c. 1940)

kitchen

How it Looks Today

Rooms on the mansion’s servants’ side, like the kitchen, are plain and, above all, functional. Designed for efficiency, a single cook oversaw the kitchen.

Second Floor

black and white second floor

Douglas Era

In most homes with more than one floor, the first floor was designated as the space for public entertaining while the upper floors contained private bedrooms. (Photo c. 1909)

black and white second floor

Hall Era

The second floor hall did not have a particular function other than to provide a transition to the private area of the house. (Photo c. 1950)

second floor

How it Looks Today

Wallpaper depicting a British hunting scene reflects the Douglas family’s interest in developing Brucemore into a country estate.

Nursery

black and white nursery

Douglas Era

This large open room was the nursery for the two youngest Douglas daughters, Ellen and Barbara. (Photo c. 1909)

black and white nursery

Hall Era

During the Hall era, the room was redecorated and converted into a guest room for visitors such as former President Herbert Hoover. (Photo c. 1950)

nursery

How it Looks Today

In 2002, Brucemore staff restored the nursery based on the 1909 photo. Walter Crane, a prominent British artist of the Arts and Crafts movement, designed the wallpaper with nursery rhymes.

Swan Room

black and white swan bedroom

Douglas Era

The motif of this third-floor guestroom reflects the family’s pet swans. Guestrooms contained the essentials needed by overnight visitors, including a sitting area, notepaper and pens, basic toiletries, and if possible, a private bathroom. (Photo c. 1940)

swan bedroom

How it Looks Today

Though the wallcoverings, fabrics, and furniture arrangements have changed throughout the years, the swan theme was carried on throughout the Hall era. The room remains one of the highlights for visitors today.

Tahitian Room

black and white tahitian room

Hall Era

When the Halls moved to the mansion in 1937, Howard remodeled the basement into a space where he could entertain friends and business partners. (Photo c. 1950)

black and white tahitian room

Hall Era

To enhance the South Seas experience, a flip of a switch circulates water onto the tin roof to simulate the sound of rain. (Photo c. 1950)

tahitian room

How it Looks Today

The colorful motif includes a linoleum map on the floor and dioramas on the walls.

Grizzly Bar

black and white grizzly bar

Hall Era

Howard Hall created the Grizzly Bar to complement the Tahitian Room. The room’s name originates from the grizzly bear rug that historically lay on the floor. (Photo c. 1950)

grizzly bar

How it Looks Today

In the mid-twentieth century, great changes occurred in the lifestyle of Americans — life became less formal, families employed fewer servants, and basements began to be converted into living spaces. Home bars became increasingly popular places to socialize in the 1930s.