Brucemore

Explore the Landscape
2025-08-04 08:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-05 08:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-06 08:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-07 08:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-08 08:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-08 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-08-11 08:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-12 08:00 - 16:30 (America/Chicago) and 4 more dates | Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52403, United States
The 26-acre landscape highlights a variety of experiences to enjoy throughout the year! Free and open to the public seven days a week for a majority of the year, visiting the grounds offers the perfect way to immerse yourself in a historic country estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids. Stroll through the gardens, picnic on the lawn, birdwatch on a woodland path near the pond, examine the architecture of the mansion and servants’ village, or take in the history of the site with interpretative panels scattered across the grounds. Don’t forget to take a selfie (or two) and tag us on social media!

Hours

Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

*Hours are subject to change seasonally or for special events, holidays, and other occasions.

Guidelines for your visit

We love when furry friends come to visit Brucemore! Please help us keep the site clean and welcoming to everyone by keeping your animal on lead at all times and taking any waste with you.
We do not have any garbage cans on the grounds as part of our approach to remove distractions. Please carry out anything you bring onto the site.
Parking for vehicles is available on pavement near the Carriage House or Mansion.
Public restrooms are available in a building next to the Carriage House during hours with vehicle access seasonally.

Explore the Landscape
2025-08-05 08:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-06 08:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-07 08:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-08 08:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-09 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-08-10 12:30 - 16:30, 2025-08-11 08:00 - 15:30, 2025-08-12 08:00 - 15:30 and 4 more dates
The 26-acre landscape highlights a variety of experiences to enjoy throughout the year! Free and open to the public seven days a week for a majority of the year, visiting the grounds offers the perfect way to immerse yourself in a historic country estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids. Stroll through the gardens, picnic on the lawn, birdwatch on a woodland path near the pond, examine the architecture of the mansion and servants’ village, or take in the history of the site with interpretative panels scattered across the grounds. Don’t forget to take a selfie (or two) and tag us on social media!

Hours

Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Sunday, 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm

*Hours are subject to change seasonally or for special events, holidays, and other occasions.

Guidelines for your visit

We love when furry friends come to visit Brucemore! Please help us keep the site clean and welcoming to everyone by keeping your animal on lead at all times and taking any waste with you.
We do not have any garbage cans on the grounds as part of our approach to remove distractions. Please carry out anything you bring onto the site.
Parking for vehicles is available on pavement near the Carriage House or Mansion.
Public restrooms are available in a building next to the Carriage House during hours with vehicle access seasonally.

Free Admission Weekend
2025-08-09 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-08-10 10:00 - 16:00
Enjoy free, self-guided tours of Brucemore’s iconic Queen Anne mansion, sponsored by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. Explore the first, second, and third floors of the mansion at your own pace while taking in the architecture, artifacts, and stories of the Douglas family, who called Brucemore home from 1906-1937. Interact with the history of the site with educational signs, audio and video elements, and interaction with knowledgeable staff.
Tour Dates

August 9 and 10
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

The last entry for self-guided tours is 3:00 PM. The mansion will close at 4:00 PM.

What to expect from this tour

Self-guided mansion tours do not include access to buildings other than the mansion.
The basement will not be open on these days.
You may take as much or as little time in the mansion as you’d like, but we recommend planning for 45 minutes to allow enough time to explore.
Tours of the mansion consist of substantial walking and standing. The historic mansion is not currently wheelchair accessible. There are several stairs to access the first floor, and several flights of stairs to see the other floors. The mansion does not have an elevator. Please make the best decision for the accessibility of your party with this knowledge.

What to do when you arrive

Enter through the gate at 2160 Linden Dr. SE., Cedar Rapids, IA 52403. Please do not use the exit gate on First Avenue to enter the site.
Once onsite, follow signs towards the mansion.
Use the on-site parking a short walk from the mansion entrance.
Enter the mansion through the entrance on the south side of the building, through the front door next to the circle drive.

Tips for your visit

For site navigation tips, please watch this video. A labeled Google Map of the site is available here.
Please consider leaving bags or other large personal items in your vehicle. A coat rack is available, but it is not monitored during tours.
We recommend that guests plan to spend at least 45 minutes exploring the mansion on a self-guided tour. The final entry time for a self-guided tour of the mansion is 3:00 PM. The mansion will close at 4:00 PM.
Food and drink are not allowed inside the mansion during tours. We encourage you to enjoy a meal at one of Cedar Rapids’ local restaurants before or after your visit.
Photography is allowed inside the mansion for personal, non-professional use. Tripods, selfie-sticks, or other photography equipment are not permitted. Please read our photo policy here.

Explore the Landscape
2025-08-10 12:00 - 16:30, 2025-08-17 12:00 - 16:30
The 26-acre landscape highlights a variety of experiences to enjoy throughout the year! Free and open to the public seven days a week for a majority of the year, visiting the grounds offers the perfect way to immerse yourself in a historic country estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids. Stroll through the gardens, picnic on the lawn, birdwatch on a woodland path near the pond, examine the architecture of the mansion and servants’ village, or take in the history of the site with interpretative panels scattered across the grounds. Don’t forget to take a selfie (or two) and tag us on social media!

Hours

Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Sunday, 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM

*Hours are subject to change seasonally or for special events, holidays, and other occasions.

Guidelines for your visit

We love when furry friends come to visit Brucemore! Please help us keep the site clean and welcoming to everyone by keeping your animal on lead at all times and taking any waste with you.
We do not have any garbage cans on the grounds as part of our approach to remove distractions. Please carry out anything you bring onto the site.
Parking for vehicles is available on pavement near the Carriage House or Mansion.
Public restrooms are available in a building next to the Carriage House during hours with vehicle access seasonally.

Virtual Presentation: Derecho Five-Year Anniversary Update
2025-08-13 17:30 - 18:30
On August 10, 2020, a derecho swept through Cedar Rapids at wind speeds of 140 mph. This windstorm caused the loss of 75% of Brucemore’s tree canopy. Despite the impact on the landscape, Brucemore demonstrated resilience with a focus on rebuilding for the future. Since August 2020, we have planted just over 1,100 trees and shrubs, including 300 trees in the woodland, a new arched hedge row, 70 hemlocks, and 200 bladdernuts.
Join us over Zoom to hear from CEO David Janssen about how Brucemore seized the opportunity to replenish the natural features of the 26-acre estate and leave them stronger and more beautiful than ever before. This presentation will explore how our landscape restoration project is creating new experiences for visitors to enjoy across the landscape, embracing environmental sustainability by using native species and storm-resilient planting techniques, and enhancing the history of the site by restoring original 1920s landscape features.
Date: August 13
Time: 5:30 PM
Admission: Free. Register here to receive the meeting link.

Grant Wood Porch Birthday Party
2025-08-16 11:00 - 18:00
The Grant Wood Sleeping Porch is turning 100, and we’re throwing a party to celebrate! In August of 1925, Irene Douglas hired Iowa’s most famous artist to create a decorative mural on the wall’s of the sleeping porch outside her youngest daughter’s room. Today, that mural remains a beautiful example of Wood’s interior design work. You are invited to join us in celebrating the 100th birthday of this Iowa treasure.
Schedule of Events
In the Mansion

11:00 AM to 6:00 PM – $5 Self-Guided Tours

Enjoy the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of the mansion. The check register showing Irene Douglas’ payment to Grant Wood will be on display exclusively during this event. The basement will not be open during these tours.

On the Grounds

11:00 AM to 2:00 PM – Food for sale from The Street Food Fighter food truck
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM – Painting activities – Use Brucemore’s grounds as inspiration for your art!

If you own art supplies, we encourage you to bring your preferred materials. Some water color supplies will be available to borrow throughout the day. Tile painting kits will be available to purchase from Brucemore.
30-minute water color painting instruction from Crystal Hird from the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM – All experience levels are invited to participate!

In the Carriage House

11:30 AM – Documenting Grant Wood’s Life and Artwork: The Catalogue Raisonné Project (free presentation by Ranelle Knight-Lueth, Grant Wood Catalogue Raisonné Project Manager)
1:30 PM – Shared Palettes: The Art of the Douglas Family and Grant Wood (free presentation by Jessica Peel-Austin, Brucemore Curator of Museum Collections)
3:00 PM – Flora, Fauna, and Finishes: Conserving Grant Wood’s Sleeping Porch (free presentation by Maura Pilcher, Grant Wood Art Colony Director)
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Celebrate the Grant Wood Porch’s Birthday Party with free cupcakes and snacks!

Art supplies for this program are generously provided by BLICK Art Materials.
