Free holiday mansion tours at Brucemore

Margaret Hall gave the gift of Brucemore to the community when she bequeathed Brucemore to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1981. This act facilitated a philanthropic tradition of community giving that began with Brucemore's first family in the 1880s and continues today.

Celebrate the ongoing “Gift of Brucemore” during free condensed holiday tours Tuesday through Thursday, December 13 through 15. Tours will start every 15 minutes beginning at 5:00 p.m. with the last tour starting at 8:00 p.m.  Admission is free of charge; recommended donation of $5 per person to support family programming.  Parking is available on site. Patrons may have to wait outside due to limited indoor space. The Brucemore Store will be open during the free evening tours, offering seasonal home décor and one-of-a-kind gifts for all ages. The holidays at Brucemore are sponsored by Pearson.

Throughout the mansion, visitors will enjoy the seasonal splendor of glowing trees, a dining room set for Christmas dinner, stunning mantel arrangements, the lush garland adornment of the grand staircase, and live music from the original 1927 Skinner Pipe Organ. The condensed tour will last 30 minutes and will not include the full interpretation or any of the rooms on the Servants' side of the house.

Complete one-hour interpretive holiday tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday on the hour beginning at 10 a.m. with the last tour starting at 3 p.m.; and Sundays on the half hour beginning at 12:00 p.m. with the last tour starting at 3 p.m. Sunday tours feature live music from the original 1927 Skinner Pipe Organ.

Brucemore, Iowa's only National Trust Historic Site, is located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 26-acre park-like estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids boasts a Queen Anne style mansion built between 1884 and 1886. Brucemore has been home to three prominent families who used the estate as a center for culture and the arts. The estate continues to be a hub for cultural, philanthropic, and educational activities. Each year thousands of visitors attend specialty tours, concerts, fine arts performances, children's programs, holiday celebrations, preservation events, and garden workshops on the estate.

For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit

www.brucemore.org.