The Salisbury House & Gardens, located on Tonawanda Drive, is a furnished 1920s home and botanical garden. Salisbury House is a Tudor, Gothic, and Carolean style manor house in Des Moines, Iowa.  An art museum, a music venue, and a library are all housed in the home. It is one of Des Moines’ most popular romance attractions. It was constructed between 1923 and 1928 by cosmetics entrepreneur Carl Weeks and his wife, Edith Van Slyke Weeks. Salisbury House, which was inspired by the King’s House in Salisbury, England, has 42 rooms and is little over 22,000 square feet in size. The Salisbury House Foundation owns and operates the property, which is available to the public for tours, public events, and private rentals. The National Register of Historic Places listed Salisbury House in 1977. Salisbury House is on the  List of Registered Historic Places in Iowa as well.  The Weeks Family gathered vast collections of fine art, decorative art, rare literature, musical instruments, historic documents, firearms, and sculpture, the majority of which are still housed in Salisbury House today. Carl and Edith Weeks’ collection provides a rich reservoir for the study of world culture in all of its various manifestations, demonstrating their dedication to fostering and empowering a literate, involved citizenry. They established their house and collection in Des Moines with future generations in mind, and the Salisbury House Foundation today seeks to maintain these treasures available and accessible to the public in their honor and memory. Great pieces of art by renowned painters such as Anthony Van Dyck, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Joseph Stella, Lillian Genth, Jean Despujol, George Romney, Eduard Charlemont, John Carroll, and Leon Kroll fill the corridors of Salisbury House. The Weeks’ direct backing of then-contemporary artists like Stella and Genth helped their careers in the 1920s. The Weeks commissioned Stella’s “Apotheosis of the Rose” and “The Birth of Venus,” two globally recognized pieces. Both are still on display at Salisbury House & Gardens. Three of Lillian Genth’s paintings, including a portrait of Edith Weeks, are also on display at Salisbury House & Gardens. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, antique collector, or simply a casual explorer, the Salisbury House and Gardens, as well as the history it houses, may pique the attention of everyone in your family. A self-guided tour of the restored components of the home and grounds is available for a nominal entrance fee that benefits the Salisbury House Foundation. However, taking part in a guided tour, which allows customers to explore sections that are typically closed to the public, is well worth your time. Special activities at the Salisbury House include yoga on the grounds, reading clubs, concerts, and banquets. The mansion and grounds are available to rent for private events such as weddings and celebrations.

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