brucemore holiday tours

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Brucemore Bundle Sale

Celebrate your love of Brucemore with this limited time sale! We’re clearing out old treasures to make space for new arrivals in our gift shop. This spring cleanout offers you a special chance to enjoy $80 worth of unique Brucemore items for only $20. Purchase now to bring home a bit of Brucemore nostalgia before these items are gone for good.

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Over A Century of Stories

Discover the fascinating stories about the three families and learn the timeline of the estate from 1884 through the present day.

Brucemore Mansion kicks off holiday season tours with new, immersive elements for visitors this year

Brucemore is getting into the holiday spirit.

The 1886 Queen Anne mansion kicked off its holiday tours on Friday, and they've got several programs scheduled throughout the season.

They're also doing something different with the tours this year, with new features to make it a more immersive experience for visitors.

"We also added some audio elements that we haven't had before. So those will really give people a chance to immerse themselves in the holidays a little bit more. You'll get to diary entries from the Douglases, you'll get to hear some Christmas stories, so it just adds an extra festive element for you to enjoy," Brucemore Events And Communications Coordinator Jennifer Beall said.

Brucemore is offering self guided daytime tours Thursday through Sunday afternoons through the end of December.

• This self-guided tour of the first three floors provides a unique opportunity to experience the holidays at Brucemore while exploring on your own. 
• This tour does not include the basement Tahitian Room and Grizzly Bar. 
• Admission is $15 per adult and $5 per student. 
• Brucemore members receive a discount. 
• Purchasing tickets in advance is strongly recommended; tickets sold at the time of the tour are subject to availability. 
• They've also got extended tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, every half an hour between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. but you do have to get your tickets in advance for those.
• This self-guided tour of the mansion features holiday décor on four floors of the mansion, including the unique Tahiti Room and Grizzly Bar in the basement of the mansion.
• Admission is $18 per adult and $5 per student. 
• Tickets for this tour are only available for pre-sale.

Santa will be visiting Brucemore on Monday, November 27th and Tuesday, November 28th for a Santa, Snacks, and Stories event.

• During this family-favorite event, children can meet Santa and enjoy activities throughout the mansion, including a story time and craft. 
• Entrance times are available every 30 minutes beginning at 5:00 p.m. 
• The last entry time will be at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 per child and $5 per adult. 

Brucemore leaders do warn, attendance for holiday events will be limited. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here , or call (319) 362-7375. 

Brucemore has been recognized as one of the top historic home holiday tours by USA Today in 2019, 2021, and 2022. It's located at the National Trust Historic Site and Cultural Center at 2160 Linden Dr SE in Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.

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Brucemore makes top 10 in USA Today's 'Best Holiday Historical Home Tours'

by Paige Nallen

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Brucemore is in the top 10 “Best Holiday Historic Home Tours” across the country in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

This follows online voting during November, when Brucemore was picked by 10Best local experts as a top 20 historic house. Brucemore earned a spot on the list in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

Brucemore has seasonal programming the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Visitors can see Christmas décor and historic artifacts. This year, new audio features will tell stories of Brucemore families, read holiday diary entries and play vintage holiday music.

Brucemore has two holiday tours:

• A Brucemore Christmas : Daytime Mansion Tours on Thursday through Sunday until Dec. 31. This tour is self guided and only includes the first three floors of the mansion — the basement Tahitian Room and Grizzly Bar are not included. Admission is $15 per adult and $5 per student.
• Holiday Nights : Extended Mansion Tour on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday allow entries every 30 minutes starting at 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. This self-guided tour includes the whole mansion — even the Tahitian Room and Grizzly Bar in the basement. Admission is $18 per adult and $5 per student. Tickets are only available for pre-sale.

More tour times are available on Tuesday, Dec. 19 and Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Holiday tours are limited —buying tickets in advance is recommended.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit http://www.brucemore.org/holidays or call (319) 362-7375.

Brucemore Holiday Mansion Daytime Tours

Celebrate holidays past by participating in Brucemore’s annual tradition, Holiday Mansion Tours, November 23 through December 30. Visitors will enjoy the seasonal splendor of 13 glowing trees, a dining room set for Christmas dinner, stunning mantel arrangements, the lush garland adornment of the grand staircase, and other seasonal cheer throughout the Mansion. The holidays at Brucemore are sponsored by Pearson .

Daytime tours will begin on the hour, Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; and every half hour, Sundays, Noon to 3:00 p.m.  Bruecmore will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The last tour will begin at 3:00 p.m. Sunday tours will feature live music from the original 1927 Skinner Pipe Organ. Admission for daytime tours is $7 per adult, $3 per child, and free to Brucemore members.

Evening tours will be offered every 15 minutes from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, December 11, 13, 18, and 20. The last tour will begin at 7:30 p.m. Evening tours will feature live music from the original 1927 Skinner Pipe Organ. Admission for evening tours is $10 per adult, $7 per child, and $5 per Brucemore member. 

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit Brucemore online .

Created by Tara Richards (tric...e.org) on December 7, 2012 - Friday - 9:26 am (Eastern) Edited by Tara Richards (tric...e.org) on December 7, 2012 - Friday - 10:40 am (Eastern) Edited by Tara Richards (tric...e.org) on December 7, 2012 - Friday - 10:46 am (Eastern) Edited by Lee Wright ([email protected]) on December 8, 2012 - Saturday - 11:03 am (Eastern) Edited by Lee Wright ([email protected]) on December 8, 2012 - Saturday - 11:30 am (Eastern)

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A Brucemore Christmas: Self-Guided Tours

Location: Brucemore 2160 Linden Dr. SE Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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This self-guided tour of three floors of the mansion is sure to fill you with holiday cheer!

Explore our award-winning holiday experience, complete with over a dozen dazzling Christmas trees, sparkling seasonal décor, and a peek into the holiday seasons of yore at Brucemore. Follow in the footsteps of the families of Brucemore as you wander through three floors of history and holiday spirit.

Holiday tours at Brucemore are a popular local tradition, and tickets sell fast! To purchase tickets, visit  www.brucemore.org  or call (319) 362-7375 and a staff member will assist you with your transaction. We can’t wait to celebrate Christmas at Brucemore with you! Please note that this tour does not include access to the basement. If you would like to see the Tahitian Room and Grizzly Bar, see our Holiday Nights tour.

Tickets required to view the mansion; advance purchase recommended due to limited tickets per entry time.

• $15 for adults
• $5 for students

If available, tickets may be available for purchase at the mansion the day of. Brucemore donors – “Sign-in” prior to purchasing tickets or call (319) 362-7375 to receive your discount!

Related Partners

Brucemore, National Historic Site and Cultural Center

Brucemore’s story reflects the history of eastern Iowa unlike any other setting. The 26-acre, park-like estate invites exploration of the site’s history, gardens, grounds, and 1886…

Cedar Rapids Tourism: Best of Cedar Rapids

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Brucemore voted in top 10 historic holiday home tours

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - A historical site in Cedar Rapids is getting national recognition.

Brucemore Mansion has been voted one of the “Top 10 Best Holiday Historic Home Tours” in USA Today’s “10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.”

The mansion has earned a spot on the list for the past three years.

People can enjoy special holiday programming from Thanksgiving through New Years that showcases the holiday decor and historic charm.

Currently, special artifacts from Brucemore’s collection bring past Christmas stories to life.

There are also new audio elements and readings of diary entries describing holiday celebrations.

There are two holiday tour options for people to enjoy.

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.

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