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Your Visit - Virtual Tours
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Garden & Grounds Tour
The families of Brucemore made their quiet country estate a haven from the growing city. Shortly after moving to Brucemore in 1906, the Douglases enhanced and added to their property. Irene Douglas, an avid gardener, was a guiding force in the ever-evolving gardens and landscape. Irene hired O. C. Simonds, a leader in the Prairie style of landscape architecture, to develop a plan for the grounds. Simonds was noted for his use of ponds, outdoor "rooms," and native prairie plants. Much of Simonds' design is still in place on the Brucemore grounds. Beyond landscape design, the Douglases modified the estate by adding a series of support buildings between 1908 and 1915, including a new barn, playhouse, guesthouse, servants' duplex, greenhouse, and bookbindery/squash court.
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Mansion Tour
Built between 1884 and 1886 by Caroline Sinclair, the Queen Anne style mansion was dubbed "the finest residence this side of Chicago" by the Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette. The 21-room structure boasts clustering gables, bay and oriel windows, turrets, porches, and magnificent chimney caps. Today, a tour of the mansion focuses on the second owners, the George Bruce Douglas family, who lived on the estate from 1906 to 1937.
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History Tour
A journey through Brucemore's past reveals intriguing stories about the owners, the Sinclairs, Douglases, and Halls, and demonstrates the estate's connection to many other lives. More than a home to a select few, Brucemore was and continues to be a symbol of Cedar Rapids' success and a source of community pride. While the estate reflects the interests, tastes, and needs of all three families, its history mirrors larger national trends.
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