About Salisbury House & Gardens

Where History Comes Alive Each Day

Gothic Entrance

Each year, Salisbury House & Gardens welcomes thousands of visitors for a wide array of cultural, educational and social events. 

A 42-room architectural wonder built between 1923 and 1928 by pioneer cosmetics magnate, Carl Weeks and his wife Edith modeled the House after King’s House in Salisbury England. They moved into the House with their four sons in December, 1926.

During the Depression years, new property tax laws compelled Weeks to deed the house to Drake University in 1934. The arrangement allowed the family to live in the house, providing they opened the house to students studying the fine arts. In 1954, Drake University sold the property to the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA).  Mrs. Weeks died in 1955 followed by her husband in 1962. The ISEA occupied the house until 1999 when the newly formed Salisbury House Foundation purchased it and its collections for $4 million.

The Foundation’s stated mission for the House: To preserve, interpret, and share the international significance of Salisbury House & Gardens and its collections as a historic house museum for the educational and cultural benefit and enjoyment of the public. Today, great progress has made based on a master plan for extensive renovation and repair of the House. The House’s staff, Board of Directors and many supporters work toward the completion of the restoration of the House, while offering a broad range of programming and events that demonstrate the goals of the Mission.

Salisbury House & Gardens Foundation Board of Directors