Salisbury House & Gardens

Located in Des Moines, Salisbury House remains as a testament to the extraordinary vision of an American family. It contains 42 rooms and is over 22,000 square feet. Carl and Edith Weeks built this home fitting to their new wealth, between 1923-1928, after living in a crowded home on 39th Street with their four boys. They discovered the model for the home they would build after visiting in Salisbury, England, "The King's House." The home took 5 years to complete, and the total cost of the home, plus furnishing, was about $3 million. The approximate 3,500 very rare books displayed in the library is perhaps the most impressive part of this home. The Weeks donated the home to Drake University in 1934 after having difficulties with maintaining it themselves. The Iowa State Education Association eventually purchased the house, grounds, and contents for almost $200,000, however this ownership came to an end in the early 1900s. The Salisbury House Foundation was then formed in 1993 to preserve, interpret, and share the property for the cultural and educational benefit of the public. The Foundation began operating it as a historic museum in 1998.