About Us

Salisbury House & Gardens is a historic house museum located in the Salisbury Oaks neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa. Built in the 1920s by cosmetics magnate Carl Weeks and his wife, Edith, the 42-room estate is modeled after King’s House in Salisbury, England. It was a pioneering sustainable structure in its day, incorporating architectural and structural elements culled from scores of other properties throughout England and Iowa. Carl and Edith Weeks were art and literary collectors of rare taste and refinement, and most of their collections remain in the house to this day. The grounds, house and collections are open for tours through the work of the nonprofit Salisbury House Foundation, founded in 1993 to protect and preserve the property for the educational and cultural benefit of the public. For additional information about Salisbury House tours and how to support the Foundation’s work, please visit the House’s homepage by clicking here.