City: Des Moines, IA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (515) 281-3604

Address: 2300 Grand Ave.

Description: The Victorian tower peeking out from south of Ingersoll Avenue leads you to Terrace Hill, since 1976 the official residence of Iowa’s governor and family. Originally built by Iowa’s first millionaire on a bluff overlooking the Raccoon River, the house was later purchased by the Hubbell family, who donated it to the state after nearly a century. It is considered one of the finest examples of Victorian Second Empire architecture in the United States.As you enter through the grand vestibule, the first rooms you see are the reception room, with its ornate fireplace adorned with intricate grillwork, then the drawing room across the hall, which has a 7.5-foot crystal chandelier and hand-carved rosewood furniture and is used for entertaining visiting dignitaries and other formal events. The music room features a Steinway grand piano, while the main hallway is impressive for its grand, arching 14.5-foot ceilings. Other rooms on the first floor include a library and sitting room. Upstairs, past a grand staircase framed by 2 large decorative lamps and backlit by a large stained-glass window, are offices for the governor and First Lady, and a bedroom for overnight guests. The first family’s actual living quarters are on the third floor, which is not open to the public. Guided tours are available Mar through Dec, Tues through Sat at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 12:30 and 1:30 p.m., and take about an hour. A gift shop and visitor center are located in the carriage house on the grounds.