Four passes to tour the elegant Terrace Hill mansion, as well as two publications: Tea Time At Terrace Hill (cookbook) and the illustrated Terrace Hill guidebook.
This 1869 Victorian mansion, home of Iowa's governor, was built by Iowa's first millionaire, Benjamin F. Allen, and restored to the late 1800s period. It is an excellent example of Second Empire architecture. The home measures 18,000 square feet, 8.5 acres with a re-created Victorian formal garden, and has a 90 foot tower that offers a commanding view of the city. Designed by William Boyington, a popular Chicago architect, the total cost of the project was $250,000, which covered the Mansion, the Carriage House, the original furnishings, and about 30 acres of land. Today the building welcomes visitors who arrive to tour the home. It also contains permanent and unique changing exhibits and displays from previous owners of the house.