Tower Grove House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
This 300-acre urban park and botanical garden sits on land that belonged to businessman and philanthropist Henry Shaw. Shaw donated the land to build the park and botanical garden, as well as funds to care for its maintenance. The gardens and adjacent park contains Shaw's former estate, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, a dozen pavilions, a lily pond and numerous flower gardens, and several fountains and statues.
Images
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
After 100 years of use as a private home, school, dormitory, and office building, the house underwent meticulous renovation. Furniture and materials once belonging to Shaw were located and returned. It opened to the public in 1953. Tower Grove House was rededicated on October 29, 2005 after another period of extensive restoration. The house has been restored to reflect Shaw’s original country home. Many of the 19th century furnishings belonged to Shaw; others are of the same era.
Today, staff and volunteers encourage visitors to take a step back in time and experience the country home of Henry Shaw. Artifacts and furniture that belonged to Shaw are on display. Timelines help visitors discover how Tower Grove House was used after 1889. Voices from the past tell stories of those who helped build the Missouri Botanical Garden.