Explore over a century of Cedar Rapids history through a guided evening tour of Brucemore, a 21-room Victorian Mansion, Thursday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m. Experience the art, furnishings, technology, architecture, and stories preserved at Brucemore. Admission is $10.00 for adults, $7.00 for Brucemore members, and $3.00 for children between the ages of 6 and 18. Space is limited; purchase tickets online at www.brucemore.org or by calling (319) 362-7375.

This evening tour is part of Brucemore's Thursday Night Lineup. Every Thursday night Brucemore will feature a different specialty tour focusing on topics for all interests, including arts and culture, Midwestern industry, gardening, landscape design, architecture, preservation, behind-the-scenes at Brucemore, and growing up in the early twentieth century. For more information on the Thursday Night Lineup or the May schedule, visit www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

WEST BRANCH, IOWA? Kick off National Park Week 2013 on Saturday, April 20 by helping keep Herbert Hoover National Historic Site looking worthy of the 31st President of the United States. The staff of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site needs volunteers to help spruce up fences, paths, and plantings around its historic buildings, replace signs along its boundary fence, and clean up the creek bed. This is a great opportunity to get involved hands-on with your local national park.

Volunteers interested in helping may call Adam Prato or Kristin Gibbs at (319) 643-2541. Meet at the Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. for an orientation and to get signed up. Work will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable work clothes. Water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are recommended. Long pants and closed-toe footwear are required. The park will provide work gloves and other needed tools and equipment.

National Park Week, April 20 to 28, is the annual week for celebration and recognition of your National Parks. National parks are living examples of the best this nation has to offer?our magnificent natural landscapes and our varied yet interrelated heritage. They provide recreational experiences, opportunities to learn and grow, and places of quiet refuge. National Park Week is also a good time to explore local parks, trails, and architectural gems sustained through National Park Service programs such as the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program and the National Register of Historic Places. A map of places in Iowa served by these programs may be found at http://www.nps.gov/state/ia/.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Parking is limited so please allow extra time to find a parking space. For more information go online at www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

110 Parkside Drive

PO Box 607

West Branch, Iowa 52358

319 643-2541 phone

319 643-7864 fax

www.nps.gov/heho

Twitter: @HooverNPS

Facebook: HerbertHooverNHS

Celebrate Preservation Month at Brucemore with free guided tours of the Mansion on Saturday, May 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 5 from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Explore over a century of Cedar Rapids history through the lives of the three families who called Brucemore home.  Follow a guide on a tour of the 21-room Queen Anne Mansion and investigate the art, furnishings, technology, architecture, surrounding landscape, and stories preserved at Brucemore. The Mansion tour provides a glimpse into the past and an incomparable way to understand modern Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa. Tours will begin approximately every 15 minutes with the last tour beginning at 3:00 p.m.

In 1971, the National Trust created Preservation Week to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts around the country, and has since grown into an annual celebration for local communities to honor their past and help build their future. The theme for 2013 is "See it. Save it. Celebrate it."

Brucemore will offer other Preservation Month activities in May, including:

• Evening Mansion Tour - May 2, 6:00 p.m.
• Historic Neighborhood Walk - May 9, 6:00 p.m.
• Brucemore Summer Plant Sale - May 11, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Brucemore Arts Share: An Evening of Literature and Music - May 14, 7:00 p.m.
• Hired Help Tour: Working on a Country Estate - May 16, 6:00 p.m.
• Nooks and Crannies Mansion Tours - May 23, 6:00 p.m.
• Brucemore in Bloom Tour - May 30, 6:00 p.m.

For more information about Preservation Month activities during May and throughout the year, visit Brucemore's website at www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375. Visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website at www.preservationnation.org for more information about Preservation Month.

About Brucemore

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.