Tahitian Room, Brucemore Mansion in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I finally caught a rerun of an epsiode of A&E's American Castles which profiled the Brucemore Mansion in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I'm not sure if it was mentioned here before, but in the basement of the mansion is the Tahitian Room, a full blown Polynesian environment well preserved for the ages. Built in the 1940's (not sure if it was pre or post WWII) the space was designed to look as if it were inside a tin roofed shed on a tropical beach. Actual water rain fell "outside" the shed. The A&E segment showed some nice closeups of vintage Polynesian pop items but of course they didn't linger very long in the room. There's a photo at the brucemore.org site:

http://www.brucemore.org/scripts/popup.asp?C=19&I=7

[ Edited by: woofmutt on 2003-02-09 10:05 ]

Wish I had seen that episode. I know that JT (AKA tikibars / Tiki Bar Review Pages) has been there so I'm looking forward to seeing it in his upcoming book "Tiki Road Trip".

Very cool. Thanks for posting this. Add Cedar Rapids to the list of must see Tiki sites!

Hey Dean/Jab (and everyone else) -

Here's a little preview of TRT: my Brucemore review!

Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA (319) 362-7375

Category VI - Other (vintage mansion)

TiPSY Factor: 2

Brucemore is a nineteenth century mansion, built by the Sinclair family in Cedar Rapids Iowa. It was later maintained by the Douglas family. Two theme rooms, located in the basement of the mansion, were created in 1937 by Howard Hall - who married into the Douglas family - to entertain his business associates. These are The Tahitian Room and the Pacific Northwest-themed Grizzly Bar.
The Tahitian Room is decorated with a painted map of Tahiti and Moorea on the floor (which still looks brand-new after 65 years), plus deco-era hula girl sculptures, dioramas of exotic themes within small alcoves cut into the walls, perfectly maintained bamboo furniture, and hand painted maps and murals. A slanted tin roof hangs below the ‘real’ ceiling, onto which ‘rain’ falls from a sprinkler system hung above it. The water trickles down the sloping tin roof, falls along the side walls of the room, and is then recirculated.
Of course, Mr, Hall is no longer entertaining guests, so no food or drink is being served, but the Tahitian Room is an interesting spot to scope out. It will definitely appeal to all Tikiphiles, if for no other reason than because it might be the first - and is certainly the oldest surviving - home Tiki Bar!
Of course, to see the Tahitian Room, you’ll have to take the entire tour of Brucemore (which occurs daily - except Mondays - every hour starting at noon). The mansion is definitely is worth a look; there are some fascinating things to see including a huge vintage pipe organ and a mural depicting Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Brucemore also hosts a blues festival every summer.

Does anyone have more photos of the Tahitian Room at the Brucemore Mansion?
I'm looking for better shots of the map on the floor.

Thanks

Those wood tables are Eli Hedley all the way!

On 2008-02-28 14:54, Murph wrote:
Does anyone have more photos of the Tahitian Room at the Brucemore Mansion?
I'm looking for better shots of the map on the floor.

Thanks

The one you posted is one of the better shots I have seen.

The ones I took when I was there didn't come out very well...

As an aside, with the dlosing of the Aku Tiki Room, Wizzards Road Shows is changing Tiki Eyeball to the Brucemore in May.

On June 28th the Brucemore has a Tahitian Party in the basement.

http://www.brucemore.org/events/calendar/2013/06/28/tahitian-party

Revel poolside amid flickering tiki torches and listen to the beat of steel drums with a cool beverage in hand during the fifth annual Tahitian Party on June 28 from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. Throw on a hula skirt and or Hawaiian shirt and relish the atmosphere of Tahiti in Cedar Rapids thanks to Howard Hall’s famous Tahitian Room located in the basement of the Brucemore mansion. Enjoy roast suckling pig, noshes, and Polynesian drinks. Bid on exclusive Brucemore experiences in the silent auction such as special floral packages from the Brucemore Cutting Gardens Flower Shop, VIP ticket packages for Brucemore events, and exclusive group experiences on the estate. Food and drinks provided by local caterers. All proceeds will benefit the Grant Wood Porch Conservation Project.

too cool!! wish I had a basement

Some additional pics of the Tahitian Room.

Maps of Moorea and Tahiti shown on the floor. I couldn't enlarge the picture without it getting blurry.

On 2015-07-27 12:09, Phillip Roberts wrote:
aloha,

This is some cool stuff... Check it out!!

http://m.curbed.com/archives/2015/07/24/tahiti-bar-tiki-master-brucemore-howard-hall-cedar-rapids-iowa.php

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Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

i think they still give tours of the place - if anyone local can go there, get some more pictures of the place.

The sign to their basement bar.