Experience the Garden’s roots at Tower Grove House. Take a step back in time and experience the country home of Garden founder Henry Shaw. View artifacts and furniture that belonged to Mr. Shaw. Explore timelines and discover how Tower Grove House was used after 1889. Listen to voices from the past and hear from those who helped build Shaw’s Garden. The Garden has grown over the last 151 years. Come see where it all began!

Background
Missouri Botanical Garden founder Henry Shaw inhabited the west wing of this Victorian era home, which boasts ceilings over 12 feet high downstairs and over 15 feet high upstairs. Authentic deep moldings and ornate woodwork are unique to the original structure. The east side was the servants’ wing in Shaw’s time. Like the Garden, the house has undergone many changes over the years.  In the 1890’s the east side was completely rebuilt: expanded and modernized for the Garden’s next Director, Dr. William Trelease and his family.

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.

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