Doors open at 6:00 PM each night. The Salisbury House parking lot opens at 5:00 PM, and guests may begin to line up at this time.
There is a 20-minute intermission.
Salisbury House is located at 4025 Tonawanda Drive, Des Moines, IA.
From I-235 take the 42nd Street exit; proceed south on 42nd Street for about 1⁄2 mile. Turn left onto Tonawanda Drive.
Please Note: During Shakespeare week Tonawanda Drive is temporarily turned into a one-way, eastbound only street that can only be accessed from 42nd St.
On-street parking is available along Tonawanda Drive and on surrounding streets (Greenwood Drive, Foster Drive, and Woodlawn Drive). Please be considerate of our neighbors when parking on-street. Golf-carts will loop around portions of Tonawanda Drive, Greenwood Drive, and 42nd St to pick up guests; due to heavy foot and vehicle traffic they are not available after the show.
Parking spaces in the Salisbury House parking lot are available for pre-purchase for $15. Spaces are limited, and pre-purchased parking spots cannot be moved to another night. Parking spots are purchased under the "Add-on" section for each night.
Rideshare, carpooling, biking, or walking is strongly encouraged.
There is no assigned seating. Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you have attended in the past, please be aware that seating arrangements can change year-to-year due to changes in staging. Risers have been added to the back rows of the garden - there's not a bad seat on the lawn!
There are designated picnic/blanket areas; an usher can direct you to them upon arrival. These spaces are limited, and one small blanket is permitted per group. Out of respect for other attendees, lawn chairs cannot be set up in blanket areas. Short ground chairs and back-supports such as this one are permitted.
Those who arrive early should expect to catch some sun, but by the time the show starts the woodland that surrounds the garden shades most of the property. Intermission is roughly timed with sun-down.
You can bring:
You cannot bring:
Please email us at info@shakespeareonthelawn.com to arrange parking and seating. Spaces are limited, and cannot be guaranteed to those who do not reserve in advance.
Your accessible parking reservation will be located on the North Circle Drive; there is no need to pre-purchase. You will check-in for your parking reservation at the main parking lot entrance, and receive a parking pass to place on your dash.
Your accessible seating reservation will be located on the terrace through the Great Hall (where you will enter after parking and check-in for the event itself). As these seats are on the stage, they will bring you close to the action but mean you cannot leave your seat during the performance. There is a 20-minute intermission, and an accessible portable restroom available on the North Circle available for use before/after the show and during intermission.
Yes! On the west side of the estate there will be a concessions tent offering wine (by glass or bottle), beer/cider, select non-alcoholic beverages, and a small selection of snack foods.
Proceeds from concessions will benefit the show and raise funds for Iowa Stage Theatre Company and Salisbury House Foundation. Tips are donations, if you would like to make an additional contribution.
Ice cream is available at the concessions tent for a minimum $5 donation per cup.
A small batch is made each summer just for the event (and typically themed too!) so we recommend grabbing a cup before the show begins. Restocks are not made during the performance and cooler space is limited, making it common for ice cream to sell-out during intermission each night. Information about this year's flavors can be found in your program.
Pre-orders can be picked up at the concessions tent on the west side of the property, beginning at 6:00 PM.
If you are no longer able to attend, please email us at info@shakespeareonthelawn.com to arrange a time to pick up your purchases from the Salisbury House Foundation office. In this scenario, refunds are not available but you can ask to have your purchase converted into a donation.
If the show you were to attend is cancelled due to inclement weather, based on what you selected at check-out your purchase will be either 1) converted into a donation 2) split 50/50 between a donation and refund or 3) you will receive a refund (minus processing fees). See our Weather Policy for more information.
Portable restrooms and handwashing stations will be located in the dock area, on the west side of the property near the concessions tent. An accessible portable restroom will be available on the North Circle Drive, in the accessible parking area.
For security reasons, the museum will not be open to guests during this event and in-door restrooms will not be available.
Yes, a designated smoking/vaping area is located on the west side of the property near the restrooms.
Smoking/vaping is strictly prohibited in performance and seating areas.
Filming is prohibited, as is professional photography. Shakespeare on the Lawn hires photographers to take professional photos of the production each year, and those photos can be found on our Facebook page.
Non-professional cell-phone photos are allowed, especially of you and your crew having fun! If you post them online, please tag us @sotl.dsm on Instagram and Facebook. We would love to see them!
Not during the event. For security reasons, the museum is closed during performances.
Salisbury House is open the week of Shakespeare on the Lawn from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Wednesday through Sunday. Learn more at salisburyhouse.org/visit.
Yes, but umbrellas cannot be up during the performance as they will block the view of guests behind you. Umbrellas can be up before the show, during intermission, and during any rain delays.
No. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and typically sell-out the week before the show.
Digital, as part of your emailed receipt. Every ticket and add-on you purchase will have a QR code that serves as the digital ticket. Please have this available when you check-in.
Maybe. Ticket changes can only be made if space is available, and will not be accepted after Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
To make a request, please email info@shakespeareonthelawn.com with the following information:
No, due to the receipt of goods and services.
Donations made to the event are tax-deductible, benefitting not only the production but Iowa Stage Theatre Company and Salisbury House Foundation. Tax-letters are mailed out after the event.
No, as Shakespeare on the Lawn is a fundraising event.
However, you are welcome to gift your tickets to friends/family or have your purchase converted into a donation. In either scenario, please contact us at info@shakespeareonthelawn.com to arrange things.
If a show is cancelled due to inclement weather, your purchase will be either 1) converted into a donation 2) converted into a refund (minus processing fees) or 3) split 50/50 between a donation and refund depending on what you chose at check-out. See our Weather Policy for more information.
Shakespeare on the Lawn has grown over the years and show nights now routinely sell out/reach maximum capacity. Because of this, we can no longer transfer tickets to other show nights if a performance is cancelled due to weather.
Updates about weather delays and cancellations will be emailed to ticket holders whose email was provided upon ticket purchase no later than 4:00 PM the day of the performance. Updates will also be posted on the Shakespeare on the Lawn Facebook, Instagram, and website.
When purchasing tickets and add-ons, you will select how you would like your purchase to be re-processed in the case of a weather cancellation. Your choices are:
These requests will be processed by-hand by our staff, and your patience is appreciated. Please provide us a 30-day grace period to process everything.
If you choose to have all or part of your purchase converted into a donation, we thank you in advance! Outdoor events like this are a massive undertaking, logistically and financially. Your support will help cover costs already incurred on equipment rentals, cast and crew wages, etc. while also ensuring that this annual fundraiser is a success. All who have part/all of their purchase converted into a donation will receive an emailed tax letter and be recognized in the annual Shakespeare on the Lawn event report. If you would like to be recognized a specific way, please let us know.
Email us at info@shakespeareonthelawn.com