The criticism sparked a seven-decade struggle to save the building. Rededicated in 1983, the Old Post Office is an example of the remarkable transformation old buildings can undergo and the rich possibilities they can offer. Tours of the Old Post Office Tower provide visitors with the history of the building, a breathtaking vista from the 315-foot clock tower and a view of the Congress Bells.
Tours begin at the glass-enclosed elevator on the stage level.
In honor of our nation's bicentennial in 1976, the private Ditchley Foundation of Great Britain presented a set of English change ringing bells to Congress. In April 1983, the bells found a permanent home in the Old Post Office clock tower. They were dedicated as an everlasting symbol of friendship between the two nations. The 10 Congress Bells range from 581 to 2,953 pounds and are replicas of the bells in London's Westminster Abbey. They were made at Whitechapel Foundry which had cast the Abbey's bells four centuries earlier.