The Chimes remain a bastion of tradition on campus. Its 549 notes provide a challenge to chimesmasters, whose goal it is to play it as fast as possible. It must be memorized by aspiring chimesmasters. The bells were played on a ground level playing stand on the site of the current clock tower, before moving to McGraw Hall in 1873. Local architect William Henry Miller designed the 173-foot tower and adjacent Uris library.
Visitors can still see the clockworks and pendulum, but a computer now operates the clock.
The museum contains photographs and memorabilia depicting the history of the Chimes and McGraw Tower. The tower, a symbol of the University, as it stands above Cornell and the community is known to take on different appearances during the school year. In March the clockfaces take on a greenish hue in anticipation of Dragon Day when the first-year Architecture students debut their giant dragon to be thwarted by the rival Engineers. Thank you for your interest in the Cornell Chimes and McGraw Tower. We welcome visitors at all of our concerts to fully appreciate these icons.