Chews Jefferson is an event to encourage people to choose one of our many restaurants to order take-out and then come listen to the Tower Tunes Live concert on the Mahanay Bell Tower. Each Wednesday, our Mahanay Maestro will play from 12:15 – 12:30 with a wide variety of tunes.
Chews Jefferson is an event to encourage people to choose one of our many restaurants to order take-out and then come listen to the Tower Tunes Live concert on the Mahanay Bell Tower. Each Wednesday, our Mahanay Maestro will play from 12:15 – 12:30 with a wide variety of tunes.
Chews Jefferson is an event to encourage people to choose one of our many restaurants to order take-out and then come listen to the Tower Tunes Live concert on the Mahanay Bell Tower. Each Wednesday, our Mahanay Maestro will play from 12:15 – 12:30 with a wide variety of tunes.
The Mahanay Bell Tower is open to visitors and boy, have they been coming! Masks are optional at the tower and for the comfort level of our visitors, we may limit the number of people in the lobby area and observation deck. But for the most part, our very friendly and knowledgable staff is ready to welcome you and your family & friends!
The Mahanay Bell Tower is open daily beginning Memorial Day weekend from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and FREE for youth age 18 and under courtesy of our Rotary Club of Jefferson. They are sponsoring the youth admissions as they celebrate their upcoming 100th anniversary as a club.
There is so much to see on your trip to the Mahanay Bell Tower. You will hear the beautiful 47 bells play. The view is spectacular. With five rooftop art installations that you can only see from the enclosed observation deck, it is a unique experience for sure. The countryside is gorgeous and the view of our beautiful downtown Jefferson is spectacular.
The four Ring Out for Art sculptures are in place on the courthouse plaza and there are two special alleys for you to see – Sally’s Alley on the south side of the Square and Arch Alley on the north side. Our Greene County Courthouse is outstanding to see if you can visit during the week when it is open. The Thomas Jefferson Gardens are located on the southeast corner of the Square and are simply stunning to walk through and enjoy. They have chimes to play and a special children’s garden area too. The Welcome Center is located at these Gardens with brochures on many other attractions to visit and places to go.
Make plans to visit Jefferson for these attractions as well as great shopping and places to eat!
The Jefferson Matters: Main Street & Chamber Ambassadors will be recognizing the new season for the Mahanay Bell Tower at a ribbon cutting. The Rotary Club of Jefferson will be represented as the 2021 sponsor for free youth admissions. A new rooftop art installation will be ready to view from the Paul Nally Observation Deck.
The Mahanay Bell Tower will officially open for the season on Saturday, May 1 from 10 am – 4 pm. It will be open weekends in May and then daily from Memorial Day through the end of September. Please call for an appt. to schedule a tour at another time. 515-386-2155
The Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower will once again have music ringing from the 47-bells.
The Board of Supervisors approved a music policy that outlines requirements that must be followed in order for live and pre-programmed music to be played on the bell tower. Some of the main requirements include not allowing outside requests for music to be made, only certain days and times will be allowed for live performances that are performed by an approved list of 80 maestros, and pre-programmed music will be played after every top of the hour chime from 8am-8pm. The policy also stipulates from William Floyd Mahanay’s will when he donated the tower that 50-percent of the music that is played must be sacred and patriotic.
The Supervisors decided to temporarily suspend all music from the bell tower this past January after they denied a request to have patriotic music played on Inauguration Day. Since then a committee with County Attorney Thomas Laehn, some of the Supervisors and members of the Bell Tower Community Foundation worked to draft the finalized policy.
Supervisor Chair John Muir believes the policy makes it more official of the previous agreement between the County and the Bell Tower Community Foundation, which is the organization that helps to enhance the bell tower.
“We took for granted how it was ran, what went on and what decisions were made. It was pointed out to us that there were some cracks that we needed to seal up to make sure we had everything covered. I think they worked together and went through it thoroughly so that everybody’s interests were taken care of.”
The Board also approved Peg Raney as the music coordinator for four years and Bill Monroe as the Mahanay Musician for four years. Raney shares her experience working on the policy as a member of the foundation.
“We appreciate that the Supervisors as owners of the tower itself, we really appreciate this relationship. We just really look forward to having the bells play again and see how we can move forward here this summer.”
A copy of the policy can be found below.
April 28, 2021 – Raccoon Valley Radio
Local musician will play the Mahanay Memorial Carillon with Christmas music.
Local musician will play the Mahanay Memorial Carillon with Christmas music.
Local musician will play the Mahanay Memorial Carillon with Christmas music.
