Mahanay Maestro Jenny Wills will play the carillon with songs of her choice. Contestants, either individuals or groups, will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will then announce the titles when finished. Prizes are awarded!
Mahanay Maestro Lois Last will play the carillon with songs of her choice. Contestants, either individuals or groups, will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will then announce the titles when finished. Prizes are awarded!
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
The 2023 Bell Tower Festival will be held on June 9-10 in downtown Jefferson. A fundraising downtown dinner will be held the evening of June 8. The festival theme is Live Your Legacy with the year of ’23 being a Legacy year. Activities and entertainment are planned for families to enjoy along with the famous parade. Class reunions traditionally return to the community during the festival weekend so it is a great weekend to catch up with family and friends.
The Bell Tower Festival website at www.belltowerfestival.com and the Facebook page of Bell Tower Festival share all of the updates, links for registrations, entertainment and activities. A new website that highlights all Jefferson and Greene County is www.experiencejeffersoniowa.com. Be sure to check these out and save them to refer back to later on.
The Mahanay Memorial Carillon (Bell Tower) will be open extended hours during the Festival: Friday from 10 am – 8 pm; Saturday from 9 am – 8 pm; and Sunday 10 am – 4 pm.
Youth are FREE courtesy of the Victor Zike Trust and the Rosalene (Kay) Zike Trust, in memory of the parents of Bell Tower Foundation President Carole Custer. Adult admission is $5. There may be limited numbers allowed in the lobby and Paul Nally Observation Deck at a time, but everyone will have a chance to take the tour. Individual season passes are available at the tower for $25.
Come for the view. Stay for the bells. The bells continue to ring the Westminster Chimes each quarter hour. Two songs play after each hour from 8 am – 8 pm. Views from the observation are spectacular with rooftop art installations and the beautiful rural countryside.
A Mahanay Maestro will play the carillon with songs of their choice. Individuals or groups will write down the titles of the songs. The Maestro will announce the titles at the end. Prizes are awarded!
The Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower, recently ranked as the #1 rural tourist attraction in Iowa, officially is open weekends in May. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm. The tower will be open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September. The hours remain at 10 am – 4 pm. Appointments for special tours during the week in May or at other hours during the season when the tower is not open to the public can be made by calling the Welcome Center at 515-386-2155.
The four octaves of bells play the Westminster chimes at each quarter hour throughout the day. A carillon concert of two songs is played after each hour from 8 am – 8 pm. Mahanay Maestros, local and area musicians, provide special Tower Tunes Live concerts during the season. For a schedule go to www.mahanaybelltower.org
An elevator, handicap accessible, takes visitors to the glass-enclosed Nally Observation Deck up 128 feet for a view of the landscape of five counties and the five installations of rooftop art on buildings around the square. Local artist Dana Harrison is currently working on another rooftop art creation, a project of the Tower View Team of Jefferson Matters. Four new Ring Out for Art sculptures have been installed for the season on the Bell Tower Plaza.
The lobby has souvenirs and a video and historical items telling the story of the tower and the Jefferson community. A display honors the many Bell Tower of Fame Award recipients. The hospitality-trained tower tour guides are very knowledgeable about the history of the tower and Greene County.
Tower admission is $5 for adults. Youth 18-years old and younger are admitted free, courtesy of annual sponsors. The 2023 sponsors are the Victor Zike Trust and the Rosalene (Kay) Zike Trust, in memory of the parents of Bell Tower Foundation President Carole Custer. Season passes are available at the tower for $25.
For more information about the tower and its activities, follow the Mahanay Bell Tower Facebook page and check out its website www.mahanaybelltower.org
As families and friends gather for the holidays, the Mahanay Bell Tower may be one of those memorable places to experience. The Tower is closed for the season but tours can be arranged by appointment by calling The Welcome Center at 515-386-2155. The Bell Tower staff will be happy to meet you at the Tower and give a special tour.
The Christmas bells have been hung in the Paul Nally Observation Deck and are a beacon to those coming into the community. The bells continue to play the Westminster Chimes at each quarter hour and two songs after each hour from 8 am – 8 pm.
