Allen-Bradley Clock Tower - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

Rockwell Automation Headquarters
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This was once the largest four-sided clock in the world (yes, even bigger than Big Ben).  

View all photos
The main lobby decorated for Christmas alekg94 (Atlas Obscura User)
From the north looking south
The neighboring tower with temperature display alekg94 (Atlas Obscura User)
129
48
Top Places in Milwaukee
SafeHouse
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Kingdom of Talossa
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
 See All

The Allen-Bradley Clock Tower is a historic landmark located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Standing 283 feet tall, the clock tower was dedicated on Halloween Eve in 1962. For 38 years,  it was the largest four-sided clock in the world until 2010 when a clock in Saudi Arabia surpassed it. It is located at the Rockwell Automation world headquarters, formerly the Allen-Bradley Company. Another tower on a neighboring building on the campus displays the current temperature.

The clocktower features four illuminated clock faces, each 40 feet in diameter, and each face is powered independently and is run by a system of gears and motors. The Allen-Bradley Clock Tower has an hour hand that is 15.8 feet long and weighs 490 pounds and a minute hand that is 20 feet long and weighs 550 pounds. The hour markings are 4 feet high.

The clock tower has become an iconic symbol of Milwaukee. It holds a special place in the city’s lore, and its top-floor bar has drawn visits from such personalities as Vice President George Bush, Sr., and actor Paul Newman. It was even once referred to as the “Polish Moon,” as it once stood tall over a predominantly Polish section of the city.

Additionally, the tower serves as a navigational beacon. It’s visible from all over the city, and it’s reported that one can see the clock tower on Lake Michigan from nearly 50 miles away on clear days. It can also be seen from Holy Hill, 30 miles northwest of the city. Visitors can sometimes tour the clock tower and learn about its history and significance to the city during the annual Doors Open Milwaukee event. The tower remains an integral part of the Milwaukee skyline and a testament to the city’s industrial heritage.

landmarks astounding timepieces time clocks buildings towers architecture
Nearby
Shaker's Cigar Bar
0.57 miles
Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility
0.78 miles
National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum
0.78 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Shaker's Cigar Bar

Once a speakeasy operated by Al Capone, this Milwaukee cigar bar is now a haven for ghost hunters.
Fermenting waste on a conveyor belt.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility

A factory in Milwaukee where poop is reclaimed… and recycled.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

This quirky museum has a collection of more than 15,000 bobblehead dolls.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Ladybug Building

The bugs crawling down the front of this office building are almost as big as a '68 VW Beetle.
Related Places
Petrovaradin, Serbia

Pijani Sat (Drunk Clock)

Backwards hour and minute hands and a timing mechanism that fluctuates with the temperature led to this clock tower's local nickname.
Palm Beach, Florida

Worth Avenue Clock Tower

This 25-foot tall clock tower commemorates the start of one of America's foremost shopping districts and the end of the historic Palm Beach Pier.
Casper, Wyoming

The 'M' Building and Tower

Locally known as the "Onion” and the "Egg Beater,” Casper’s most recognizable buildings are beloved local landmarks to many, and eyesores to others.
Cape Town, South Africa

Time Ball Tower

A 19th-century relic of timekeeping.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web