The Bily Clocks Museum is located in Spillville, Iowa, United States. The museum contains clocks that were made by hand from the years 1913 to 1958. The clocks were made by Frank and Joseph Bily, together known as the Bily brothers. The clocks include the American Pioneer Clock, a version of the World's Smallest Church, and the Apostles Parade Clock.Make Bily Clocks Museum part of your personalized Spillville itinerary using our Spillville online visit planner.
Frank and Joseph Bily were born in the late 19th century in Spillville, Iowa. They went on to become farmers as well as carpenters. They took upon clockmaking as their hobby, carving and creating complex, finely detailed works of art out of wood.
The Bily brothers were originally going to burn their creations when they died, but they later donated their collection to the city of Spillville.
The Czech composer Antonín Dvořák spent the summer of 1893 in the building, which is where he completed his symphony Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World".
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Bily Clocks Museum reviews
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What a pleasant surprise! It's hard to believe that such talent and creativity by these brothers could yield so much joy for the visitor. The docent's interpretations were great. No one interested in.... more »
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We stayed across the street in Spillville and everyone recommended visiting Bily Clocks. What a great place. The clocks are priceless works of art. Going to this museum is liking getting into a... more »
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We found this place on a whim and absolutely enjoyed our time here. I had no idea the history or had even heard of these wonderful carver brothers. This place is absolutely amazing. The upper level is like a museum and you start there and walk yourself around, Then you come down to a guided tour of each of the clocks and history of the Brothers. We drove an hour down to tour this place and loved it. I wish they allowed photo's so people could see and be interested but there is no photography allowed
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It's an endearing story of family love and Iowa history. Bohemian and Czech immigrants making a new path in the new world. Great carvings and beautiful clocks. Very good tour, and story in Iowa's past. Takes about an hour or two, depending on your interest in state history. Fair admission to support the museum.
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