Presidents Visit & Clocktower Dedication

Presidents Visit & Clocktower Dedication

Join us on Friday, September 27th for a special 50th anniversary celebration at the museum! From a special motorcade at 10 am to the grand unveiling of our newly renovated Buresh Immigration Clocktower at noon, joined by President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic and President Peter Pellegrini of Slovakia.

9:30 AM / Public Entry & Pop-Up Shop Opens

Public entry will open at 9:30 am. Please enter at the entrance of Inspiration Way, near the clocktower.

A museum store pop-up shop will open for guests to purchase special 50th anniversary and clocktower merchandise, including cookies and water.

10 AM / DTTK Performs

Die Tiefen Keller Kinder (DTKK / Amana Colony Band) will begin playing at 10 am on the terrace.

10:10 AM / Presidents Motorcade

President Petr Pavel and President Peter Pellegrini will be part of a motorcade going through NewBo and Czech Village, ending here at the museum.

11:30 AM / Terrace Reprise

President Petr Pavel, President Peter Pellegrini, and Governor Kim Reynolds will pose for a photo opportunity on the museum’s terrace reprising the 1995 photo of Former Czech President Václav Havel, Former Slovak President Michal Kováč, and Former President Bill Clinton.

12 PM (Noon) / Clocktower Dedication

The Buresh Immigration Clocktower unveiling starts at noon. President Petr Pavel and President Peter Pellegrini will speak during the dedication and help ring in the clocktower! They will be joined by Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell and Governor Kim Reynolds.

Where do we park?

Parking will be CLOSED at the museum. For public parking, the lot behind 17th Ave SW will be available with signs and flaggers on-site to guide traffic.

Golf carts with drivers will be available for those with accessibility needs.

Does attending any of Friday's events cost money?

All of Friday’s events are completely free of charge!

When and where do we enter?

Public entry starts at 9:30 am. We recommend arriving early to ensure enough time to get through security.

The entrance to the dedication starts at the end of Inspiration Way, near the clocktower. This is the ONLY public entrance.

Security screenings are required to enter. Metal detectors and bag checks will be stationed at the entrance. Please bring clear bags for ease of access.

Can we bring chairs to the event?

For security and space purposes, we are not allowing people to bring their own chairs. Chairs and wheelchairs will be provided on-site for those with accessibility needs.

Will there be food & water?

Water will be available to purchase at our pop-up store. For food, we encourage people to explore Czech Village for food options!

In 2024, NCSML is celebrating its 50th anniversary of fulfilling its mission to “engage the global community with unique Czech, Slovak, and American stories to inspire individuals with universal themes of culture, freedom, democracy, and immigration.”

One of the focal points of the celebration relates to the renovation of the NCSML clock tower that was built in 1995. The existing clock tower will be repaired and enhanced with the addition of an orloj clock. The NCSML Orloj will be modeled after the famous Prague Orloj that is attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague. It is the oldest, functioning astronomical clock in the world dating back to the 15th century AD.

This renovation includes the complex astronomical and clock mechanism called an astrolabe. All astrolabe parts that are in contact with the outside environment are made of stainless steel. The astrolabe graphics, such as numbers, lines, and symbols are gilded with 24-karat gold. The renovation also includes adding 12 figurines (each almost 4 feet tall) on two carousels that awaken on the hour to mesmerize viewers who can watch them rotate to the music of Czech composers Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana. The twelve figurines express the stories of immigrants, with a farmer, a coal miner, a meatpacker, and other sculptures representing those who came to the United States from Czech, Slovak, Moravian, and other lands.

Andrej Harsany of Bratislava, Slovakia, is sculpting the 12 figurines, and the SPEL Company from Prague, Czechia, who is engaged with the development and production of clock electronic systems, reconstruction, and maintenance of outdoor clock types, is building the fully digitized inner workings of the NCSML astronomical clock. Neumann Monson Inc., with offices in Iowa City and Des Moines, is the project architect and Graham Construction of Cedar Rapids is the construction manager.

The NCSML Orloj Clock Tower is going to be a major tourist attraction for the entire historic and cultural district of Cedar Rapids. This unique destination is just one more way NCSML can share the universal themes of culture, freedom, democracy, and immigration to all who visit it.

Read more about the Orloj in the Cedar Rapids Gazette article written by Diana Nollen.

When you support our mission, you help us celebrate life. Czech life. Slovak life. American life.

You help us provide relevant and innovative exhibits, programming, educational initiatives, and outreach that sustains our ability to keep telling stories of freedom and identity, family and community, human rights and dignity. Together we connect yesterday with today and tomorrow.

The Buresh Immigration Clocktower is the decades-long dream of a few and now a reality that will inspire generations. Thank you to our orloj donors who have made this project possible to date. If you would like to be a part of this ongoing project, click on the “Orloj Donation” button below!

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Presidents Visit & Clocktower Dedication