The Bily Clock Museum, a Timely Adventure!

My friend Janna Seiz has been telling me about the beautiful clocks in Spillville, Iowa for years. This past weekend we finally made the trip to the Bily clock Museum. Janna was right, they are stunning. Such an amazing find in the middle of the small town with a population of just over 350! Besides the clocks, the building where they are located was once the summer home of famous Czech music composer Antonin Dvorak.

The story of the clocks in Spillville, Iowa!

The story is really a farm story about farmer ingenuity. Two brothers, Frank and Joseph Bily are the geniuses behind the clocks. While their father discouraged them from carving during farm time, on their Spillville, Iowa homestead, the brothers would work their magic during the winter days. Today these lovely clocks bring visitors from around the world to view their beauty.

On the website they share, “Beginning in 1913, the brothers employed the idle hours of long winter days and evenings with their skills of woodcarving. Being farmers and carpenters, they carved only as a hobby while still doing their regular chores and maintaining a well-kept farm. In 1915 and 1916, they built the Apostle Clock from which the Twelve Apostles appear on the hour.”

“During the period of 1923-1927, the Bily Brothers added their masterpiece to the collection, The American Pioneer History Clock”

“A memorial clock to Charles Lindbergh was carved in 1928 commemorating his historic flight. In these beautiful artistically carved clocks, the brothers have used woods from a number of foreign countries as well as numerous pieces of walnut, butternut, maple and oaks from North America.”

Fame brought visitors.

One clock, the Pioneer clock caught the attention of Henry Ford who offered the brothers a million dollars for the masterpiece. The clock was their handicap brother John’s favorite. So, they refused to sell it. They said they didn’t need money and had everything they needed. When so many people started coming to the farm to view the clocks, their sister Anna set up a ten-cent entry fee. Years after they moved from the farm, the new owners found tin cans filled with dimes under the floorboards!

After their parents and Anna’s passing, the Bily Brothers moved their collection to Spillville in 1946. We learned that they bequeathed the clocks to the town of Spillville. The donation came with an agreement that they would never be sold or moved from their present location. The city is true to their word.

A composer story

The location of the clocks is a very specific one. During the summer of 1893, Spillville became the summer home of Antonin Dvorak. This famous Czech music composer was living in New York. He was the director of the New York Conservatory of Music.

Homesick for his European homestead, when a friend mentioned availability of a place in Spillville he came and was reminded of home. While there, he wrote, played music, and got to know the locals. The museum where the clocks are located is downstairs from where Dvorak and his family lived that summer.

Outside Exhibits

Besides the beautiful clock museum, outside to my husband’s delight were a variety of farm items, and there is an 1854 schoolhouse/cabin to tour as well.

Outside there is also a beautiful iron cross. The crosses were made by Czech artist Charles Andera Sr

We visited nearby St. Wenceslaus Church there were several of these crosses in the nearby cemetery.

The crosses range in height from 2 feet to 10 feet tall and have made their way to cemeteries in at least 12 states, including Alaska.

The church is an amazing stop. It is the oldest surviving Czech Catholic Church west of the Mississippi River!

Built in 1860, after a misunderstanding with the local German community, the Czech’s built their own church. With skilled tradesman, they built the church on the donated land that looked like their homeland.

The Inwood Ballroom

Before leaving Spillville for Dubuque, we stopped to view the lovely Inwood Ballroom built in 1920. This domed ballroom has events, and the ladies at Bilys told stories of going to dances and weddings and how the lovely ballroom has been an integral part of the community.

Spillville is a small town with a lot of history, beauty, and reasons to make a trek north to see all it has to offer! The clocks alone were enough to draw Keith and I and we are grateful to Denny and Janna Seiz for sharing this place and adventure with us!