bily clocks museum

770randyl

Henry Ford offered the Bily Brothers one million dollars for just one of their hand-carved clocks. They refused. These two brothers never left Spillville, but from pictures they received from friends and their imaginations they created masterpieces in wood. The collection is maintained in a building once used by musician Anton Dvorak. This collection at the brothers' request has been kept together and waits for your visit. You will not be disappointed.

13marilynj

I grew up not far from here, and EVERY time I come back to visit family and friends, I visit the Bily Clocks. And I make sure that EVERY visitor that I bring to this town, goes on the tour of a lifetime!!!I am so proud to say that this town is home, and that this part of history is being protected!!!!!

Janhuss

This museum is one of those little known wonders of the Midwest that really reasserts one's belief in the indomitable spirit of mankind. The 2 Czech brothers (not related to the ones in the old Saturday Night live skit) were farmers who never finished grade school, never traveled more than 30 or so miles from their home yet demonstrated an unbridled passion for art, craft, history and literature. The quality and creativity of their work is really astonishing. They were dedicated farmers during the Spring, Summer and Fall and planned and carved clocks during the Winter. The variety, scope and ingenuity of the clocks is stunning. Our kids loved it too. Also, upstairs is a small museum pertaining to the time that the famous Czech composer, Antonin Dvorak spent in Spillville, where he wrote and first performed the lovely "American Quartet".

MaryA633

Who would guess that two Midwestern bachelor farmers, who never traveled more than 35 miles from their home, could carve a 12-foot clock that Henry Ford offered to pay a million dollars for in the early 1900's? The more unbelievable part is that the Bily brothers didn't sell Ford this or any of their other clocks. Instead, they kept every carving that the two collaborated on, now housed in this museum in Spillvillve, Iowa. The upper floor of the museum is devoted to Anton Dvorak, who visited the town in the summer of 1893, and was inspired to write some of his music in this Czech enclave.

joannew402

A truly remarkable museum of hand carved intricate and amazing clocks. The skill and imagination required to create the clocks reveals the work of 2 committed craftsmen who learned of the world beyond their farm. It is off the "freeway" way and worth the effort. Be drawn to this place, it will not disappoint. It's magical!

MollyNWinnie72

We brought our friends from California here. They said it was the highlight of their trip to the Midwest. I remember coming here as a child on a field trip. I am proud to say that Iowa has such a unique and well cared for collection. There is nothing quite like it anywhere else. The tour guide was very knowledgable. We enjoyed her stories about the brothers and their family. The second level of the home was very interesting as well with many documents and musical compositions by Anton Dvorak, who spent a summer there. A must see!

443jerryv

This site was recommended by a fellow traveler. It took a bit of effort to find the place and get parked but the attraction was worth the effort. This is a must see for anyone interested in the life of Anton or exquisite hand carving. The clocks are awesome; check their webpage for sample pictures. The documentation on Anton is also extensive. Having spent time in the Czech Republic we certainly had a great appreciation for his insights on the Spillville area as he saw it during his summer there. The school house is also charming. Czech culture shows through in both the museum and the town. A visit to both the museum and the town are worthwhile for anyone interested in Dvorak or exquisite wood carving.

lafscal

The Bily Museum was so interesting. The upstairs of the museum was where Antonin Dvorak spent a summer to be around people of his Czech heritage. There are various musical instruments that he played and the story of his wonderful time in Spillville. The first level houses the most incredible and intricate clocks that were designed and carved by the Bily brothers in the early 20th Century. Spillville is about 20 minutes South of Decorah, Iowa.

DonnaB535

I had visited this museum as a child and remembered being enchanted. I doubted it would live up to my memories 50 years later. But it did, and then some. The clocks are so detailed that it would take hours to truly see them in their entirety, but we had fun choosing our favorites. Don't be put off by the required tour; it's really just a chance to see the clocks function - parading apostles, revolving carvings - and to hear the music boxes. We were the only two people there the afternoon we visited, and were graciously given our own tour on our time schedule. We quite enjoyed the Dvorak exhibit upstairs as well, though those not particularly interested in classical music might not find it as interesting as we did. It's worth the drive out here which is itself a delight through the Iowa country side.

13marilynj

My recommendation is that ANY traveler makes the time to visit the Billy Clock Museum!!! Oh my, there is so much history and the clocks are all hand carved, they're AMAZING!!!!!

GJK542

Our friends, who we met on a trip to Norway took us here to visit the Bily Clock museum and Dworak home while he spent a summer here. We were most pleasantly surprised. The carved clock pieces are unique and fascinating. The ornate carvings of two brothers who grew up on a nearby farm, goes to show the genius that can be nurtured anywhere. There is a little flavor of the Czech-Slovak village (church, street signs, business names etc) in this little corner of NE Iowa that's not to be missed.

Julie0042

I had been to this museum as a child, and was amazed even then by the workmanship of the Bily brothers. The clocks are simply fascinating, particularly because the two men had no formal instruction, and because they refused to sell any of their clocks. Personally, I was impressed by their efforts to be culturally sensitive. In one clock, they carved figures of people that they considered to be historically significant, and included a figure for "Pioneer Women," which also reflects their open-mindedness for their time. Definitely a worthwhile stop if you're in the area!

STEVENS978

The Bily museum is a place to see the true craftsmanship of yesteryear. The brothers clock carvings are a labor of love. Spillville is a quaint small NE Iowa town that is worth a side trip. Dvorak stayed there as well. Well worth it to see how creative two farmer bothers could be.

875susanp

I had no idea how fascinating and impressive this tiny museum would be. The upstairs of the museum devoted to Dvorak was interesting, and the artifacts related to his time in Spillville are well presented. But the Bily clocks are unique. Each one has a specific theme (for example American History or the Bible) and different moving parts. The detail on each clock is astounding. And the docent describes and operates each clock on a short tour. I think at least the clock portion of this museum would interest just about everyone.

mforkner

While researching a trip to visit several National Parks and Monuments, I came across this museum. One of my wife's favorites is Dvorak's New World Symphony, so the attraction to coming here was the exhibit devoted to his stay in Spillville. There are several artifacts and lots of good information about the time he spent here and his connections to the community, all reasonably well presented. That exhibit was interesting, but certainly not worth the considerable back road Iowa detour to get to Spillville. The clock museum, however, was amazing. The intricate carvings, details, scope of the works, and the incredible craftsmanship from the two brothers after whom the museum is named has to be seen to be believed. In themselves, the clocks are hard to imagine, but coupled with the story of these two relatively uneducated, self-taught farm boys, it truly becomes amazing.