Buresh Immigration Tower Orloj- National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

Donate to the Orloj Today 9:00 AM- 9:00 PM every hour

In 2024, NCSML celebrated 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 is now repaired and enhanced with the addition of an orloj clock. The NCSML Orloj is modeled after the famous Prague Orloj that is attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague. It is the oldest, still functioning astronomical clock in the world dating back to the 15th century AD.

The NCSML Buresh Immigration 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.The Structure

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 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 Bedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak. 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.