Located in Columbia, Pennsylvania, the National Watch and Clock Museum aims to educate visitors about a wide variety of historical watches and clocks while inspiring a passion for timekeeping and timepieces.

Visitors of all ages will be delighted by timepieces from all over the world in expertly designed exhibitions and can attend a wide variety of educational programs and family-friendly community events and workshops.

History:

The National Watch and Clock Museum was opened to the public in 1977 and at that time, the museum only had about 1,000 items to display. Since its first opening, the museum has since grown its collection to more than 12,000 historical and cultural timekeeping items and has also expanded its gallery and exhibition space quite substantially.

The most recent expansion took place in 1999 when the museum added an entire story to its building – more than doubling its exhibition space! Now that there is plenty of room, the museum currently houses the largest collection of 19th-century American watches and clocks.

Permanent Collection:

The galleries are arranged chronologically through the entire history of watches, clocks, and timekeeping technology starting in the time of non-mechanical devices all the way up to modern day atomic and radio-controlled timepieces.

There are a variety of timepiece collections from all over the world including pieces from 19th century America. The collection also includes English tall case clocks and timepieces from Japan, China, Germany, Russia, France, and the Netherlands.

Education & Programs:

Because education is part of the core mission of the museum, there are a variety of educational programs and activities for members of the entire family available year-round. Everything from local activities to full-blown national events, there are all kinds of workshops, interactive activities, and educational opportunities at the research center and library.

One of the most popular workshops is the opportunity to learn how to care for your timepieces. These classes aim to increase attendees’ knowledge about clocks as well as how to care for and repair them on their own. Be sure to visit the website for more information about educational programs at the museum.

Additional Information:

National Watch and Clock Museum, 514 Poplar St., Columbia, PA 17512, website, Phone: 717-684-8261, Map