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January 2024 by SP Haynes
Waiting for the start of a nasty-weather game at M&T Bank Stadium, we decided to explore the clock tower and art galleries. It was fun. The clock, which is over 100 y.o. with faces in four directions, is fascinating to see. The cost was $8 per person. There were only two artists (that we saw, at least) but they both took time to describe their work and techniques. Nice!
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January 2024 by shane hendricks
An absolute must while in Baltimore. Every floor is filled with art and if you're lucky, you may get to go inside the clock?
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November 2023 by Tina G.
This is an underrated Baltimore classic! For $8 you can go up 15 floors (there is an elevator) and go INSIDE of the clock! It's so cool! The stairs going from the 15th floor into the clock are quite steep and narrow so not accessible to everyone but for those who can go up, I would recommend it! You are allowed to walk around inside the clock and there is a docent who gives you some history of the clock tower and explains how it works. You can then go back downstairs and go to the museum which is about Bromo Seltzer and the glass company. It was a neat piece of Baltimore history. You can then walk down the 15 flights and go to whatever artist studios are open. Unfortunately there were only 2-3 open on the Saturday that I went, but there was artwork on the walls all the way down. We got to chat with one of the artist for awhile and met another one in the elevator. They were all really nice. I've been in Baltimore for over 5 years and only just went for the first time, but I would definitely put this on my list of things to do for when people are visiting!
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October 2023 by Greg
Great way to learn some of the history of Baltimore and the Bromo Seltzer tower.
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September 2023 by Rob Schimmel
This visit was very worthwhile. According to the sign on the street, the clock tower ‘tour’ runs from 11 am to 4pm on Saturday only. It was minimally priced. As a senior I paid only $6. The charm of the building starts with the elevator floor dial. It’s one of those arched dials with a pointer that move to show you what’s floor the elevator is at. The clock tower is just above the 15th floor, and the Bromo Seltzer museum on that floor is very interesting. The star of the show is the clock tower room. What I first noticed was the clacking of the relays that control the elevators. In this digital electronics age, it was a blast to see an old fashioned relay panel (at least it was to me). There are also the old Otis motors running the elevators. The clock mechanism is pretty amazing. Driven by weights and regulated by a pendulum, the intricate drive turns the hands on four dials simultaneously. The guide said that the clock advances two seconds for every swing of the pendulum. The frosted glass dials are held in by massive clamps, which look like they can be removed to do maintenance on the clock hands. You also see the led floods that back illuminate the dials at night. And finally, you can walk down the stairway to see informal exhibits of the resident artists’ works. All in all, a worthwhile hour-and-a-half on a Saturday morning.
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July 2023 by Christin M.
Visiting the Emerson Bromo Seltzer Tower is a fun, Baltimore bucket list experience. For $8 you're granted access to the clock tower room and the Bromo Seltzer museum residing on the 15th floor. The tour is now self-guided so the recommendation is to take the elevator up to 15 to start at the top and then work your way down. Once you get to 15, you climb a steep but short staircase to the clock tower room which is hot and noisy but impressive. The 15th floor is the museum with vintage bottles, advertisements, newspaper clippings and model replicas. It's very cool and worth reading all of the descriptions to get the full history of the building and details about Emerson Bromo and the company's manufacturing/production. Then, you can walk down each flight of the building and on every level there are artist studios. Unfortunately few were open when we visited but the walls are lined with work on exhibit as you walk down.
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March 2023 by Alonzo A.
This is a must visit. It's the best $6 you'll spend. Took the elevator up and then climbed some steep stairs to get up to the clock tower. Super cool seeing the mechanics and inner workings. Support this spot, awesome and informative to see.
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March 2023 by Saif Ahmed
big ben
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October 2022 by Rolf Shmidt
The bromo Seltzer tower is impressive architecturally, the history behind it is also quite interesting. The glass bottle collection is nice to see, the presentation about Bromo Seltzer and its founder, Isaac Emerson well worth attending. Overall, a captivating visit about Baltimore memorabilia, I had always seen the tower as I drove by, I really wanted to visit it and I was finally able to do it.
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October 2022 by Melissa Sutherland Moss
Barbie and I took a trip to see “While we’re Young” an exhibition by dear friend and American painter Will Watson at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower. Curated by Kirk Shannon-Butts, this installation took us up and down memory lane! The colors that he so perfectly selects are striking and will make your heart dance. This is a must see - on display from October 6-November 23, 2022. More reviews & photos on IG @melissasktheartist
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July 2022 by Catherine Waters
The self-guided tour of the tower with both art galleries and the clockworks is a definite hidden gem in downtown Baltimore. A 3 room exhibit on the top floor houses a museum of Emerson Drug company history, advertising, and the iconic blue bottles. Views of the downtown area are nice from the 15th floor. The one thing this site lacks is a gift shop, but the stairwell art exhibits and guides in both the museum rooms and clockwork room make up for it. A nice hour or so worth of nostalgia with a uniquely Baltimore twist. Take the elevator or make the 15 floor climb to the top, but note that the clockworks room is accessed only by a ship's ladder style staircase, so there is no handicapped access to the clockworks room.
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May 2022 by Tom Greene
Beautiful, unique and funky tower is now open again as of April 2022. The Bromo Seltzer / Emerson glass museum is very well curated, and the tower and artists within are all genuine.
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October 2020 by Run-A-Way Bill
This 4-sided clock tower is a great piece of historical Baltimore.This 15 story structure in 1911-1923 made theo-Seltzer Tower the tallest building in Baltimore at the time.a “Run-A-Way Bill” Baltimore Favorite photo-op!“Run-A-Way Bill” was here!10.17.20
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September 2020 by Ania Milo
Great place, awesome art
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July 2020 by Lawrence Weinzimer
By far, the most distinctive, enchanting, memorable building in downtown Baltimore. Felt that way since 40 years ago: Not merely a healthy respect to the past, it brilliantly maintains living artists' creations. When possible, try to do most of the tour.
