What's New in the Tower
January/February—Calling all Cornell Chimes fans! The annual chimesmaster competition will kick off with two introductory meetings on February 1 and 2, at 5pm at the top of McGraw Tower. The competition is open to any Cornell community member who can read music, balance on 1 foot and climb 161 steps. If you are interested, please plan to attend one of these two meetings. Learn more about the competition.
With the start of classes, we have now resumed our daily concerts. Visitors are encouraged to attend any scheduled program. We look forward to seeing at the top of the tower!
Concerts
The Cornell Chimes are the university's oldest musical tradition, and one of the most frequently played set of bells on any American college campus. Housed in historic McGraw Tower, the 21-bells are played primarily by student chimesmasters.
All concerts are open to the public—you simply have to climb the tower's 161 steps. The door to the tower opens five to ten minutes before a scheduled concert and closes before concert's end. Your stair-climbing efforts will be rewarded with a spectacular view of Cornell and the surrounding community, and a musical performance like you've never seen before.
The Cornell Chimesmasters perform a regular program of three concerts daily while classes are in session and a modified schedule during exams and breaks. Please check the concert schedule for complete concert and special event information.
Quick Links
Contact Information
The Cornell Chimes
B07 Day Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853-2801
607-255-5350
Please address any comments or questions to chimes@cornell.edu.