UC Berkeley Press Release
UC Berkeley's historic Campanile opens again to weekend visitors
 The 90-year-old Campanile is reopening on weekends. (UC Berkeley photo) |
"It's very exciting," said La Dawn Duvall, director of Visitor Services at UC Berkeley's Office of Public Affairs. "It's one of Cal's most enduring landmarks. It's a beacon that brings people to campus."
Renovations and post-9/11 security concerns resulted in the Campanile being closed on weekends for the past two years. It has remained open Monday through Friday. Among the renovations were improved lighting, new hoisting mechanisms for the elevator, improvements to the elevator cabin and other basic maintenance.
The Campanile, formally known as the Jane K. Sather Tower, will be open weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., although it will close for the traditional 45-minute carillon concert each Sunday that begins at 2 p.m. The tower is closed during campus holidays. General admission is $2, $1 for 3 to 17 year olds, senior citizens or California Alumni Association members with ID and free for UC Berkeley students, faculty and staff with ID and children under 3 years old.
The 1914 tower, known for its 61 bells currently in the hands of University Carillonist Jeff Davis, was designed by John Galen Howard. At 307 feet, it is the world's third largest bell and clock tower, and has sweeping views of the campus and surrounding Bay Area. An observation platform is located at the 200-foot level.
The bells that make up the carillon weigh from 19 pounds to 10,500 pounds and are located above the observation platform. In addition to the Sunday concerts, the carillon is played every day at 7:50 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.
As part of the classic core of the campus, the Campanile is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a California Historical Landmark.