Would you like to have an experience of a lifetime – playing the Mahanay Memorial Carillon?  You would be called a Mahanay Maestro!  This rare opportunity to play the 4 octave carillon will be available to musicians with at least 2 years of piano experience. 

The keyboard is electronically connected to the 47 bells in the tower.  The community will be able to hear these concerts between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday, July 23 in Jefferson.  Musicians may sign up and pay the $10 fee at the 168 ft. Mahanay Bell Tower- which will be easy to locate in the downtown square. Maestros will need to climb the stairs to the level above the lobby area.  For $10, one song selection can be played with music books available.  Floyd Mahanay specified in his will that selections of sacred and patriotic music must be played 50% of the time.  The Bell Tower Foundation has decided that 80’s music could be chosen to play on July 23 with a nod to the Highway to Bells Jefferson RAGBRAI theme.  A staff member will assist the musicians in playing the carillon.  Each will also receive a Mahanay Maestro button to declare their experience.  

The Mahanay Bell Tower will be open to the public on July 23 from 10 am – 9 pm.  The experienced Bell Tower Staff will share the story of the Tower and lead tours to the 120 ft. glass enclosed Paul Nally Observation Deck accessed by elevator.  The view of rural Iowa is spectacular and unique. Rooftop art can only be seen from this vantage point. The long line of cyclists on the Highway to Bells will be quite the sight from the top of the Tower. A photo op in the observation deck will be available with people encouraged to #irodethehighwaytobells  or #mahanaybelltower

The Mahanay Tower was built in 1966 with 14 bells.  For the 50th anniversary in 2016, the Bell Tower Foundation Board raised funds and received grants to expand the tower to 47 bells.  The additional bells were installed just one year ago.  The Westminster Chimes play each hour and quarter hour.  Two songs are played after each hour with a Tower Tunes Live Concert played daily by musicians from 12:15 – 12:30 p.m.  The non-profit Bell Tower Foundation Board works to enhance the Tower collaboratively with the Greene County Board of Supervisors who own and maintain the Tower. 

Admission to the Mahanay Bell Tower is $3 for over 18 yrs. and free to 18 & younger courtesy of the Jefferson Hy-Vee. 

One of the founding fathers of RAGBRAI visited Jefferson and the Mahanay Tower on Sunday, July 1.  John Karras and his family spent the day with John Brunow of All Ability Cycles.  They rode the Van Raam Fun2Go around the Square.  They stopped that Mahanay Bell Tower to see the view and hear the bells.  John and his family were amazed at the Rockin’ to RAGBRAI piano located on the plaza with John’s picture painted on it.  This public piano is full of other likenesses – both local and state-wide – of those who cycling has been a big part of their lives.