Existing comment:
Netherlands Carillon; Bells Close-Up
The Netherlands Carillon was a gift from the Netherlands to the United States for the US' help during World War II. The carillon with 49 bells was temporarily installed on West Potomac Park in May 1954. The permanent structure was installed near the US Marine Corps War Memorial (the Iwo Jima memorial) in 1960. Since then, another bell has been added.
The whole thing weighs over 61,000 pounds. The largest bell weighs 12,654 pounds of that total. The tower itself is closed most of the time, being opened during live performances which happen about once a week on weekends during the summer. Then you can go up and take pictures or whatever.
The Netherlands paid for the structure and pays to have someone perform each week (at $500/pop in 1997) as well as taking care of 13,000 tulip bulbs on the grounds. I can't imagine anything in the US budget being this reliable. |