Visit the Zimmer Tower and the exhibition on time and space in the pavilion. You will discover the life's work of Louis Zimmer, who was passionate about clocks and astronomy.
Following a fascinating introduction to the big bang, you can admire the ingenious workings of the Wonder Clock, the Jubilee Clock and the Astronomical Studio. You can actually see the mechanism working inside the Zimmer Tower.
The former Cornelius tower from the 13th century, part of the old city walls, was transformed into the Zimmer Tower in 1930. Zimmer donated the Jubilee Clock to the town of Lier in honour of Belgium's 100th anniversary.
The pavilion was added in 1960, especially for the Wonder Clock. In this pavilion you will also find the exhibition on time and space, with a projection of the big bang.
Zimmer Tower and Jubilee Clock
On the front facade of the Zimmer Tower you can see the fascinating Jubilee Clock, with 13 different dials.
At precisely 12 o'clock, the "carousel" appears on the right hand side of the tower. Above that you can see 4 little automatons. These figures represent the 4 stages of life.
Wonder Clock
Louis Zimmer built the Wonder Clock for the World's Fair in Brussels in 1935.
The clock was later exhibited in New York, where it impressed Einstein.
The Wonder Clock is almost 5 m high, weighs 2 tons, has 93 dials and 14 automatons.
It also contains the slowest moving mechanical hand in the world: one rotation every 25,800 years.
Astronomical Studio
Louis Zimmer installed the Astronomical Studio in the tower, to bring the public closer to astronomy. Thanks to a finely calibrated mechanism, visitors gain more insight into the universe and the solar system.
The most famous tower in Lier houses the Jubilee Clock, an ingenious clock with 13 different time displays, designed by Louis Zimmer.
Zimmer was passionate about clocks and astronomy. His most important works can be found in the Zimmer Museum and the Zimmer Tower.
The Zimmer Pavilion is wheelchair accessible, but the tower is not. At the desk you can watch a movie about the interior of the Zimmer Tower.
