Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower - Historical place museum in Baltimore - 21 S Eutaw St UNIT 1002, USA

Waiting for the start of a nasty-weather game at M&T Bank Stadium, we decided to explore the clock tower and art galleries. It was fun. The clock, which is over 100 y.o. with faces in four directions, is fascinating to see. The cost was $8 per person. There were only two artists (that we saw, at least) but they both took time to describe their work and techniques. Nice!

This visit was very worthwhile. According to the sign on the street, the clock tower ‘tour’ runs from 11 am to 4pm on Saturday only. It was minimally priced. As a senior I paid only $6. The charm of the building starts with the elevator floor dial. It’s one of those arched dials with a pointer that move to show you what’s floor the elevator is at. The clock tower is just above the 15th floor, and the Bromo Seltzer museum on that floor is very interesting. The star of the show is the clock tower room. What I first noticed was the clacking of the relays that control the elevators. In this digital electronics age, it was a blast to see an old fashioned relay panel (at least it was to me). There are also the old Otis motors running the elevators. The clock mechanism is pretty amazing. Driven by weights and regulated by a pendulum, the intricate drive turns the hands on four dials simultaneously. The guide said that the clock advances two seconds for every swing of the pendulum. The frosted glass dials are held in by massive clamps, which look like they can be removed to do maintenance on the clock hands. You also see the led floods that back illuminate the dials at night. And finally, you can walk down the stairway to see informal exhibits of the resident artists’ works. All in all, a worthwhile hour-and-a-half on a Saturday morning.

My grandsons enjoyed the visit. The folks there shared interesting facts about the tower and were patient and eager to answer their questions. Thank you to the staff. You guys made the visit nice. I have lived in the Baltimore vicinity for over 60 years. This was my first visit to the tower. It was great.

The self-guided tour of the tower with both art galleries and the clockworks is a definite hidden gem in downtown Baltimore. A 3 room exhibit on the top floor houses a museum of Emerson Drug company history, advertising, and the iconic blue bottles. Views of the downtown area are nice from the 15th floor. The one thing this site lacks is a gift shop, but the stairwell art exhibits and guides in both the museum rooms and clockwork room make up for it. A nice hour or so worth of nostalgia with a uniquely Baltimore twist. Take the elevator or make the 15 floor climb to the top, but note that the clockworks room is accessed only by a ship's ladder style staircase, so there is no handicapped access to the clockworks room.

The bromo Seltzer tower is impressive architecturally, the history behind it is also quite interesting. The glass bottle collection is nice to see, the presentation about Bromo Seltzer and its founder, Isaac Emerson well worth attending. Overall, a captivating visit about Baltimore memorabilia, I had always seen the tower as I drove by, I really wanted to visit it and I was finally able to do it.

Wish I could give this beautiful building more stars but it was just very underwhelming compared to the pictures. I'm glad I saw it but I didn't learn anything, it's more of an art gallery with an awkward semi self-guided tour through what feels like an apartment building.

The tower visit is lots of fun! You can talk to the artists and see them working. The tower has interesting historical details.

Barbie and I took a trip to see “While we’re Young” an exhibition by dear friend and American painter Will Watson at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower. Curated by Kirk Shannon-Butts, this installation took us up and down memory lane! The colors that he so perfectly selects are striking and will make your heart dance. This is a must see - on display from October 6-November 23, 2022. More reviews & photos on IG @melissasktheartist