Silver Dollar City’s unique Harvey Water Clock
Sometimes amazing things are “hidden” in plain sight. Each day that Silver Dollar City, Branson’s award winning 1880s styled theme park, is open, literally thousands of people entering the park walk within 50 feet of one of its most unique items without even noticing that it’s there.
At first glance it appears to be a large water wheel, but upon closer examination it becomes apparent that it’s much more. According to the sign near the wheel, it’s a unique “Harvey Water Clock,” patented in 1798.The clock requires no winding, batteries, or solar power. It operates as water flows down a trough through its unique “Fly Ball Governor,” which controls the movement of the hands on its display as the water passes through and goes on to the water wheel.
In addition, the water clock displays the Year, Month, Day, and Hour. The picture of the clock displayed was taken at 9:53 AM on May 30, 2012. At first glance, it appears that the year is wrong because the Year is displayed as 1882, when it’s actually 2012. The clock only displays the last digit of the current year, which is the last digit of the year the hand is on; in this case the hand is on 2, the last digit in the year displayed 1882, and the current year, 2012.
The Harvey Water Clock is located in front of Guest Services, located on your right as you walk through the main entrance into the park and approach the turnstiles. Not only is it unique to see, it’s also a wonderful spot to take a one-of-a-kind photo as a remembrance of a special day at Silver Dollar City.
“It’s just one of many things to experience and share as part of a wonderful day of fun, exploration, adventure, and excitement at Silver Dollar City,” said Annette Wood, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Branson Tourism Center. Wood reminds potential Branson visitors that, although the last day of its 2015 season is December 30, it reopens for its 2016 season on March 12.
For more information about Silver Dollar City or any of Branson’s other shows, attractions, or lodging, please contact the Branson Tourism Center (BTC), one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services and sellers of over 4.5 million Branson show and attraction tickets. BTC can be reached by calling 1-800-785-1550, or through its web site www.BransonTourismCenter.com.