Philadelphia City Hall —
Philadelphia City Hall, PhiladelphiaCompleted: 1901
Height: 167 meters (548 feet)
Chief architect: John McArthur, Jr.
Observation deck
While ascending to the Philadelphia City Hall's observation deck in a tiny elevator, visitors can see the internal workings of the tower, the four big clocks as well as views away from the tower.
Special features
Standing on the top of the tower is a 37-feet-high bronze statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania and planner of Philadelphia. Next to Penn are four smaller bronze statues depicting the first people in Philadelphia -- immigrants from Sweden and Native Americans.
More facts on Philadelphia City Hall in the next slide.
Philadelphia City Hall —
Philadelphia City Hall, PhiladelphiaPlanned 200 years before ground was broken, Philadelphia City Hall was designed to be the tallest structure in the world. But construction took so long (1871-1901) that the Eiffel Tower (301 meters) was completed first. It remained the tallest occupied building until 1908 and it's still the biggest city hall in the United States in terms of floor space.
Philadelphia City Hall, Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia
Old Town Astronomical Clock (Prague) —
Old Town Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech RepublicCompleted: 1410
Height: 59 meters (193 feet)
Builders: Co-built by clockmaker Mikulas of Kadane and Jan Sindel, a mathematics and astrology professor at Charles University in Prague.
Observation deck
For $5, visitor can tour the tower and access the observation deck, which sits above the clock.
Special features
Each hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., models of the Twelve Apostles are set in motion. Each has a distinctive feature -- St. Peter for example is holding a key (to the Kingdom of Heaven). Other figures standing next to the dial include a Grim Reaper and a man looking into a mirror, representing mankind's vanity.
More on Prague's Old Town Astronomical Clock the next slide.
Old Town Astronomical Clock (Prague) —
Old Town Astronomical Clock, Prague, Czech RepublicLegend claims the clock's maker, Mikulas of Kadane, was blinded by city officials after completing this clock, so he couldn't build another. An informative website for the Old Town Hall explains how to read the astronomical clock (tracking time is a secondary function) and includes facts such as, "if it is a leap year, the wheel does not move one night."
Astronomical Clock at Old Town Hall, Staromestske nam. 1/3, Prague 1 - Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic
Ferry Buliding Marketplace (San Francisco) —
Ferry Building Marketplace, San FranciscoCompleted: 1898
Height: 75 meters (245 feet)
Architect: A. Page Brown
Special features
The building beneath the clock tower serves as a marketplace with a farmers market, shops and restaurants. Free walking tours start at noon on Saturdays and Tuesdays, coinciding with the farmers' market.
Tough history
San Francisco's Ferry Building survived the city's two major earthquakes in 1906 and 1989. The Ferry Building became near obsolete after the opening of Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge.
In 1957 the double-deck Embarcadero Freeway was built, blocking the face of the building. It wasn't until the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that the freeway was damaged and removed and the facade was visible again.
Ferry Building Marketplace, 1 Sausalito, San Francisco
Old Port Clock Tower (Montreal) —
Old Port Clock Tower, MontrealCompleted: 1922
Height: 45 meters (148 feet)
Observation deck
Free to access between May and September with 192 steps to ascend.
Special feature
From May to September, a temporary urban beach opens at the base of the Clock Tower. The beach has a restaurant, a bar, showers and live entertainment at night.
There's no direct access to the water, due to strong currents.
More on the Old Port Clock Tower on the next slide.
Old Port Clock Tower (Montreal) —
Old Port Clock Tower, MontrealThe tower is lit at night with bright lights that highlight its white coloring. The clock mechanism was built in London in 1921 by Gillett & Johnson, the company that designed the mechanism in the clock tower in the Palace of Westminster in London. Space was reserved next to the clock for a bell to ring each hour, but it was never installed.
The tower also honors men of the merchant navy lost at sea during World War I.
Old Port of Montreal, 333 Rue de la Commune Ouest, Montreal
Zytglogge Tower (Bern, Switzerland) —
Zytglogge Tower, Bern, SwitzerlandCompleted: 1405 (rebuilt in 1527)
Height: 16 meters (52 feet)
Observation deck
A 50-minute tour ($16) starts daily at 2:30 p.m. Reservation required.
Special features
Figurines next to the clock rotate, and every hour a larger figure appears to hammer the gilded bell that rings at the top of the tower. Apart from time, the astronomical clock also features a lunar dial, 12 zodiac signs, a calendar dial and a planisphere (star chart).
Historic uses
The Clock Tower served as Bern's first western city gate during the city's expansion around 1220. It was transformed briefly into a prison before becoming a clock tower.
Bern's Clock Tower (Zytglogge), Bahnhofplatz 10a, 3011 Bern, Switzerland
Spasskaya Tower (Moscow) —
Spasskaya Tower, MoscowCompleted: 1491 (official year for the inauguration of the clock is unconfirmed)
Height: 71 meters (232 feet)
Architect: Pietro Antonio Solari
Special feature
The clock chimes a short tune every 15 minutes.
Stalinist touch
The star was added to the tip of the roof by Joseph Stalin to replace the golden eagles, a symbol of Tsarist Russia. The tower is a part of the Kremlin wall that encloses cathedrals, palaces, a square, the official residence of the country's president and a helipad.
Spasskaya Tower, Moscow Kremlin Museums, Krasnaya ploshad, 3, Moscow, Russia
Izmir Clock Tower (Izmir, Turkey) —
Izmir Clock Tower, Izmir, TurkeyCompleted: 1901
Height: 25 meters (82 feet)
Architect: Raymond Charles Pere
Special feature
There are four small fountains at the base of the tower.
Historic gesture
The clock was a present from German emperor Wilhelm II to Sultan Abdulhamit II of the Ottoman Empire as a gesture of friendship.
Izmir Clock Tower, Konak Sqaure, Izmir, Turkey
Munich Glockenspiel (Munich) —
Munich Glockenspiel, Munich, GermanyCompleted: Around 1900
Height: 85 meters (255 feet)
Architect: Georg Hauberrisser
Special features
The clock rings daily at 11 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. (from March to October), with a 12-minute show featuring 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The show includes the story of the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V and Renata of Lorraine, a jousting tournament and a traditional "coopers' dance" performed by the city's barrel makers. The clock is now part of the new town hall in Munich.
Munich Glockenspiel, Marienplatz 8, 80331 Munich, Germany
Sultan Abdul Samad Building's Clock Tower (Kuala Lumpur) —
Sultan Abdul Samad Building's Clock Tower, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCompleted: 1897
Height: 40 meters (131 feet)
Architect: A.C. Norman
Special feature
Topped with a golden dome, the building is a blend of Moorish and British design.
More on the next slide.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building's Clock Tower (Kuala Lumpur} —
Sultan Abdul Samad Building's Clock Tower, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThe clock tower marked the country's independence at midnight on August 31, 1957, when the Malaysian flag was hoisted for the first time. Jalan Raja (the main road in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building) is closed during nights of special occasions, making it easier for the public to get closer to the building.
Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Jalan Raja, Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Osaka Station City's Water Clock (Osaka) —
Osaka Station City's Water Clock, Osaka, JapanCompleted: 2011
Designer: Mitooka Eiji
Special feature
A mesmerizing water display (see video on Youtube) is the highlight of this building. As well as displaying the time, the water clock shows various graphics including cherry blossoms, tulips, fireworks and goldfish.
'Spacey' fact
The clock draws patterns by controlling with a computer the length of the water threads spilled from hundreds of small tubes. It's a patented technology developed by KOEI Co., Ltd., called "Space Printer."
Osaka Station City, Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka, Japan
Chiang Rai Clock Tower (Thailand) —
Chiang Rai Clock Tower, Chiang Rai, ThailandCompleted: 2008
Designer: Chalermchai Kositpipat
Special feature
Standing as the centerpiece of a roundabout in the city, the golden tower puts on an audio and light show every night at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. The tower was designed by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who also built the White Temple in Chiang Rai.
Chiang Rai Clock Tower, Phaholyothin Road and Banpaprakan Road, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Big Ben, The Elizabeth Tower (London) —
Big Ben, The Elizabeth Tower, Palace of Westminster, LondonCompleted: 1859
Height: 96 meters (315 feet)
Special tour
Tour is only available to UK residents who have arranged it through their local MP or a Member of the House of Lords.
Special feature
The four clock dials each feature a Latin inscription that translates to "O Lord, save our Queen Victoria the First."
More facts on the next slide.
Big Ben, The Elizabeth Tower (London) —
Big Ben, The Elizabeth Tower, Palace of Westminster, LondonBig Ben, originally the name of the biggest bell that chimed the hours, cracked two months after its first chime and remained silent for the next four years. In 1863, the bell was turned so an undamaged portion is now struck with a smaller hammer. The crack remains there today. There's a prison room in the tower that was used once to lock up a Member of Parliament. In 1880, Charles Bradlaugh had just been elected, but refused to swear allegiance to the monarch on a Bible. He was kept in the room for a night.
Big Ben, The Elizabeth Tower, Westminster, London
MORE: Big Ben fast facts