Salmon Run Bell Tower

Church bells, clock towers, chimes of any kind. If I’m out and about, walking, there’s nothing like the ringing of a bell to stop me dead in my tracks. I just can’t help but look around for the source of the music.

The Salmon Run Bell Tower in downtown Vancouver, WA, anchors the SE corner of a 12,000 brick plaza in Esther Short Park. Its 35 carillon bells–cast in the Netherlands and shipped to Vancouver–chime every hour from 8 am to 8 pm.

The red brick tower, dedicated in 2002, is 69 feet tall. Four five-foot bronze salmon appear to “leap” from the jets of water streaming down its sides. Over 2 dozen basalt columns, scattered about, serve as benches around the base.

The bell tower also features a Glockenspiel diorama that appears at noon, 2, 4, 6, and 8 pm. The three-scene diarama tells the story of the Pacific Salmon and its importance to the Chinook Indians, the original inhabitants of this region.

The Salmon Run Bell Tower is located at the corner of 6th and Columbia Streets in Vancouver, WA. Driving Directions: From I-5, take Exits 1C-1D. Go west on Mill Plain Blvd to Columbia Street. Turn left on Columbia and follow it all the way down to 6th Street.

Special note: Metered parking only, so don’t forget to bring along some change.