The Plummer Building is the landmark that defines Rochester’s skyline. Opened in 1928 on Second Street Southwest, it housed the offices of Dr. William J. Mayo and Dr. Charles H. Mayo and became the symbol of Mayo Clinic, and it is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It is named for Dr. Henry S. Plummer, the clinic physician whose ideas about the efficient, patient-centered design of a group practice shaped the building. Visitors notice the ornate marble lobby, the carved details and bas-relief caricatures, and the tall tower that rises over the surrounding hospital blocks. At the top sits a carillon of 56 bells, and Mayo Clinic’s history site says recitals are open to patients, employees and members of the public at no charge. Inside the building a historical suite on the third floor preserves artifacts from Dr. Will and Dr. Charlie Mayo, though tourism information describes interior access as limited to patients and their guests on days when they have appointments on campus. That mix of public landmark and working medical building means most visitors enjoy it from the outside, from Peace Plaza and the nearby streets, and through the carillon music.
Planning
The address is 113 Second Street Southwest, in the middle of the downtown Mayo campus, so it is easy to reach on foot from most Mayo-area hotels and from the skyway and subway network. Interior tours are not a general tourist product, so do not plan your day around entering the building unless you are visiting as a patient or companion.
Carillon recitals are open to the public, but schedules change, so check the history site before you go. Visitors with appointments often have a spare hour between visits, which makes the building a natural stop. Keep in mind that the campus is a working hospital environment, so keep voices low indoors and follow signs and staff directions.
What to expect
From the street you will see a limestone tower with Art Deco-era details, and from the plaza you can hear the bells on recital days. If you enter as a patient or companion, the marble lobby and the third-floor historical suite are the highlights, with artifacts that illustrate the Mayo brothers’ work and the early days of the group practice.
The building is a lesson in how a hospital can also be a monument, and the guides and volunteers on campus are usually generous with stories. The carillon sounds best from the open spaces nearby rather than from inside, so stand on the plaza and listen.
Making the most of it
Combine the building with Heritage Hall in the Mayo Building, the campus art tour and a stroll through Peace Plaza for a half-day of Mayo history. A guided trolley tour of Rochester adds the human story of the Mayo family before you see the bricks and bells.
Photographers get the best views of the tower from Second Street and from the plaza at the end of the day, when light warms the stone. If you are a patient, pick up a campus map at the welcome desk and ask volunteers which historical displays are open on your day.
Good to know
The Plummer Building is one of those places where the story is as interesting as the stone. Dr. Henry Plummer was a physician and inventor who contributed to the clinic’s patient record system and to the layout of the practice, and the tower reflects the idea that doctors, records and diagnostic services should be close together.
Today the building stands among far larger modern towers, which makes the historic silhouette feel even more distinctive. If you plan to visit around a holiday or weekend, expect quiet corridors and limited services, since much of the campus follows weekday schedules.
What to expect
The experience
A self-paced look at Rochester’s signature 1928 tower, with a public carillon and limited interior access.
Best time
Daytime on recital days, or late afternoon for photography.
How long
15 minutes for the exterior, up to an hour with a recital.
Tips
Check the carillon schedule, and remember interior access is generally limited to patients and guests.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Visitors who want to see the building that symbolizes Mayo Clinic.
- Families
- Children enjoy the bells, but the interior is a working medical campus.
- Couples
- A quick, atmospheric stop between meals or appointments.
- Pair with
- Heritage Hall, Peace Plaza and a Mayo family trolley tour.
- Time needed
- 30 to 60 minutes.
Good questions
When was the Plummer Building built?+
It opened in 1928 and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
Can I go inside the Plummer Building?+
Tourism information says tours are limited to patients and their guests on days they have appointments on campus, so most visitors enjoy it from outside.
How many bells are in the carillon?+
The carillon at the top of the Plummer Building has 56 bells.
Are carillon recitals free?+
Mayo Clinic’s history site lists carillon events as open to patients, employees and members of the public at no charge.
Where is the Plummer Building?+
It is at 113 Second Street Southwest in downtown Rochester, on the Mayo Clinic campus.