A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
Return of the Bells
The Campanile, one of the UNI’s most iconic structures, now rings out with a newly restored set of bells. Refurbished by The Verdin Company of Cincinnati, 46 bells returned to campus on Monday, May 1 of 2023, along with nine new bells, equipping the Campanile carillon with a vastly expanded musical range.
That week starting on May 1, Panther students, alumni and friends visited campus to get a once-in-a-lifetime photo with the bells before they were re-installed. The Campanile’s first 14 bells were on the ground for the public to see up close, something that hasn’t happened since the Campanile was originally built in 1926.
Many of the bells were dedicated to various groups, and all were encouraged to come get pictures with their bell; citizens of Cedar Falls, wartime heroes, teachers and many others had bells that were on display. Learn more about the Campanile's ongoing renovation and how you can support the project.
Return of the Bells
Students, alumni and community members took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a piece of UNI history up close. As The Verdin Company finished their work over the next week, the bells rang out once again -- just in time for spring commencement ceremonies for more than 1,400 graduates.
Return of the Bells
Students, alumni and community members took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a piece of UNI history up close. As The Verdin Company finished their work over the next week, the bells rang out once again -- just in time for spring commencement ceremonies for more than 1,400 graduates.
Return of the Bells
Students, alumni and community members took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a piece of UNI history up close. As The Verdin Company finished their work over the next week, the bells rang out once again -- just in time for spring commencement ceremonies for more than 1,400 graduates.
Return of the Bells
Students, alumni and community members took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a piece of UNI history up close. As The Verdin Company finished their work over the next week, the bells rang out once again -- just in time for spring commencement ceremonies for more than 1,400 graduates.
What's Next?
Revive the Plaza
Phase two of the Campanile project will revive the Campanile plaza, which is a fixture of the UNI experience. The current plaza has become overgrown with dated landscaping that obscures the view of the Campanile across campus. Please help us restore this
high-traffic area and redesign the plaza to showcase the Campanile for all to enjoy.
The project consists of two main components:
Campanile History Recap
When the Campanile was built, it stood at the geographic center of our then eighty-acre campus and quickly became the most recognizable building at UNI. Though our campus has grown considerably since then, the Campanile remains figuratively at the center of campus imagery to this day.
With the current restorations that are being made the UNI Campanile should remain standing and active for many years to come. Learn more about the history of the Campanile.
2007
In 2007, UNI's student government led a charge to replace the playing keyboard and acquire a new D# bell, practice keyboard and new hardware to connect the bells to the keyboard. When the bells began playing again, campus felt as though it had healed a bit since the loss of Bob Byrnes in 2004.
