News Release

Days of Peace and Remembrance: Ringing the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

NPS/Klein

News Release Date: August 2, 2024

Contact: Matthew Klein, [phone]

Contact: Ian Wilder, [phone]

Contact: Chris Derman, [phone]

Oak Ridge, TN: Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee is inviting the public to ring the International Friendship Bell at A.K. Bissell Park 79 times at dawn (6:49 am EDT) Tuesday, August 6th to commemorate the number of years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In addition, an hour before dawn park rangers will light luminarias that have been decorated with messages of peace by community members. The luminarias will remain lit throughout the commemoration event. An Oak Ridge Civic Music Association quartet will be on site throughout the event to provide accompanying music.

At this quiet event, members of the public are invited to take turns ringing the bell. Each person can ring the bell for whatever reason that speaks to them. After each bellringer has rung the bell, they are invited to record the reason why they rang the bell. Small pieces of paper and pens will be provided. Bellringers will then place the paper in a receptacle, and park staff will later catalog the papers for historical purposes.

The park understands that not everyone who wants to ring the bell will be able to come to the August 6 event. Therefore, a virtual bell ringing option will be available at https://www.nps.gov/mapr/learn/oak-ridge-friendship-bell-ringing.htm from 12:01 am EDT on August 6 through midnight PDT on August 9.

The International Friendship Bell is a symbol of unity and will carry the message of peace and international friendship into the future. At nearly seven feet tall and five feet wide, this 8,300-pound bronze bell hangs at A. K. Bissell Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where the uranium for the world’s first atomic weapons was manufactured. Designed in Oak Ridge and cast in Kyoto, Japan, the relief panels on the bell show peaceful imagery inspired by Tennessee, Japan, and the tragedies of war between the two nations. The event will be at Peace Pavilion in A.K. Bissel Park 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. For directions and information call 865-482-1942.

Visitors are encouraged to visit our website for more information about the park at www.nps.gov/mapr. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ManhattanProjectNPS, on X (formerly Twitter) at @MnhtnProjectNPS, or Instagram @manhattanprojectnps.