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Central Business District in Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano

Verdin

 
 
World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 27, 2016
1. World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano Marker
Click on photo to enlarge.
Inscription.
This one-of-a-kind structure was designed and built by Cincinnati’s Verdin Company. Sensors under the piano keys electronically cause the strikers at the top of the structure to ring the chimes.

The chimes themselves are historic. They were installed in 1946 in a church in central Pennsylvania and later saved from the wrecking ball by Jim Verdin. These rare, bronze tubular chimes were originally manufactured by Deagan Chime of Chicago. The unusual shape of the chimes reflects the harmonic tuning of each chime. The Deagan company was purchased by Verdin in 1973.

Verdin has a long history with the site of the park. Their first factory, built in 1842, was located blocks away, at 123 Broadway, the current site of Great American Ballpark. The Foot Piano was fabricated in their current factory in Cincinnati’s East End, just a few miles from the park. The Verdin Company manufactures bronze bells, street clocks, tower clocks and carillons, and these have been installed at over 50,000 sites all over the world.

The piano is designed to play pre-recorded music and to sound on the hour. Most of the time it can be played with your feet.

To operate the keyboard, press your full weight with the ball of your foot in the center of the black or white circular medallions then fully remove your weight.

The
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Piano generally operates from 10 am to 11 pm and is closed in the winter.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicEntertainmentIndustry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Historic Bells series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1946.
 
Location. 39° 5.722′ N, 84° 30.643′ W. Marker has been reported damaged. Marker is in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Hamilton County. It is in the Central Business District. It can be reached from Ohio River Scenic Byway (U.S. 52) east of Elm Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11 E Mehring Way, Cincinnati OH 45202, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and in the Ohio River Valley. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: John A. Roebling Bridge (a few steps from this marker); Emery and Kroger Historic Foundation Walls (within shouting distance of this marker); Marian A. Spencer (within shouting distance of this marker); 1 West Vine Street (within shouting distance of this marker); About the Labyrinth (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Black Brigade of Cincinnati (about 600 feet away); Harriet Tubman - The Beacon Of Hope (about 700 feet away); Riverfront Stadium Home Plate Location (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cincinnati.
 
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World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 1, 2025
2. World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano Marker
As of 2025, the marker has lost its legibility, and the piano has lost its ability to chime.
this marker.
The marker is located in Smale Riverfront Park, just to the west of the Roebling Suspension Bridge.
 
World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano - Day View image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 27, 2016
3. World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano - Day View
The marker is visible here on the left, with the Roebling Suspension Bridge framed by the chime structure, and with the Ohio River and Covington, KY visible in the background.
World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano - Night View image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, April 25, 2016
4. World’s Largest Chime Foot Piano - Night View
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 22, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,031 times since then and 49 times this year. Last updated on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. Photos:   1. submitted on September 22, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.   2. submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.   3, 4. submitted on September 22, 2016, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
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Jul. 3, 2026