Children’s Bell Tower

Un endroit à voir, notamment avec des enfants.
Il faut lire l’histoire pour apprécier d’avantage ce lieu.

I had been wanting to visit the Children’s bell tower for quite some time and it was more beautiful and spiritual than I had even expected. It was a great place to pray, very quiet, not many visitors and I felt very at peace. ***Highly Recommended*** for a short stop

Stopped by on our way through town. Very beautiful bell tower. Hard not to feel sad when reading about Nicholas Green. Glad we could stop and pay our respects.

After stumbling upon the information about this site I had to make the stop while we were in Bodega Bay. The history behind this tower is fascinating (please google it). What a great way to honor this little boy. Easy to find and a peaceful little place.

I had read about the Children’s Bell Tower and wanted to stop on our coastal trip. It is easy to miss as you drive through this little town. We stopped in the visitor center for directions. The woman there gave us directions and a paper telling about Nicolas Green Foundation. It is a non-​profit organization dedicated to furthering the cause of organ & tissue donation around the world. It tells about the Green family and also of the seven recipients who benefited from Nicolas organ donations.
The Bell Tower park is very peaceful. There was a slight breeze, so we heard a bit of the bells ring.
Such a tragedy, but from this came so much good, which is called «The Nicholas Effect, which has opened hearts and changed attitudes for the common good».

Walk down the path to Nicholas’s memorial, contemplate his sweet little life, the gift his parents gave to all those people, and then continue down to the ethereal Children’s Bell Tower. Finally, stand beneath the bells and take it all in — the bells and the breeze and the sheer beauty of this beautiful spot. Even though this is only 10 seconds off of Highway 1, it is a little unknown gem and you will most likely have the place all to yourself. (And please let your loved ones know if you would like to be an organ donor.)

Geocached in the area and stopped by. Kind of an interesting off road must see.

Very cool spot with a great meaning.
I won’t repeat what was said before but it was created for a great little boy.
Cool factor: buy a little toy to bring to the bell tower to leave for the boy. There is a small rock wall barrier around the tower and if you look at it carefully there are little empty spots with lots of little toys left in there for him.

I love venturing out to find the local flavors of cities big and small that I visit. The Children’s Bell Tower ranks #1 on my Bodega Bay list.
A lovely memorial that you have to make a pit stop for even if you are just driving through. If you come on a breezy day you get the full experience!

Located about 1 ½ miles north of a Bodega Bay is a beautiful tribute to children everywhere. Inspired by the tragic death of local schoolboy Nicholas Green, the tower is 18 feet high with three tubular steel pyramids consisting of 140 bells, most of which were sent by Italians: school bells, church bells, ships’ bells, mining bells, cow bells. The bell in the center, approximately thirty inches high, is from the Marinelli foundry in Italy, which has been making bells for the papacy for a thousand years. Nicholas’ name and the names of the seven organ recipients are on it. Pope John Paul II even went to the foundry to bless it.
The wind was still when we visited but we’re told that whenever it blows, the bells chime, sometimes a few at a time, sounding like happy children at play. Then the sound fades away, and the children are gone. I would have loved to have heard it!

The Children’s Bell Tower is really cool, pics above. It was inspired by the 1994 shooting in Italy of Nicholas Green of Bodega Bay (who was 7 yrs old) by highway robbers. His parents donated his organs so that 7 Italians could have a better life.
The memorial was designed by Bruce Hasson, a Bay Area sculptures. Families, schools, & churches all over Italy donated bells to be hung on the three towers. 130 bells were used, the centerpiece was made by the Marinelli Foundry. The centerpiece bell was blessed by Pope John Paul II. It has the names of Nicholas & the 7 sick ppl who were given a new chance to live a full life.
The memorial is next to the Community Center, on the ocean side of Hwy 1, about 1.5 mi from the visitor center.