Harkness Tower — Attraction in New Haven

Ah, Harkness Tower—Yale’s tribute to Captain Jack Harkness, the roguishly charming time-traveling hero from Doctor Who. What a sight to behold! Standing tall at 216 feet, it’s easy to imagine Jack himself lounging at the top, scarfing down a bag of jelly babies (not canon, but let me dream) while regaling passing students with tales of intergalactic flirtations.

The intricate carvings and gothic spires clearly hint at its TARDIS-like qualities—bigger on the inside, no doubt, if you’re brave enough to find the secret door. As I strolled through the campus, I half expected a vortex manipulator to fall from the sky, or perhaps a Dalek to roll out from behind a shrubbery shouting “Ex-ter-mi-YALE!”

But let’s talk sound. The carillon bells are rumored to chime Doctor Who’s theme if you catch them at the right hour—or maybe that’s just the enthusiastic Whovian inside me interpreting an out-of-tune “Clocks” by Coldplay. Either way, they bring an otherworldly magic to this earthly campus.

If Captain Jack truly inspired this masterpiece, it makes perfect sense. Its bold elegance and timeless charm mirror the man himself, and it’s only fitting that a structure named after him should be as much of a showstopper. My only complaint? No visible Rift. What’s the point of a Harkness tribute if I can’t spot a Weevil or hop into Cardiff at a moment’s notice? Still, 10/10, would avoid...

The tower rises, stark against the New Haven sky. Brick and stone reach up. Gothic lines cut sharp. No frills. Just power.

Harkness stands tall. Two hundred sixteen feet. One foot for each year of Yale's life when they built it. It's part of Memorial Quadrangle. Anna Harkness gave it to honor her dead son Charles.

James Gamble Rogers designed it. Lee Lawrie did the sculptures. Started in 1917. Finished in 1921. Now it's part of Branford College.

The base is square. It narrows as it climbs. At the top, a double stone crown sits on eight sides. Copper clock faces mark the hours. Bells hang behind them.

Inside, there are stairs. Two hundred eighty-four of them. They lead past a water tank, practice rooms, and office space. At the top, stone finials pierce the sky.

The sculptures tell stories. Yale's great men. Ancient thinkers. Ideas in stone. At the peak, gargoyles watch. They show Yale's students. At war. At study. The tower speaks of Yale's history. Its power. Its permanence.

They say it's built to last. They added steel in '66 to hold the bells. The stone stands strong. It will outlast us all.

Stone fingers reach skyward, Gothic dreams in masonry. Time's face...

Pretty cool historic tower in Yale. Walking around campus takes you back to early Europe with castles and stone carved buildings. Or its a trip through Hogwarts. Weren't able to go inside it but the details on the stone...