Cuckoo Cuckoo for Cuckoo Clocks: The World's Largest Cuckoo Clock in Sugarcreek, Ohio

One July day, my mom, who is a Breaking Amish fan, suggested going to Sugar Creek, Ohio, to go shopping and visit Der Dutchman. The Amish pride themselves on their carpentry skills and baked goods. For those who do not know what that is, it’s basically the Amish version of the Golden Corral chain. 

Aside from the Amish, it is also known as Little Switzerland. Sugarcreek is dubbed the Little Switzerland of Ohio. As the name suggests, there is a Swiss community as well. Cultural festivals are held annually. One thing I know for sure the Amish and Swiss have in common is their love for cheese. This is why there is a boom in cheese-making facilities in that area.  

While I am a certified cheese lover, I need to focus on another topic: A giant cuckoo clock in the center of Little Switzerland. 

In 1972, the giant clock was built. Its size measures twenty-three feet tall and twenty-four feet wide. It took twelve years to complete, and the budget was estimated to be $50,000. The clock was commissioned for a restaurant in Wilmot, Ohio. It was featured on the 1977 Guinness Book of World Records cover. 

The clock was relocated to Sugarcreek's Main St. in 2012. Every half hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., a cuckoo clock, a bird pops out, and the show begins. The only time the clock does not run is during the winter. I came at the right time, as it was close to noon. 

The big hand reached twelve. Miniature figures of five robot Swiss polka band members donning Bavarian outfits emerged from the clock, and Oomph-pa music was played. Two figures of a man and a woman, also in Bavarian outfits dancing, spun around as the music played. Once the song and dance were over, the dancers stopped and returned to their homes on the clock.