Tomorrowland 1955: A World of Time Awaits

The Clock of the World, a striking and futuristic landmark, stood at the original entrance to Tomorrowland. Rising approximately fifteen feet tall, this one-of-a-kind clock displayed the time in twenty-four different time zones and was a combination of art and functionality. 

Designed to resemble an hourglass, the structure featured a rotating world map and celestial illustrations of the Sun and Moon crowning its top—symbolizing the passage of time on a planetary scale.

On opening day in 1955, the Clock of the World embodied Walt Disney’s vision of a bright and connected future. Guests could align a city on the globe with the hour marker above it while a separate sphere indicated the minutes past the hour—offering a glimpse at what time it was anywhere on Earth (excluding regions with non-hourly time offsets like Newfoundland).

Though it eventually became outdated and was removed by 1966, the Clock of the World served as both a functional world chronometer and a work of modern art, echoing Tomorrowland’s hopeful promise: that the future is just a tick away.