Dozens of working antique clocks are on display for public viewing at Hotel Charlotte, our historic, boutique hotel in the gold country town of Groveland. You will find these clocks in the lobbies, dining rooms and interspersed with the Hallway Gallery, which features local painters and photographers.  This is a one-of-a kind collection, not found elsewhere on your drive into Yosemite National Park.  

For a short period two summers ago, Victor took up collecting antique clocks, (much to my dismay, but they are true classics!).  Victor has scoured EBay, Craigslist and has gone to estate sales too. No clock seems to be too far away. One day he even got in the truck and drove to Los Angeles. He drove down, saw the clock and was back 12 hours later -- with the clock, I might add. A clock trip to Missouri was made last year, without a purchase; they wanted to sell a whole shop of hundreds. He even brought a suitcase full of them back from our trip to New Zealand.  (He had to buy the suitcase in which to carry them!)  

Almost all of the clocks arrive here needing some degree of attention.  They immediately go to our friend, neighbor, and clock master, for fixing and cleaning. Then I start to fuss at Victor's added investment!  But all of them are very beautiful, some hundreds of years old. Most from places very far away.

Here are some details on just a few of the clocks we have, but there are many more of which the documentation has yet to be written. Better yet, come in and let Victor tell you all about them himself.  He loves to do that!  

Oak German Box Clock - 8 Day - 1890s – Maker is Junjhans - Oak Box with Beveled glass door, Gong on the half hour, Cleaned and oiled Class German Box Clock - 8 Day - Turn of the century (early 1900’s) - German movement Solid Oak box in excellent shape ––with leaded/beveled glass door - Gong on the half hour - Cleaned and oiled School House Clock – 8 day clock - Seth Thomas 1890’s - Pine with glass door - Gong on the half hour - Cleaned and oiled Shelf Pillar Clock – 30 hour - 1840’s - Jerome Clock Co. (later known as New Haven Clock Coo.) Veneer on Pine with two steel weights - Gong on the half hour - Cleaned and oiled Vienna Regulator – 8 day - Late 1800’s - Austria - Porcelain face with second hand and two weights Oak wood with mixed hardwood accents - Cleaned and oiled Art Deco Kienzle Clock – 8 Day - Rosewood box, French movement -Leaded glass door Westminister chime on quarter hour - Gongs on the Hour - Cleaned and oiled

The addition of these clocks has added a new ambience to our historic hotel, providing a whole new set of stories to tell. This clock came from Argentina, but was made in Japan. That one is a one-of-a-kind master piece owned by a little old lady who only used it once a week to see if it was time to go to church... Another is a two weight. And isn't this a nice one? A Seth Thomas. I think I will have to learn a little something more about clocks now. We have taken our previously bare hallway walls on the second floor where the guest rooms are and have added a collection of historic building photographs by Terri Metz sprinkled with a clock here, and one there—all chimeless of course!

The dining room has one grandfather clock and seven wall clocks, and with the fireplace and the handful of mantle clocks we found in New Zealand, on our recipe research trip, and a smattering of Terri Metz photos, the room looks lovely. These clocks make for a great reason to choose Highway 120 as your entry gateway to Yosemite, some are one of a kind—all are interesting.

Seasons Open: All Year Round

The main floor of the Hotel Charlotte is wheel chair accessible.

The downstairs parlor and gallery area of Hotel Charlotte are pet friendly, in fact Goose the Mayor of Groveland, who is a dog, lives there!