Cuckooland Museum

The Cuckooland Museum was a private collection of cuckoo clocks housed in an old school building in Cheshire. Brothers Roman and Maz Piekarski started it in 1990 after moving into the premises in 1989. Both had trained as clockmakers in Manchester since the age of 15, which led to their lifelong fascination with cuckoo clocks. They began collecting in the 1970s when few people wanted them, as battery and electric clocks were more popular. Their aim was to preserve the craftsmanship of Black Forest cuckoo clocks, recognising its cultural importance. Without heirs or public funding, they eventually sold the collection to ensure it remained intact. The museum’s collection spanned over 150 years of cuckoo clock-making history, from the 19th century to the early 21st century. It included more than 600 cuckoo clocks of different styles, ages and manufacturers. Some of the most notable pieces were a rare ‘cuckoo and echo’ clock that imitates the bird’s natural sounds, clocks by Johann Baptist Beha, and unusual designs like Art Nouveau styles and picture frame cuckoos. The museum also displayed Black Forest fairground organs and English motorbikes alongside the clocks. Over time, it shifted its focus entirely to cuckoo clocks as the collection grew. Visitors to the museum would have found the clocks arranged in a former school building, creating a unique setting for the exhibition. The collection included trumpeter clocks, monks playing bells, and musical movements. Some cuckoos had life-sized automaton birds or painted scenes with blinking or flirting eyes. The museum’s relocation to Ireland in 2024 meant the clocks were moved to the Irish Museum of Time, where over 400 cuckoo clocks and a fairground organ are now on display.