Eakins Oval Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Eakins Oval
Washington Monument at Eakins Oval
Location
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates:	39°57′49″N 75°10′43″W / 39.96361°N 75.17861°W / 39.96361; -75.17861
Roads at junction:	Benjamin Franklin Parkway Spring Garden Street Kelly Drive Martin Luther King Jr. Drive 24th Street
Construction
Maintained by:	City of Philadelphia
Map
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Eakins Oval is a large traffic circle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This oval sits right in front of the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The Eakins Oval has many fountains and monuments in its center. It also has paths for people to walk on. This road loop usually has a lot of cars. It connects the main part of the city to Fairmount Park, Kelly Drive, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Sometimes, the roads around Eakins Oval are closed to cars. This happens during big events like parades, concerts, or festivals. For example, it was a main stage for the Live 8 Philadelphia concert and the Budweiser Made in America Festival. The 2017 NFL Draft also used Eakins Oval as its stage.

The idea for Eakins Oval came from an urban planner named Jacques Gréber. He designed it in 1917 as part of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway plan. The oval is named after Thomas Eakins. He was a famous painter and art teacher from Philadelphia.

Part of the oval on the southeast side is used as a parking lot. It used to be part of the Parkway. But changes to traffic in the 1960s made it a separate area.

The Washington Monument Fountain
Other Fountains Nearby
Underground Tunnels
Gallery
See also

The Washington Monument Fountain

Washington Monument
Horse and rider.
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
Official name: Washington Fountain

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A buffalo statue at the base of the monument.

A bear statue at the base of the monument.

Right inside the northwest edge of Eakins Oval is the Washington Monument fountain. It stands in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs. A sculptor named Rudolf Siemering designed this monument. It was first put up in 1897 at the Green Street entrance to Fairmount Park.

In 1928, the monument was moved to its current spot. This happened after the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was finished. In 1997, the statue was repaired. Margo Berg from the Philadelphia Art Commission led this work. The statue had become loose, and the fountain was not working well. The repairs were finished in June 1997. This was 100 years after it was first put up.

The monument is made of bronze and granite. It shows George Washington in uniform riding a horse. Washington and his horse are on top of the fountain. They face southeast, looking down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway towards Philadelphia City Hall. The face of the sculpture was made from a real impression of George Washington. The body of the horse was based on a Prussian General's horse. The bottom part of the monument has statues of Native Americans and animals. These animals are native to the United States, like buffalo and bears.

Other Fountains Nearby

The Washington Monument fountain has two smaller fountains next to it. These fountains honor Eli Kirk Price and John Ericsson.

Underground Tunnels

Two tunnels run underneath Eakins Oval. They were built in the 1920s. This was at the same time as the Oval, the Parkway, and the Art Museum. The lower tunnel was for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Today, CSX owns it. Freight trains still use its single track.

The upper tunnel used to carry streetcars. These were part of the Spring Garden Street line (Route 43). This tunnel was rebuilt in 1960. It now carries cars going one way (westbound only) on Spring Garden Street. Today, SEPTA buses for Route 43 go around the Oval. They do not use the tunnel.