Louisville Falls Fountain facts for kids
The Louisville Falls Fountain was a huge water fountain that floated in the Ohio River near downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was meant to be a big attraction for visitors. People said it was the tallest floating fountain in the world! It shot out 15,800 gallons of water every minute, making a beautiful shape like a fleur-de-lis.
This amazing fountain had colorful lights and ran every day from Memorial Day until Thanksgiving. It would operate from morning until midnight. In the winter, it was stored in Utica, Indiana. When it was working, you could see it from the Belle of Louisville steamboat, the Belvedere, and other parts of downtown Louisville. You could also spot it from the riverfront in Jeffersonville and Clarksville.
The fountain was a part of Louisville from 1988 to 1998. It stopped working after an explosion and was then shut down.
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The Amazing Louisville Falls Fountain
The Louisville Falls Fountain was a truly special sight. It was designed to be a symbol for the city, much like the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Imagine a giant water display floating right on the river!
How the Fountain Worked
The fountain was shaped like an octagon and controlled by computers. It was placed near where the Belle of Louisville steamboat docked. The water shot up in a unique fleur-de-lis pattern, which is a design that looks like a lily flower. At night, the fountain glowed with different colored lights, making it even more spectacular.
A Look Back: The Fountain's Story
The Louisville Falls Fountain was officially opened on August 19, 1988. This was just a few days after Barry Bingham Sr., who helped fund the project, passed away. He and his wife, Mary Caperton Bingham, gave $2.6 million to build and maintain the fountain. They were inspired by the Jet d'Eau fountain in Geneva, Switzerland. They hoped Louisville's fountain would become a famous landmark.
Why the Fountain Stopped Working
Building and running the fountain turned out to be more expensive than expected. It also had several problems, which quickly used up the money set aside for its care. Eventually, the Louisville Water Company took over its maintenance. To save money, they even lowered the water's maximum height from 420 feet to 375 feet.
On September 27, 1998, a big problem occurred: the fountain's main pump exploded. This caused the entire system to break down. The mayor at the time, Jerry Abramson, announced a few days later that it was too expensive to fix. So, the city decided to keep it shut down and later sold it for scrap metal. The fountain remained floating and tied to a barge on the Ohio River near New Albany, Indiana, for some time before it was taken apart.
