Louisville Falls Fountain facts for kids
The Louisville Falls Fountain was a really big fountain in Louisville, Kentucky. It was meant to be a major attraction for tourists, like a famous landmark. It started working on August 19, 1988.
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The Louisville Falls Fountain
A Big Idea for Louisville
The idea for the Louisville Falls Fountain came from a wealthy couple, Barry Bingham Sr. and Mary Caperton Bingham. They loved a famous fountain they saw in Lake Geneva, Switzerland. They hoped a similar fountain in Louisville could become a special symbol for the city, much like the Gateway Arch is for St. Louis.
The Binghams donated a huge amount of money, $2.6 million, to build the fountain and help pay for its future care. Sadly, Mr. Bingham passed away just four days after the fountain was officially started.
How the Fountain Worked
The fountain was located near the Belle of Louisville boat, close to the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge. It was designed to be the tallest floating fountain in the world! It could shoot out an amazing 15,800 gallons of water every minute. The water was shaped like a Fleur-de-lis, which is a symbol often used in Louisville.
The fountain was controlled by computers. It was supposed to run every day from morning until midnight, starting from Memorial Day and continuing through Thanksgiving. During the cold winter months, the fountain was stored safely in Utica, Indiana.
Why It Was Special
At first, the fountain could shoot water up to 420 feet high! To help save money on running costs, the Louisville Water Company later lowered the height to 375 feet.
The fountain was also lit up with colorful lights at night. You could see it from the Belvedere, and from many places in Downtown Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was a beautiful sight!
What Happened to It?
Running the fountain turned out to be more expensive than expected. It also broke down several times, which quickly used up the money set aside for its upkeep. Eventually, the Louisville Water Company took over its maintenance.
After more problems in 1998, the fountain was permanently shut down. It was later sold for scrap metal. Today, parts of it are still sitting in the Ohio River at the McBride Towboat Company in New Albany, Indiana, waiting to be taken apart. You can even see it on Google Earth at Latitude 38°13'54.77" Longitude -85°50'39.09" (38°13′54.78″N 85°50′38.98″W / 38.2318833°N 85.8441611°W). Some parts have already been scrapped.
