World Water Fountains A Guide

by Stacey Boothe Snelling

If you love to travel, as so many of us do, you know that each city holds unique architecture, beautiful photo shoot opportunities, and stimulating artwork to take in while you are among the visiting tourists. It is good to keep in mind that in addition to all these fabulous tourist attractions, there are many popular cities you can visit around the world where you will find fabulous water fountains that can be enjoyed by all.

These breathtaking, enjoyable, amazing water fountains considered by many to be moving works of art can be found in a great number of the famous cities you may choose to visit during your next vacation.

Kansas City, for example, is known as the “City of Fountains.” Crown Center Square Fountain is the largest fountain you will find in Kansas City. This is one of the more famous world water fountains. You can see it performs dancing water shows on a number of important occasions as well as scheduled performances.

Spirit of the Sea is another one of the most gorgeous world water fountains. It can be found in Bath, Maine’s City Park. This particular fountain was installed in 1962 with the help of William Zorach along with the Bath Garden Club. William Zorach designed and sculpted this simplistically designed, yet lovely Spirit of the Sea fountain.

Another of the most exciting fountains you should take in is the Corning Fountain in Hartford, Connecticut. Erected in 1899 as a tribute by John Corning (Corning Glass Works of New York) to his father, this is one of the more enjoyable fountains in the world. Mr. Corning was a Hartford businessman who operated a grist mill on the site where this fountain is located. The sculpture of the fountain uses a Native American theme, rather than a typical classical one from this period. Designed by James Massey Rhind of New York, made of marble and stone, standing30 feet tall, the figure of a stag (or “Hart” for Hartford) surrounded by Saukiog Indians, the city’s first inhabitants makes it is a must see when visiting Hartford.

You can also find, just “upstream” from the plaza in Esther Short Park Fountain in Vancouver, Washington, an interactive fountain that will excite any small visitors. Be careful - they will get wet! The fountain is indicative of a Cascade mountain stream - water splashes over wide slabs of columnar basalt. Another of the more famous world water fountains, its design has kids in mind, with no more than a few inches of water standing in all areas, and lots of steps and bubbling jets to explore.