Fountains

Known as the "City of Fountains", Kansas City, Missouri, has more operating fountains than any other city in the world, except for Rome. The Parks and Recreation department operates and maintains publicly-owned 48 fountains. The Water Services Department, with its #1 drinking water in the country, provides the water and electricity to run the fountains.

Help support the operation, maintenance and promotion of the City of Fountains by donating to the Friends of the Fountains fund.

Get a map of the Fountains here.

49/63 Neighborhood Fountain
East 59th Street & The Paseo at Lydia Avenue
Date Erected: 1997
Description: Made of brick and concrete to resemble the rise and fall of a hill and valley, the 49/63 Neighborhood Fountain promotes serenity and contemplation as five tiny streams of water trickle down a brick wall interspersed with splash blocks. The fountain is a tribute to neighborhood pride and community sprite.

"Adam and Eve" Fountain
West 51st Street & Wornall Road in Loose Park
Date Erected: 1942
Description: Located near the Rose Garden in Loose Park, you will find the "Adam and Eve" Fountain. The extra large male and female figures sitting in semi-circular basins were sculpted by Jeannette Klein of Kansas City.

American War Mothers Memorial Fountain
Meyer Boulevard & The Paseo
Date Erected: 1942
Description: Dedicated to those who served in WWI. The 18' limestone obelisk in its center has metal stars affixed to three of its four sides: Blue for soldiers serving and uninjured, Silver (white) for those injured, and the Gold (yellow) for those killed. The War Mother's insignia was placed on the fourth side. The American War Mothers Memorial Fountain is Kansas City's first solar-powered fountain.

Henry Wollman Bloch Memorial Fountain
30 W. Pershing in front of Union Station
Date Erected: 2001
Description: This gift to the City in the name of the co-founder of H&R Block, features 232 jets arranged in three concentric rings within an ellipse of black granite. A thin sheen of water on the flat granite creates a mirror to reflect the monumental architecture. A computer choreographs an ever-changing pattern of display. On each hour and half-hour, a five minute "high show" presents a celebration of water in movement.

Children's Fountain
North Oak Street at Northeast 32nd Street
Date Erected: 1995
Description: When Children's Fountain opened in 1995, it was the largest of its kind in North America, pumping out 5,000 gallons of water per minute. The six bronze sculptures, created by Tom Borni, are modeled after real children who lived in the Northland.

Ilus W. Davis Fountain
East 11th Street & Locust Street
Date Erected: 2001
Description: this multi-level water feature is located in the two-blocks in front of City Hall. In the middle of a 500-square-foot pool, a tall column of water rockets skyward, then falls into a 120-foot long funnel where it is carried to a zero-depth reflecting pool. The fountain is surrounded by benches, shade trees and public gathering areas.

Carl J. DiCapo Fountain
Cliff Drive Fountain, Scarritt Spring on Cliff Drive in Kessler Park
4212 Cliff Drive
Date Erected: 1989
Description: This fountain, named for Carl DiCapo, a restaurateur and community volunteer, is located in Kessler Park on scenic Cliff Drive in Kansas City's historic northeast. Converted and dedicated in 1989, its composition of natural rock and spring water place it in a unique category. The recirculating waterfall was constructed to draw attention to a natural spring with a rustic cliffside setting.

Eagle Scout Memorial Fountain
Gillham Road & 39th Street
Date Erected: 1968
Description: In the 1960s Kansas City proudly claimed to have more boys become Eagle Scout than any other region in the United States. The Boy Scouts of America in Kansas City chose the fountain as a national tribute to all its members who had achieved the high rank of Eagle Scout.

Eight Street Fountain
8th Street & Broadway
Date Erected: 1989
Description: A red brick wall divides and gives this fountain two distinct appearances. On one side, water streams down into a pool from five slits made in the top of the wall. The other side features a cascade flowing down into the basin below.

Firefighters' Fountain: Lest We Forget
West 31st Street and Broadway in Penn Valley Park
Date Erected: 1991
Description: Located at the south end of Penn Valley Park this fountain commemorates the City's firefighters and memorializes those who have given their lives in the line of duty.

Delbert J Haff Circle Fountain
Meyer Boulevard & Swope Parkway
Date Erected: 1927
Description: The Haff Circle Fountain memorializes Delbert J Haff, a man rarely remembered in Kansas City histories, yet crucial to the success of Kansas City's original parks and boulevard plan. The pool first opened in 1927. Jets spray were added in 1966, turning the pool into a fountain and the bust of Delbert Haff was placed at the site in 1967.

Shirley Bush Helzberg Fountain
Garden of Stars, Starlight Theatre
4600 Starlight Road in Swope Park
Date Erected: 1996
Description: In keeping with the show business atmosphere, Helzberg Fountain makes a grand entrance for those coming into the Starlight Theatre.

Hillside Fountain
Lake of the Enshriners in Brush Creek
Cleveland Avenue & Blue Parkway
Date Erected: 1998
Description: Located on the north side of the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center.

The "Muse of Missouri" Fountain
Eighth and Main Streets
Date Erected: 1963
Description: The "Muse of the Missouri"' located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, was placed 45 years ago by Mr. and Mrs. James Kemper, Sr. in honor of their son, Lt. David Woods Kemper, who was killed in action in Italy during World War II. Based on classical mythology, this creation of artist Wheeler Williams personifies a goddess bestowing her interest and guidance on the Missouri River. The nine fish netted by the muse are a hybrid using a carp body and bluefish head. There are 200 spouts of water making up the total fountain display.

Liberty Memorial Fountain (North)
North entrance to Memorial below The Great Frieze
100 West 26th Street in Memorial Hill Park
Date Erected: 1935
Description: The north terrace wall and fountain were among the last elements of the memorial to be completed. They were finished in 1935.

Liberty Memorial Fountain (South)
South entrence to Memorial
100 West 26th Street in Memorial Hill Park
Date Erected: 2002
Description: Enhancing the base of the Liberty Memorial, one of America's finest World War I monuments, are the tiered fountains which accent this spectacular tribute to peace.

Mill Creek Park Eco-Pond Fountain
Country Club Plaza.
47th Street, between J. C. Nichols Parkway and Main Street
Date Erected: 2004
Description: A water garden at the north end of Mill Creek Park. Two natural water falls and water loving plants in a large pond surrounded by other greenery create a bird sanctuary.

Mirror Pool Fountain
Ward Parkway & West 61st Street
Date Erected: 1925
Description: The Mirror Pool Fountain on Ward Parkway nearly fills the entire block between 61st and 62nd Streets. Originally a reflecting pool used for miniature regattas and ice skating, the pool became a fountain with the installation of jet sprays in 1965.

J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain
Country Club Plaza.
47th Street between J. C. Nichols Parkway and Main Street
Date Erected: 1960
Description: This fountain is the best known and most photographed of all the city's fountains. It is located at the east entrance to the popular Plaza district. The sculptures were created in the early 1900s and adorned the Mansion of Clarence Mackay in Long Island, NY. The fountain was transported to Kansas City, refurbished and dedicated in 1960. The J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain has four equestrian figures that are said to represent four rivers: the Mississippi River (the one with the Indian riding the horse and fending off an alligator), the Volga River (with the bear), the Seine and the Rhine.

Northland Fountain: Spirit of Cooperation
North Oak Trafficway and Vivian Road in Anita Gorman Park
Date Erected: 1983
Description: This fountain is one of only three Kansas City fountains that runs year round. It is called the "Spirit of Cooperation," because it illustrates the unified effort of public and private sectors working together to raise funds for its construction. Contributors ranged from major businesses to a three-cent donation from a school child. An 80' circular base contains a center geyser which can propel water to a height of 35'. In winter it becomes an ice sculpture attracting people to view varied shapes created by the frozen water.

Bernard Powell Memorial Fountain
East 28th Street & Brooklyn Avenue
Date Erected: 1985
Description: Social activist Bernard Powell is commemorated in this life-sized bronze statue and fountain on the southwest corner of Spring Valley Park. Powell founded Social Action Committee for Social Change. He was killed in 1979.

Harold D. Rice Fountain
The Paseo median at East 72nd Street
Date Erected: 1991
Description: The Harold D. Rice Fountain graces one of Kansas City's oldest and most beautiful boulevards, The Paseo. The fountain is an elegant pedestal that rises from a colorful sunken garden near the Paseo's intersection with 72nd Street. The fountain is a tribute to Harold and his wife, Peggy, who established the City of Fountains Foundation.

Romany Fountain
Ward Parkway median at Romany Road
Date Erected: 1930
Description: J.C. Nichols installed small fountains and pieces of sculpture to enhance the Ward Parkway corridor. The Romany Road Fountain sits in the center of a sunken garden.

Meyer Circle Fountain: Sea Horse Fountain
Meyer Circle and Ward Parkway
Date Erected: 1924
Description: In the heart of one of the city's loveliest residential neighborhoods, the spectacular sculpture and water jets of the fountain adorn a traffic circle at the intersection of two of the city's most beautiful boulevards. In the center of the fountain is a 17th century Venetian sculpture purchased by J.C. Nichols in the early 1920s.

Seville Light Fountain
Country Club Plaza.
J. C. Nichols Parkway on traffic island at the Northwest Corner of 47th Street
Date Erected: 1967
Description: The Nichols Company commissioned Bernhard Zuckerman to reproduce a large marble carved light tower and fountain that has stood for centuries in front of the famous Giralda Tower and cathedral in Seville, Spain. The 38-foot light standard and fountain were installed in 1967.

Shoal Creek Golf Course Entry Fountain
Shoal Creek Parkway & Northeast 89th Street
Date Erected: 2002

Shoal Creek Parkway Garden Fountain
Shoal Creek Parkway Median at N.E. 86th Street
Date Erected: 2002

Sixty-Ninth Street Fountain
West 69th Street and Ward Park way
Date Erected: 1930
Description: One of the small fountains and pieces of sculpture J.C. Nichols installed to enhance the Ward Parkway corridor.

Laura Conyers Smith Fountain
West 52nd Street and Summit, Rose Garden in Loose Park
Date Erected: 2002
Description: The new Italian stone fountain was dedicated in 2002. The fountain helps make the Laura Coyers Smith Rose Garden a favorite location for weddings.

Spirit of Freedom Fountain
Cleveland Avenue and Brush Creek Boulevard
Date Erected: 1981
Description: In 1977, City Councilman Bruce R. Watkins organized the Spirit of Freedom Fountain to develop a monument to the contributions of black people in Kansas City. Richard Hunt, a black Chicago sculptor, presented an abstract model to reflect the symbolic nature of the subject. He also noted that it was in keeping with the improvisational aspects of Kansas City Jazz. The fountain was dedicated in 1981, exactly one year after Watkins' death.

Jack and Martha Steadman Fountain
4600 Starlight Road, Starlight Theatre
Date Erected: 1997
Description: Named after KC Chiefs president and his wife, the Steadman Fountain is located near the entrance to Starlight Theatre.

Thomas H. Swope Memorial Fountain
Swope Park, west of Swope Memorial
Date Erected: 1922
Description: Colonel Thomas H Swope gave the city 1,334 acres of his own land with the stipulation that it be used as a public park forever. This pedestal fountain is part of a memorial where Swope is buried in the heart of Kansas City's largest Park.

The Concourse Fountain
Benton Boulevard and St. John Avenue
Date Erected: 1939
Description: The Concourse Fountain started its life as a casting pool in 1939. Miniature yacht racers competed at the pool on summer afternoons. The pool was converted to a fountain in 1968 with the addition of several jet sprays. The fountain was reconstructed in 2002.

The Vision Fountain
E. 5th Street and Grand Boulevard, in the City Market
Date Erected: 1989
Description: The Vision Fountain sits in a pedestrian plaza surrounded by trees. This bronze statue of a boy and his dog rests in a small water display and basin.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fountain
Broadway between 42nd & 43rd Streets
Date Erected: 1985
Description: Dedicated to the 348 men and women from seven countries in the metropolitan area who lost their lives or were missing in action during the Vietnam War, this fountain symbolizes the ebb and flow of America's involvement in the controversial conflict. Water flows through a series of pools that grow in size with the final pool split in half to represent the divided sentiments of the nation.

William Volker Memorial Fountain
Volker Boulevard and Oak Streets
Date Erected: 1958
Description: Planners wanted the fountain dedicated to the memory of William Volker to be accessible to every person and of high artistic value. Dedicated in 1958, the fountain features several figures sculpted by Carl Milles placed amid pools within a 100 foot by 25-foot slate patio. In a smaller, separate pool an angel wearing a wrist watch perches on a large block of granite.

Westside Fountain
Summit Street & Southwest Boulevard
Date Erected: 2001
Description: The City's West Side neighborhood celebrated their place in the City of Fountains with the opening of a new fountain in the fall of 2001. Long anticipated by the community, the eight-foot tall fountain features two basins with water falling through scuppers from one into the other.

Women's Leadership Fountain
The Paseo & 9th Street
Date Erected: 1899
Description: The fountain at Ninth Street and The Paseo was designed as an entry feature to the then newly created Paseo Boulevard. It is the oldest public fountain still in existence in Kansas City, Missouri. After years of service, the fountain deteriorated.  In 1990, the fountain was given a partial renovation. At that time, it was renamed the "Women's Leadership Fountain" and dedicated to 13 notable Kansas City women who had made long-lasting contributions to the City. Get information about supporting the Women's Leadership Fountain NOW.