For the curious, the Latona fountain features the Titaness Latona with her children Apollo & Diana. Based upon Ovid's Heroides, Latona turned the Lycian peasants into frogs when they refused her water and the second and third tier of the fountain features frogs. The lower tier feature turtles and alligators.
Water Fountains
- Trevi Water Fountain
- The Swann Memorial Fountain
- Buckingham Water Fountain
- Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi
- Peterhof Water Gardens
- Villa d'Este Water Fountain
- The German Fountain
- Jet d'Eau Water Fountain
- Trafalgar Square Water Fountain
- Fountain of Wealth
- Tyler Davidson Fountain
- Triton Water Fountain
- Fountain of Nations
- Flora Water Fountain
- Bellagio Water Fountain
Buckingham Water Fountain
Located at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway in Grant Park, the Buckingham Fountain is a renowned landmark in Chicago. The Buckingham Fountain was designed with sculptures by Jacques Lambert. What is interesting is that the fountain was modeled after Latona Fountain in Versailles. The water fountain was donated to the city of Chicago by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham.
Kate Buckingham established the Buckingham Fountain Endowment Fund with an initial investment of $300,000. Kate Buckingham used the $300,000 for the maintenance of the fountain. On August 26, 1927, the Buckingham Fountain was dedicated. The fountain has a schedule of operation. It runs from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm every day. Depending on the weather, the fountain runs from the middle of April to the middle of October.
The Buckingham Fountain is a delight to visitors and tourists. It boasts of water displays that run for 20 minutes every hour on the hour with the center jet shooting water up to 150 feet in the air. It is even more interesting when dust comes where a light and music show coincides within the water display. You will be able to enjoy the show until 10:00 pm when the last show begins. The fountain contains 1,500,000 US gallons of water where more than 14,000 US gallons per minute are pushed through its jets during a display.
In the interest of preserving and modernizing the Buckingham Fountain, the outdoor water fountain is undergoing a three phase extensive renovations which started Labor Day of 2008.
Phase I was dedicated which included permeable pavers laid down surrounding the fountain replacing the former crushed stones that were used since the fountain was originally constructed. ADA accessible, a new surface was made with the pavers making it a safer and smoother surface. Phase I of the renovations commenced on April 3, 2009.
Phase II has not been started yet. It will begin in the fall of 2009. This phase will include the demolition of the fountain table and installation of extensive under drainage system. In addition, a new landscaping, site lighting, signs, site furnishings, sewer system, selective demolition within or adjacent to the fountain's outer basin, repairs of some existing cast-in-place concrete elements and installation of new cast-in-place elements will be added. Phase II is expected to be time-consuming and extensive.
Then finally, the last phase will include the restoration of the Buckingham Water Fountain and the fountain table. The construction of a new equipment room with selective demolition, structural construction and repair, masonry restoration and repair, mechanical and electrical work, bronze restoration and repair and installation of site improvements and amenities will also be included in the third phase of the renovation. Phase III updates have yet to be scheduled.