Buckingham Fountain

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Buckingham Fountain sends a massive stream of water into the air during one of its shows.

Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark located at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway in Grant Park. The fountain, which was designed by Edward H. Bennett with sculptures by Jacques Lambert and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles, was donated to the city by Kate Buckingham in memory of her brother, Clarence Buckingham. She also established the Buckingham Fountain Endowment Fund with an initial investment of $300,000 to pay for maintenance on the fountain.^[1] Buckingham Fountain was dedicated on August 26, 1927. The fountain runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day from mid-April to mid-October, depending on the weather. During a water display that runs for 20 minutes every hour on the hour, the center jet shoots up to 150 feet in the air. At dusk, a light and music show coincides with the water display. The last show of the night begins at 10:00 p.m.^[2]

The fountain contains 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million litres) of water. During a display, more than 14,000 gallons per minute (880 l/s) are pushed through its 133 jets.

[edit] Trivia

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• The opening credits of the Fox sitcom Married... with Children feature a shot of Buckingham Fountain. Due to the show's popularity in Germany, the fountain was given the nickname "The Bundy Fountain" by German tourists.^{[citation needed]}
• The fountain was the official starting point for U.S. Route 66.
• The fountain has an alarm system, which is monitored from Honeywell Central Station in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
• There are four statues in the fountain representing the four states that surround Lake Michigan (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin).
• The fountain was the starting line for The Amazing Race 6.

Buckingham Fountain panorama

[edit] Gallery

Evening

Night

Night

A Christmas night

[edit] External links

• Chicago Landmarks: Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain and Garden
• Chicago Park District: Buckingham Fountain
• Chicago Pictures Buckingham Fountain Detail
• Chicago Pictures Buckingham Fountain Photos

• Buckingham Fountain is at coordinates 41°52′33″N 87°37′08″W / 41.875792, -87.618944 (Buckingham Fountain)Coordinates: 41°52′33″N 87°37′08″W / 41.875792, -87.618944 (Buckingham Fountain)

[edit] References

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