Franklin Square Fountain getting a colorful, $2 million makeover

Already an iconic Old City staple, Franklin Square Fountain is poised to become an even bigger attraction when it undergoes a $2 million renovation this year.

The project, which was unveiled Tuesday morning by Historic Philadelphia, will bring new waterworks and LED lighting to the 180-year-old fountain at 7th and Race streets. The upgrade will allow for a new “fountain show,” which will debut next summer, according to the group.

“Fountain jets will dance magically with lighting and music that celebrates the rich diversity of Philadelphia,” Historic Philadelphia said in a statement, adding that the free attraction will have choreographed “shows,” during the day and night.

The fountain will also feature different kinds of water effects including, “air-powered nozzles, geysers, swivels, three-axis fan nozzles, and variojets,” the statement said.

Built in 1838, the fountain is the oldest restored and in-use fountain in the country, and it’s a big attraction at the square, especially since its last restoration in 2006.

Courtesy of Historic Philadelphia

This project comes on the heels of another, similar—but unrelated—renovation in the city just last month; Dilworth Park debuted the first phase of Pulse, a colorful mist show that uses LED lighting to bring orange, purple, and green mist to the Center City square.

Historic Philadelphia did not give a specific date for the fountain’s reopening, but they said that it should be in the summer of 2019.

• Dilworth Park’s Pulse exhibit, explained [Curbed Philly]