Gateway Geyser
 The Gateway Fountain with the Gateway Arch | |
| Artist | Hydro Dramatics |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995 |
| Type | Public fountain |
| Location | Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, East St. Louis, Illinois, United States |
| 38°37′22″N 90°10′14″W / 38.62278°N 90.17056°WCoordinates: 38°37′22″N 90°10′14″W / 38.62278°N 90.17056°W | |
The Gateway Geyser is a fountain located on the riverfront of the Mississippi River in the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in East St. Louis, Illinois, directly across from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. The fountain is the world's second tallest, lifting water to a height of approximately 630 feet (192 m). It is second to King Fahd's Fountain in Saudi Arabia, which reaches 853 feet (260 m). The Gateway Geyser is a counterpart to the equally tall Arch on the Missouri riverbank. Four minor fountains represent the four rivers which converge at St. Louis and East St. Louis.
Vision
To complete the vision of a memorial on each side of the Mississippi River, the Gateway Geyser was designed and constructed by St. Louis–based Hydro Dramatics. It was completed in 1995 at a cost of $4 million. Three 800-horsepower (600 kW) pumps power the fountain, discharging 8,000 U.S. gallons of water per minute (50 L/s) at a speed of 250 feet (76 m) per second. The fountain has an axial thrust of 103,000 pounds-force (460 kN); water is jetted out of the 6-foot (1.8 m)-tall aerated nozzle at a pressure of 550 pounds per square inch (3.8 MPa).
On June 17, 2005, ownership of the Gateway Geyser and its 34 acre (14 ha) site was transferred to the Metro East Park and Recreation District. The fountain now serves as the cornerstone for the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, which opened officially in June 2009.
The Geyser was illuminated for the first time on October 28, 2005, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the St. Louis Arch.
On September 16, 2006, ground was broken on the Mississippi River Overlook project on the park grounds. The 40-foot (12 m)–high overlook platform provides a scenic view of the Gateway Geyser, the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis Arch and skyline. It opened in the spring of 2008.
The geyser has three scheduled eruptions every day from April 15 to October 15, at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. No eruptions are scheduled from October 16 through April 14.
External links
- Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park
- Gateway Geyser at Memorial Park
- Hydro Dramatics
- Lewis and Clark Trail
- Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park Virtual Tour