Municipal waterworks nown for its architecture and its engineering innovations, it now houses a restaurant and an interpretive center that explains the waterworks' purpose and local watershed history

How to Get There

Take S Penn Square, John F Kennedy Blvd, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy and Spring Garden St to Anne d'Harnoncourt Dr/Art Museum Dr. Turn right onto Anne d'Harnoncourt Dr/Art Museum Dr.

Overview

The Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia was Philadelphia's second municipal waterworks. Designed in 1812 by Frederick Graff and built between 1812 and 1872, it operated until 1909, winning praise for its design and becoming a popular tourist attraction. It now houses a restaurant and an interpretive center that explains the waterworks' purpose and local watershed history. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its architecture and its engineering innovations. It was the nation's first water supply to use paddle wheels to move water.

Present day

After the waterworks closed in 1909 the facility was used for several purposes, including the Philadelphia Aquarium (which closed in 1962) and an indoor swimming pool which closed in 1973. In more recent years attempts have been made to return the waterworks to its previous position as an engaging tourist attraction. Despite a severe fire which caused setbacks to the restoration, an interpretive center has now been added and tours are regularly given. Its position near Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art is hoped to aid in making it a regularly visited tourist site once more.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fairmount Water Works", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0