while in ft worth i took the opportunity to visit philip johnson’s giddily fantastic water gardens park (1974, cost=$6.5m).

pictures just do not do it justice, when you enter it's an amazing and all encompassing environment.

 

 

Fort Worth's Water Gardens Park

 

Water Fountains Featured in Park Covering Four Acres in Fort Worth Texas.

 

In downtown Fort Worth, Texas, at 15th and Commerce Street, the Fort Worth Water Gardens Park covers more than four acres on the south side of the Tarrant County Convention Center, and features a series of three water fountain pools that drop below street level almost one hundred feet: the Active Pool, the Aerating Pool, and the Quiet Pool. Over five hundred species of plants and trees adorn the park, which offers visitors to the downtown area a refuge from the noise of Interstate 30 running on the south side of the gardens, as well as the bustle of the downtown Convention Center area.

 

Historically, the site of the Convention Center was at one time the infamous Hells’ Half Acre, a notorious and seedy center of Fort Worth’s days as “Cowtown”. All remains of the Acre have been razed, and in its place lies the Convention Center and Forth Worth Water Gardens Park.

 

 

 

The Active Pool is the water fountain's main attraction and most photographed area of the Gardens, approximately an acre of terraces running at steep angles downward thirty-eight feet into a small central pit of rushing water. Visitors may walk down into the Active Pool along a terraced walkway. In 2004 an accidental drowning occurred in the Active Pool when a child fell into the deep, rushing water and three other people tried to save her. The child and her father drowned due to the powerful suction of the pumps, and the pool was closed. In the Spring of 2007 the Active Pool was reopened with completed adaptations, changing the depth of the pool at the bottom from nine feet to a much safer two feet, and warning signs are now posted strictly prohibiting swimming.

 

Just west of the Active Pool lies the fountain's Aerating Pool, where forty-two spray jets produce a fine mist over an angular, irregular pool shape. The Aerating Pool is surrounded with shaded walkways and sitting areas, providing a cool misty refuge from the Texas heat. At night the Aerating Pool is illuminated from below, and occasionally the color of the lighting is changed for seasonal celebrations.

 

West of the Aerating Pool lies the water fountain's Quiet Pool, a rectangular and still pool far below street level and covering nearly an entire acre, surrounded with elegant native trees, with the slightly sloping walls encasing the Quiet Pool area covered in a sheer film of cascading water.

 

Designed by architects Phillip Johnson and John Burgee of New York, and constructed by Thos. S Burne General Contractors in Fort Worth in 1974, the Water Gardens were founded by the Amon G. Carter Foundation in the 1960's. The Gardens are frequently used as a setting for wedding and business photographers, and are open twenty-four hours a day to the public, free of charge. Wheelchair accessible with the exception of the water fountain named the Active Pool, the Water Gardens do not offer any public restrooms, nor food or drink options, but remains a popular lunchtime destination for local employees of the downtown business district, who arrive with sack lunches to sit among the shade trees and relax.

 

Portions of the 1976 film “Logans Run” were filmed in the Water Gardens’ Active Pool, which also appears in the 1979 television movie, “The Lathe of Heaven”.

 

 

 

The water gardens scene in the movie ‘logan’s run’ (1976)

 

*** the water gardens are definitely a must visit in fort worth, texas  :clap: ***

 

Yeah, they are neat.

Looks like a really impressive installation. I'll bet the operating costs are substantial, for energy to pump that much volume and for replenishing water lost to evaporation in Texas summer heat.

 

The more photos I see of Fort Worth, the more I realize it's a good destination for a trip. Outside of these forum threads it gets little publicity, usually overshadowed by Dallas and Houston and San Antonio.

Interesting.

Very cool, thanks for the pics.  The only thing I have ever heard about this place is a little girl dying in there getting sucked under the water a few years back.  I always wanted to see more pics of it.  Definitely worth a visit.

^ metro i read that actually four people died. after that tragedy they posted no swimming signs, put up some railings and most importantly lowered the water level in the basin to just a couple feet. i think it was originally like 10 ft deep if you can believe it, so it was disaster waiting to happen. the active water pool is disorienting & it's still definately not a good idea to let children run around down there, i can't imagine who would insure something like that!

 

rob hang on for more ft worth to come!

 

 

looks like an oversized 80s jacuzzi tub.  :-P

...except if it was in the middle of shaker square you'd be lounging in it right now!  :laugh:

 

 

...except if it was in the middle of shaker square you'd be lounging in it right now!  :laugh:

 

 

 

No... just .....no.

btw it was designed and built in the 70's not the 80's, not to mention by a famous gay clevelander no less...so shame on you and your catty comments!  :wink:

btw it was designed and built in the 70's not the 80's, not to mention by a famous gay clevelander no less...so shame on you and your catty comments!  :wink:

 

Well that queen had the good sense to put in the middle of texas as she knew she would be roasted for designing and constructing something like that in Cleveland!  Those cowboys & hicks don't have good taste!  Puh-lease!! 

 

 

 

bzzt! for your insolence against your fellow clevelanders you are hearby ordered to wear this tee shirt for 24hrs:

 

 

 

 

i want this one  :clap:

bzzt! for your insolence against your fellow clevelanders you are hearby ordered to wear this tee shirt for 24hrs:

 

 

 

 

i want this one  :clap:

 

I didn't see those at Barney's.  :-(  If Higbee's was still around, I bet I could buy them there!  HA!!

you can find lots of ohio related tee's here -- the prices are certainly barney's-like. $32? really??:

 

http://www.homageclothing.com/store/t-shirts/cleveland

you can find lots of ohio related tee's here -- the prices are certainly barney's-like. $32? really??:

 

http://www.homageclothing.com/store/t-shirts/cleveland

 

What barney's are you talking about? You can't buy socks in barney's for $32.  The cheapest pair of socks i've ever bought there were $48.

 

I'll have to check this site for something interesting.

you most certainly can buy lots of things for even cheaper than that at the barney's co-ops and the warehouse sale you foolish shopper!

you most certainly can buy lots of things for even cheaper than that at the barney's co-ops and the warehouse sale you foolish shopper!

 

However, I prefer not to shop with the unwashed masses.  HA!

quiet mister money to burn, you just make sure you wash and wear that defender tee shirt.