Chicago, IL: 1968 Buckingham Fountain

Most people would lead with a pretty picture of the completed fountain. But this fountain was initially part of the Concrete Industry post.

Raymond Kunst posted

Raymond's comment:

Buckingham Fountain under construction (1926)
Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark in the center of Grant Park. Dedicated in 1927, it is one of the largest fountains in the world.
Built in a rococo wedding cake style and inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles, it is meant to allegorically represent Lake Michigan.
It operates from April to October, with regular water shows and evening color-light shows. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with festival lights.
The fountain's pumps are controlled by a Honeywell computer which was previously located in Atlanta, Georgia until the 1994 renovation when it was moved to the pump house of the fountain. The fountain's security system is monitored from Arlington Heights (a Chicago suburb).

Bruce Vinkler Interesting delivery system for the site-mixed concrete. I'd hate to have to clean out those chutes.

There are several other photos of the construction at the referenced posting in the caption. But this delivery system long before they learned how to pump concrete was of particular interest.

Chicago History posted
Original construction of Buckingham Fountain.
Historic Chicago posted
Buckingham Fountain Construction. (1927)
Photo from the Collection of the Chicago Park District.
Historic Chicago posted a lighter exposure

John Frazier posted

By Alanscottwalker - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11648300

My wife and I saw it several times before we noticed that the center jet can go really high. If there is a breeze, you have the option of standing on the windward side and getting wet. There are only certain hours of the week that they run it at full strength.

Gus Skaliotis posted

Abel Camacho posted

Illinois Field Guide posted

Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park is one of the largest fountains in the world, and it was a gift from a woman honoring her brother.

Kate Sturges Buckingham gave it to Chicago in 1927 in memory of Clarence Buckingham, and she funded not just the construction but an endowment for its maintenance, which is why it has survived nearly a century without becoming a budget fight.

Edward Bennett designed it, and the model was the Latona Fountain at Versailles, scaled up to roughly twice the size. Pink Georgia marble, three concentric tiers, and four pairs of bronze sea horses around the base representing the four states that border Lake Michigan. Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The lake is the entire concept. The basin represents Lake Michigan and the sea horses stand for the states reaching into it, which is why the fountain sits where it does, facing the water.

The numbers are absurd. About 1.5 million gallons of water in the system. Nearly 200 jets. The center jet fires 150 feet into the air during the major display, which happens for twenty minutes at the top of every hour.

At night the water show gets colored lights and music, and that has been running in some form since the 1950s.

The season runs roughly early May through mid October. In winter it is drained and dark, and Chicagoans check the reopening date the way they check other signs of spring.

The wind is the ongoing complication. Grant Park sits open to the lake, and gusts push spray across the plaza with no warning. Sensors cut the display back when it gets bad, which does not always happen fast enough for people standing on the east side.

Married with Children put it in the opening credits for eleven seasons, which made it recognizable to a national audience.

It sits at Columbus and Congress with the skyline behind it, and the walk up to it from Michigan Avenue is one of the best approaches in the city.

[Because many of the comments below provide a relative date, I note that this was posted on Aug 29, 2026.]

Sonja Przybylski commented on the above post
Last weekend

Monica Moore commented on the above post
Friday night after Panda Fest

Larita Melvin commented on the above post
just there last week!😎

Karla RS commented on the above post
3 weeks ago ❤️

Park District description, Video of it spouting. I did not realize that all of the other jets crank up also when the main center jet fires up. Behind the scenes. Colored light show.

Chicago Epic posted 0:30 video
Grant Park in Chicago Illinois

Illinois Memories posted

Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain in Grant Park, Chicago, 1940

Photo courtesy of Hedrich-Blessing Collection / Chicago History Museum / Getty Images

Mike Tuggle posted
Buckingham Fountain in 1959.
[Fire boats are helping celebrate Queen Elizbeth's visit for the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.]

Mike Tuggle posted
Buckingham Fountain in 1964.

Ramymond Kunst reposted several pictures of the construction including another one of the chute. Original Chicago is a public group so you should be able to follow the link.

Jesse Williams posted
Buckingham Fountain in black & white - circa 1977

Jesse Williams posted
Buckingham Fountain in Color - circa 1977.

Patricia Oh posted

David M Laz posted
Another great Buckingham Fountain downtown pic.

Benjy Joseph Carroll posted
Buckingham fountain during construction year unknown ! Enjoy my friends !

Raymond Kunst shared an album with the comment: "Buckingham Fountain under construction (1926)."
Neil Gale Clarence Buckingham and his Memorial Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park. Some fantastic night photography of the fountain too.
https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/.../clarence...

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David Haisch The Stevens now Hilton is under construction also, great pics.

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Photography & Video Digital posted, cropped
Gorgeous Buckingham fountain May 2024

 

Leonard Carry Williams posted
Tourist season has begun!

 

Janet Morrow posted
BEAUTIFUL BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN ON A SUMMER DAY.

 

Original Chicago posted

View of the Buckingham Fountain on its opening day for the 1968 summer season and the John Hancock building under construction in the background, Chicago, Illinois.

05-20-1968

Whitney Elam Hill shared

Double whammy! Two Chicago landmarks being born and ignited in the same shot. I love this city.

 

Boston Public Library Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago

File name: 06_10_013395

Title: Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago

Date issued: 1930 - 1945 (approximate)

Physical description: 1 print (postcard) : linen texture, color ; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

Genre: Postcards

Subject: Parks; Monuments & memorials

Notes: Title from item.

Collection: The Tichnor Brothers Collection

Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department

Rights: No known restrictions

 

John Charleston posted
They turned on Buckingham Fountain for Mother's Day 😉
John Charleston shared

Barry Butler Photography posted
This Saturday [May 10], Buckingham Fountain will be turned on for 2025.  Let it flow!
Sheila Cleveland Chic Marie shared

This would have been the Jun 11, 2026, storm. If you play the reel, you can also see the wave action on Lake Michigan.

Rosemary Metzger Facebook Reel
Buckingham fountain as the storm hits Chicago lakefront.
[Some comments indicate that there were plenty of warnings that no one should be sailing their boats on the lake.

MDLS's album includes several pictures of the fountain. This one is my favorite fountain picture in his collection.

The Tribune caught some additions to the fountain.

15 photos