.webp?width=1200&height=800&name=Kansas-City-Fountains%20(1).webp)
Kansas City fountains are more than just beautiful landmarks—they're a testament to the city's vibrant spirit and rich history.
As a local business proudly headquartered in the heart of the “City of Fountains,” Axcet HR Solutions has been part of Kansas City's thriving community since 1988.
The fountains scattered throughout downtown, parks and neighborhoods bring joy and a sense of celebration to residents and visitors alike.
In this post, we’ll take you on a journey through some of the most iconic Kansas City fountains, exploring their history, locations and the unique charm they add to our beloved city.
RELATED: The Best Coffee Shop in Kansas City - Our Local Team's Top Picks >>
With over 200 fountains scattered around the city, Kansas City has more fountains than any other city in the world, except for Rome. In 1973, Harold and Peggy Rice created the City of Fountains Foundation, inspired by a trip to Rome. The Foundation was created to conserve and repair Kansas City’s collection of fountains, making it the “City of Fountains” in the United States.
The art of fountain building in Kansas City dates back to the 19th century when George Kessler, a landscape architect, pushed to design fountains in Kansas City during the “City Beautiful” Movement. Kessler joined the newly created Park Board with the help of August Meyer, who used his funds to hire experts to come to Kansas City, resulting in Kansas City’s park and boulevard system, now used by numerous cities.
750 The Paseo, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
The Women's Leadership Fountain, located at The Paseo and E. 9th Street in Kansas City, is steeped in rich history and cultural significance. Originally built in 1899 and known as the 9th Street Fountain, it was the second-built public fountain and the city's oldest working fountain.
Designed by prominent landscape architects George Kessler and John Van Brunt, the fountain was originally built to be an entry feature to Paseo Boulevard.
The fountain fell into a period of dormancy and was not functional for almost 20 years until the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department raised money to rehabilitate and rededicate the fountain.
STRATA Architecture Inc. made a full restoration to the fountain and the landmark was rededicated to Kansas City’s prominent women leaders in June 2009.
Names of thirteen women are on display, all who have made significant contributions to the Kansas City community. These women include pioneers like Myrtle Page Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity School of Christianity and Alice Berry Graham, a dentist and co-founder of Children’s Mercy Hospital.
The list continues with individuals such as Esther Swirk Brown, a champion for social justice and educational equality, and Nelle Elizabeth Peters, a prolific architect whose designs dot the cityscape of Kansas City.
Undoubtedly, this fountain serves as a profoundly significant monument in Kansas City. It is a must-see landmark that serves as a tribute to remarkable women who have greatly shaped our city’s progress. Not only that, its historical significance is unparalleled, as it is the oldest fountain still standing.
30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
Located at the intersection of Union Station and Liberty Memorial in the center of Pershing Road, the Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain was a gift to the city in the name of the co-founder of H&R Block, a businessman and civic leader who served Kansas City for many years.
The fountain was designed by WET Design, the same designer of the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas, Installed in 2001, the fountain features 232 jets arranged in three concentric rings with an ellipse of black granite.
As a local landmark, the fountain is a marvelous blend of art, craftsmanship, and tribute to its namesake. The remarkable fountain choreography spans from serene to whimsical, perfectly complementing the array of events hosted at the nearby Union Station.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Henry-Wollman-Bloch-Fountain-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
2 Memorial Dr, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
This area also features two prominent fountains, Liberty Memorial Fountain North, and Liberty Memorial Fountain South. The Liberty Memorial Complex was constructed between 1923 and 1938. The North Fountain was a part of the original construction, while the South Fountain was constructed during the 2000 renovation.
2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
Crown Center boasts a large fountain with 49 jets and 48 water shooters that shoot up to 60 feet in the air, and then come back down to a 37,500-gallon underground reservoir. Daily water dancing exhibits are matched to music recorded by musicians of the Kansas City Symphony, making for an entertaining day outside.
1 Royal Way, Kansas City, Missouri 64129
If you have ever cheered on the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, you have undoubtedly witnessed The Kauffman Stadium Water Spectacular. Beyond the amazing water displays during home runs and victories, do you know the deep history of this local treasure?
Kauffman Stadium is often voted the most beautiful baseball stadium thanks to the Water Spectacular. Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals Stadium to be at the forefront of American baseball stadiums and began brainstorming before the end of construction in 1972. The most prominent design elements included the massive electronic scoreboard and the spectacular water display.
A Chicago architect, Arnold Holt, is often praised for his “drawing on a napkin” idea that led to the Royals Stadium Water Spectacular.
After a few design attempts at the scoreboard and water display, Holt hurriedly sketched a new design during a strategy session with principal stadium consultant Kenneth von Achen, which was approved by Kauffman and led to the magnificent water display we all know and love as the Water Spectacular!
The fountain is now the largest privately funded fountain in the world, at 322 feet wide.
RELATED: Discovering the Best Pizza in Kansas City - A Local Culinary Journey >>
Before the 20th century, Jesse Clyde (J.C.) Nichols had the vision to transform the then-swampland into America’s first shopping center, with inspiration from Spanish architecture and European artistry. The Country Club Plaza now boasts some of the most iconic fountains in the Kansas City metro.
47th Mill Creek Pkwy, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
Installed in 1960 the Fountain in Mill Creek Park, formerly known as the J.C. Nichols Foundation, is one of the city’s most well-known and photographed places.
Dedicated to the developer of the Plaza, the fountain features four horsemen, each representing four of the world’s mightiest rivers: the Mississippi, the Volga, the Seine, and the Rhine.
The majestic fountain was sculpted in 1910 by the late Henri Greber.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Mill-Creek-Park-Fountain-Kansas-City-Plaza%20(1).webp)
302 Nichols Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
The first fountain installed at the Plaza was the Boy and Frog Fountain, purchased in 1928. The quirky and beloved fountain features a naked boy and a frog, atop a faun holding up the marble basin, riding a dolphin.
The bronze and Verona marble fountain is an original by Raffaello Romanelli of Florence and has become a fan favorite as the whimsical statue provides an unconventional element to the Country Club Area.
.webp?width=398&height=663&name=Untitled-design%20(1).webp)
Mill Creek Parkway and 47th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
Another popular monument in the Plaza sitting at the intersection of Mill Creek Parkway and West 47th Street is the Seville Light Fountain.
The fountain was a gift from Miller Nichols, son of J.C. Nichols. Sculptor Bernhard Zuckerman was commissioned to create a replica of the Fuente Farola, a famous fountain in the Plaza de Los Reyes in Seville, Spain, to represent the relationship between Kansas City and Seville as sister cities.
The monument stands 30 feet tall and was carved from different kinds of red and white marble. Water flows out of the masked face, strongly representing the Spanish inspiration.
.webp?width=398&height=663&name=Seville-Light-Kansas-City-Fountain-Country-Club-Plaza%20(1).webp)
306 W 47th St Kansas City, Missouri 64112
The Neptune pays tribute to all visitors of the Plaza, located in the heart of the Country Club Plaza. Neptune features a Roman God of the Sea wielding a trident and riding a horse-drawn chariot out of the fountain.
Originally cast in 1911 by Bromsgrove Guild, the fountain has been through many hands before being brought to the Plaza in 1953 after Miller Nichols purchased it for its weight in scrap metal, and installed it where it remains today.
.webp?width=398&height=663&name=Neptune-Fountain-Country-Club-Plaza-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
320 Nichols Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
The Allen Memorial Fountain is sentimental, as it runs in memorial of Eleanor and Earl Allen, the daughter and son-in-law of J.C. Nichols who tragically died in a house fire in 1961. The fountain was imported from Italy and features a small child looking up to a female, attributing to motherhood.
.webp?width=398&height=663&name=Allen-Memorial-Kansas-City-Fountains-%20(1).webp)
5200 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
The Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden located in Loose Park, is all due to the efforts of a group of women led by Laura Conyers Smith. The women established the Kansas City Rose Society, which then created the public Rose Garden we know now. The garden features over 3,000 roses of over 150 varieties.
Laura Conyers Memorial Fountain sits at the west end of the Rose Garden and is the lasting impact of the Kansas City Rose Society and their beautification efforts made to the area. The Rose Garden and Fountain offer educational opportunities, sponsored events, and a peaceful destination.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Laura-Conyers-Kansas-City-Fountain%20(1).webp)
5200 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64112
Although the artist never seemed to have named these wall fountains, the commonly known “Adam and Eve”, fountains are on the back wall of a service building in Loose Park. Jeanette Klein sculpted two large clay figures, one of a male, and one of a female, which were unveiled at the 1942 Rose Day Celebration.
Years later, they were replaced with stronger cast concrete marble aggregate sculptures using the original forms.
.webp?width=346&height=576&name=Adam-_-Eve-Kansas-City-Fountain-_Adam_%20(1).webp)
.webp?width=345&height=575&name=Adam-and-Eve-Kansas-City-Fountain-Eve%20(1).webp)
Many of Midtown’s fountains are dedicated to individuals who vowed to protect their community and worked tirelessly to better their community.
W 31st St & Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, Missouri 64108
One of the most prominent fountains in the area is the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial paying tribute to six Kansas City Fire Department firefighters who tragically died in 1988.
Located in Penn Valley Park, the fountain serves to memorialize men and women firefighters, and those who gave their lives in the line of duty.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Firefighters-Fountain-and-Memorial-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
East 28th and Spring Valley Drive, Kansas City, Missouri 64109
The Bernard Powell Memorial Fountain , located in Spring Valley Park, was installed in 1985, in memory of Bernard Powell, a Kansas City activist who founded the Social Action Committee of 20, which aimed at helping teach leadership skills to African American youth.
Powell was fatally shot in 1979; the Social Action Committee of 20 worked tirelessly to raise enough money for a fountain in his memory.
.webp?width=398&height=663&name=Bernard-Powell-Memorial-Fountain-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
E 39th St & Gillham Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64109
The Eagle Scout Tribute Fountain was dedicated in 1968 to the countless youth who achieved the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout since its inception in 1911. The fountain, located in Hyde Park, is 22 feet tall and was crafted by repurposing a marble clock sculpture from New York City's Penn Station.
Following the station's demolition in the 1960s, local Boy Scout executive John Starr orchestrated the transportation of the sculpture to Kansas City, where it now stands as a tribute to Eagle Scouts.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fountain established by the Kansas City Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., features a semi-circular wall bearing the names of 451 casualties from the local area.
Visitors pay tribute to these fallen individuals by leaving flags and flowers, commemorating their service during one of America's most tumultuous periods.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Vietnam-Veterans-Fountain-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
NE 32nd Street and North Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, Missouri 64116
One of the largest fountains in Kansas City is the Children’s Fountain, which is dedicated to children and the activities that make childhood a joy. Anita Gorman, a Northland resident and Kansas City booster, began fundraising in 1991 for the fountain.
After raising $1.7 million from private and public donations, the Missouri Department of Highways and Transportation donated the property for the fountain.
It was dedicated in 1995, and was said to be one of the largest fountains in America at the time. There are six child-like figures in the fountain, each said to represent hope, joy and promise of growing our community.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Children_s-Fountain-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
555 NE Vivion Rd, Kansas City, Missouri 64116
North Kansas City is home to one of the few KC Parks fountains that run year-round. Northland Fountain, the first fountain to be constructed north of the Missouri River, has also been called the “Spirit of Cooperation”, as it reflects the unified efforts of the private and public sectors.
The fountain remains operational year-round, becoming an ice sculpture in the winter.
.webp?width=663&height=398&name=Northland-Fountain-Kansas-City%20(1).webp)
Shoal Creek Parkway and NE 89th St, Kansas City, Missouri 64517
Shoal Creek features two gorgeous fountains, one of them being Shoal Creek Golf Course Entry Fountain; a waterfall fountain surrounded by serene landscaping.
The Shoal Creek Parkway Garden Fountain is located in the median of Shoal Creek Parkway and boasts three large saucers resembling large leaves.
With our headquarters nestled in this vibrant community, we have come to understand and appreciate the multitude of aspects that make our city truly special.
Our commitment goes beyond providing a comprehensive suite of outsourced HR services, which encompass everything from payroll and payroll taxes to human resources administration, benefits, risk management and much more.
Celebrating and paying tribute to the individuals who have made significant contributions to our city, as well as the art and importance of our fountains, stands as one of the many reasons why we hold Kansas City dear to our hearts.
.png){kind=logo}
Let us know what you think...