The fountain’s water source is a subterranean gravel bed formed by a prehistoric river channel.
The water travels through a complex filtration and chlorination system before being ejected into the air.
The fountain is designed to be seen from the air, appearing as a massive geyser at the precise tip of the landform.
The park grounds contain the remains of the original stone bastion of Fort Pitt, preserved in an on-site museum.
The fountain is engineered to shut down automatically if wind speeds become high enough to blow water out of the basin.
It is the official zero-mile marker for the Great Allegheny Passage trail which connects Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.
The Point State Park Fountain serves as the terminal point of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers merge to form the Ohio River. The structure is a re-circulating fountain that draws water from a deep glacial aquifer 55 feet underground. It features a main nozzle capable of projecting water 150 feet into the air. The fountain acts as the centerpiece of a 36-acre National Historic Landmark park established to commemorate the site of 18th-century Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne. In the summer, the pool surrounding the nozzle provides a venue for wading. The site serves as the terminus for the Great Allegheny Passage trail system. The current fountain infrastructure replaced the original 1974 version during a comprehensive restoration project completed in 2013.
Stand on the riverfront walkway facing the fountain with the skyline of downtown Pittsburgh in the background.
Bring a change of clothes if visiting with children, as wading is permitted in the shallow basin during warm weather.
Walk the perimeter of the Great Lawn to see the confluence point from multiple riverfront angles.
Check local event calendars for occasional free concerts or festivals held in the park near the fountain.
Do not expect the fountain to be active during freezing winter months when it is drained for maintenance.
The fountain typically operates from spring through autumn and is shut down during the winter months.
Walking in the fountain basin is allowed, but climbing on the center nozzle structure is strictly prohibited.
