Print
Email
Share

Friday Flashbacks: Louisville Falls Fountain

by Doug Proffitt

WHAS11.com

Posted on November 6, 2009 at 6:40 PM

Updated Thursday, Apr 14 at 12:55 PM

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - The buildup for it lasted for months. People said it would be Louisville's St. Louis arch. 
 

Many thought it would draw thousands of tourists every year but it existed only a decade.
 

It was the Louisville Falls Fountain and it was in the middle of the Ohio River at downtown. 
 

The fountain was a gift from the Bingham family and in August 1988, it made its splashy debut.
 

Many have wondered what happened to the fountain.  WHAS11 News found it from the air in SKY11, downriver from New Albany, sitting in the river on the property of the McBride Towboat Company.

It is now privately owned and some of its parts have been used for scrap but the McBride folks told WHAS11 News that it’s still in really good shape.
 

The mechanics and amazing pumping system are mostly intact but the fountain spout is capped.
 

The fountain itself cost Mary and Barry Bingham nearly $3 million. They were inspired by a fountain in Lake Geneva, Switzerland. 

Mr. Bingham died five days before it was unveiled.
 

The city took over its upkeep and pulled the plug in 1998 after it became too costly, running close to $200,000 year.
 

Print
Email
Share

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?

Register Now

Member Benefits

Link your account to your Twitter or Facebook account for easier login!

Link your account to your Facebook profile Link your account to your Twitter profile

Check box to receive Free Special Offers

* - Indicates required field

Check box to receive Free Special Offers

Connecting to

You may need to allow pop up window for this step of registration

Just one more step:

Please take a moment to review the available e-mail newsletters has to offer. Place a checkbox next to the newsletters you wish to subscribe to.

Welcome.

Thank you for becoming a member of WHAS11.com. You now have full access to the best local coverage and late breaking news from WHAS11.com. Soon you will be redirected to the page you were seeking, and a confirmation email will be delivered to you.

You will need to respond to the confirmation e-mail for your account to be activated.

WHAS11.com is dedicated to bringing you exceptional news and outstanding information services, all while personalizing it to your liking. We're sure you'll enjoy being a WHAS11.com member! If you need assistance, please contact us.