The Active Pool
Calling the signature feature, The Active Pool, a fountain is a major understatement. Designed in 1974 by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, you have to stand at its edge or clamber down to the center of this inverted ziggurat to appreciate how dramatic it is.
I took this video from the bottom which gives you a sense of the scope of the Active Pool and the mildly precarious steps leading down to it.
Terraces of stone fall away 38 feet down from the rim, while 10,500 gallons of water per minute cascade over the terraces to a central pool at the bottom and then are recirculated back to the top.
Drownings in 2004
Tragically, four visitors drowned in 2004 when one of the children fell in and the others tried to rescue her. The pool was unusually deep due to heavy rains and a recirculating pump malfunction and even several bystanders and police officers were unable to save them.
The pool was modified so that it can't get deeper then 2 feet, but climbing down the stone steps is still a slightly unnerving experience, at least when carrying a heavy camera that pulls you a bit off balance.
Getting There
The Fort Worth Water Gardens are adjacent to the Convention Center and parking is plentiful, including metered parking on the street. Built in a former red-light district called Hell's Half-Acre, the Water Gardens are always open.
Pictures that I've seen taken of the Active Pool at night are very striking, when the pool is lit up with floodlights, but I couldn't stay that long.
Fort Worth Water Gardens
1502 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Hours: 24 hrs
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