Fort Worth Water Gardens: A Cool and Relaxing Place

There are many interesting places to visit in the Fort Worth area that are free of charge. The one I enjoy the most is the Fort Worth Water Gardens. Especially this time of year when it is so hot, this is certainly a place to cool off - an oasis of sorts, within the city's downtown area.

There are several attractions to this place, not just one. As you enter the Water Gardens, a cascading waterfall wall faces the street. All my visitors like to stand in front of this to have their pictures taken.

Upon entering the garden itself, there is a thirty-eight foot wall surrounding the part they call the "Meditation pool". This wall has a trough of water that is re-circulating with fresh water all the time. Whenever I go there, it is my habit to initiate the newcomers to the gardens as you begin your a walk into the gardens. I'll get them close to the wall where they can see down into the pool and then grab a hand full of water and splash them with it. It is a refreshing sort of welcome to our Water Gardens that has become sort of a tradition, even my kids love splashing any newcomers. There is nothing quite like a cool splash when you are suffering from one hundred degree heat. So far, no one was offended by my practice of doing this although they are somewhat startled.

The "Meditation pool" itself has a small staircase that is easy to maneuver and even I can walk down the step with my cane. So handicap access is easy, since the steps are wide and easy to descend. I've even seen people push wheel chairs down these wide low steps. It is wonderful to sit there and enjoy the quiet water cascading over the tall walls around the place. The park has plenty of shade coming from over 500 different types of trees and plants, which make this an urban oasis right in the middle of downtown. Some folks swim in the shallow pool during the summer but it is discouraged and not recommended.

However, this is not the only pool in this area, there are three pools all together and the second one you come is the "fountain pool." As you might suspect it has a fountain in the center that sprays and cools I when you walk down a few short steps into the area. It too has walls along the side built to the right height for me to sit on, where I can enjoy the cool breeze and view.

Finally, there is the center of attraction I think they call it "active pool" but I call it the "water fall steps." The water runs down walls designed in steps around a center pool. I would NOT recommend you traverse the wide platform steps into the center of the pool however if you have a fear of heights as it tends to make some folks dizzy. It is truly beautiful with water coming down around the steps that take you to a pool that used to hold nine feet of water; however due to a fatal accident in the center pool it doesn't have that much water anymore. I'm not sure about the amount now. Here too I like to sit on the walls that surround the area which is perfect for enjoy the rushing water going into the center. These walls are also terraced so if you have kids with you they can climb up and down the, for fun.

The Water Gardens gained a bit of fame when they produced part of the movie "Logan's Run" here. I personally also used the location in my mystery book I wrote called "Dead Men Don't Deal" it impressed me so much. I take every visitor to our fair city to this special place that was designed by the architect Philip Johnson.

The property was given to the city by the founder of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Newspaper, Amon G. Carter . It can never be changed or removed because of a stipulation written into the donating of the property to the city. As I understand it, if they try to remove the Water Gardens the land will revert to the Carter family; I found this especially interesting.