Free Summer Fun in Portland, Oregon: Forecourt Fountain

My daughter and I arrived breathlessly at the second balcony level of Keller Auditorium, after climbing the stairs all the way to the top. Outside a wall-to-wall bank of windows, we could see the fountain across the street, with dozens of children climbing and wading through it. "We'll stop by after the play," I promised.

As I write this, it's only April, but Ira Keller's Civic Auditorium Forecourt Fountain is already on for the season, providing free entertainment for parents and children before and after productions at the Keller Auditorium in downtown Portland. We stopped by after attending an Oregon Children's Theater performance.

The fountain, designed by Angela Danadjieva for Lawrence Halprin Associates, opened in 1971, and has been a popular place to cool off for Portlanders ever since. We played in the fountain often when I was a child, even though we seldom attended performances at the auditorium.

Forecourt Fountain is composed of concrete terraces and platforms, creating various waterfalls, pools, and streams. There are calmer, shallower areas for wading, along with deeper pools to explore, and narrow rushing streams to dip feet in (and squeal over). There's even a passageway leading behind one of the waterfalls - a cool retreat on a hot day.

There are no lifeguards or attendants at the fountain, so parents should use caution and closely supervise children while playing in or near the fountain. There are high drop-offs and slippery surfaces to watch out for, in addition to the usual dangers associated with water.

The City of Portland has worked to keep the fountain beautiful and safe for Portland. The city completed a major restoration of the fountain in the mid-1990's, fixing loose rock on the concrete surfaces, leaks between the blocks, electrical components, lighting fixtures, and the chlorination system.

The city also makes sure that the fountain's water has chlorine levels equivalent to those in public swimming pools, in order to protect public health.

The fountain uses electric pumps and motors to push 13,000 gallons of water per minute through its system. In 2005, the Portland Water Bureau had their engineers adjust and repair pumps and motors during the off-season to reduce the fountain's electricity use. They were able to decrease electricity usage by 17 percent during the 2006 season.

Forecourt Fountain is turned on in April, and remains on through summer and fall. It is off during the winter months. You can find the fountain at SW Third and Clay Streets in downtown Portland. Tri-Met buses and MAX Light Rail do service this area; the fountain is about one-third mile south of the SW Third and Morrison MAX station.

Source: Portland Water Bureau, "Fountains", Portland Water Bureau website (http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?c=42348)