Gateway Geyser
Encyclopedia
The Gateway Geyser is a fountain
located on the riverfront of the Mississippi River
in the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in East St. Louis, Illinois
, directly across from the Gateway Arch
in St. Louis, Missouri
. The fountain is the world's second tallest, lifting water to a height of approximately 630 feet (192 m). It is second to King Fahd's Fountain
in Saudi Arabia
, which reaches 853 feet (260 m). The Gateway Geyser is a counterpart to the equally tall Arch on the Missouri riverbank. Four minor fountains represent the four rivers which converge at St. Louis and East St. Louis.
, the Gateway Geyser was designed and constructed by St. Louis–based Hydro Dramatics. It was completed in 1995 at a cost of $4 million. Three 800-horsepower (600 kW) pumps power the fountain, discharging 8,000 U.S. gallons of water per minute (50 L
/s
) at a speed of 250 feet (76.2 m) per second. The fountain has an axial thrust of 103,000 pounds-force (460 kN); water is jetted out of the 6 feet (1.8 m)-tall aerated nozzle at a pressure of 550 pounds per square inch (3.8 MPa).
On June 17, 2005, ownership of the Gateway Geyser and its 34 acre (14 ha) site was transferred to the Metro East Park and Recreation District. The fountain now serves as the cornerstone for the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, which opened officially in June 2009.
The Geyser was illuminated for the first time on October 28, 2005, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the St. Louis Arch.
On September 16, 2006, ground was broken on the Mississippi River Overlook project on the park grounds. The 40 feet (12.2 m)–high overlook platform provides a scenic view of the Gateway Geyser, the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis Arch and skyline. It opened in the spring of 2008.
The geyser has four scheduled eruptions every day from April to October, at noon, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 9 PM. No eruptions are scheduled for November through March.
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
located on the riverfront of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...
, directly across from the Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The fountain is the world's second tallest, lifting water to a height of approximately 630 feet (192 m). It is second to King Fahd's Fountain
King Fahd's Fountain
King Fahd's Fountain, also known as the Jeddah Fountain, is the tallest of its type of fountain in the world. Located in the coast of Jeddah, west coast of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The fountain jets water above the Red Sea. It was donated to the city of Jeddah by King Fahd, hence its name. The...
in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, which reaches 853 feet (260 m). The Gateway Geyser is a counterpart to the equally tall Arch on the Missouri riverbank. Four minor fountains represent the four rivers which converge at St. Louis and East St. Louis.
Vision
To complete the vision of a memorial on each side of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, the Gateway Geyser was designed and constructed by St. Louis–based Hydro Dramatics. It was completed in 1995 at a cost of $4 million. Three 800-horsepower (600 kW) pumps power the fountain, discharging 8,000 U.S. gallons of water per minute (50 L
Litér
- External links :*...
/s
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
) at a speed of 250 feet (76.2 m) per second. The fountain has an axial thrust of 103,000 pounds-force (460 kN); water is jetted out of the 6 feet (1.8 m)-tall aerated nozzle at a pressure of 550 pounds per square inch (3.8 MPa).
On June 17, 2005, ownership of the Gateway Geyser and its 34 acre (14 ha) site was transferred to the Metro East Park and Recreation District. The fountain now serves as the cornerstone for the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, which opened officially in June 2009.
The Geyser was illuminated for the first time on October 28, 2005, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the St. Louis Arch.
On September 16, 2006, ground was broken on the Mississippi River Overlook project on the park grounds. The 40 feet (12.2 m)–high overlook platform provides a scenic view of the Gateway Geyser, the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis Arch and skyline. It opened in the spring of 2008.
The geyser has four scheduled eruptions every day from April to October, at noon, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 9 PM. No eruptions are scheduled for November through March.