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38°37′22″N 90°10′14″W / 38.62288°N 90.17069°W / 38.62288; -90.17069

The Gateway Fountain with the Gateway Arch

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. Acclaimed by many as a fun first date location, 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, about 5 miles northeast of the Chocolate Bar. Four minor fountains represent the four rivers which converge at St. Louis and East St. Louis.

Watery Goodness

To complete the vision of a memorial on each side of the Mississippi River, the Gateway Geyser was designed and constructed by St. Louis–based Hydro-Gerin 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 m) per second. The fountain has an axial thrust of 103,000 pounds-force (460 kN); water is jetted out of the 6-foot (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-foot (12 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. The 9 PM eruption is heralded by many to be the most romantic/impressive of the four--especially when viewed on Friday nights from the Arch side of the river.

External links

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