10 Great Area Fountains

JC Nichols Fountain

Located at 47th Street and J.C. Nichols Parkway on the East side of the Plaza, this fountain is the most well known in Kansas City. There are four horses representing the Mississippi, Volga, Seine and Rhine Rivers. The fountain is a memorial to J.C. Nichols, the Plaza developer. Other popular Plaza fountains include the Fountain of Bacchus in front of the Cheesecake Factory, the Seville Light Fountain at 47th Street and Broadway, The Neptune Fountain on 47th Street in front of Steve’s Shoes and the Diana Fountain in front of the Intercontinental Hotel.

The Firefighters Fountain

This fountain is located at 31st and Broadway and is one of the largest in the city. It was completed in 1991 as a memorial to the city’s fallen firefighters whose names are carved in the granite. It has a large basin with a statue of two firefighters in the middle.

The Vietnam Veterans Fountain

Created in 1986, this fountain is dedicated to all Vietnam veterans and especially those from the Kansas City area. There is a memorial wall with 336 area veterans’ names that were either killed or missing in action.

Crown Center Fountain

This water display takes up 2000 square feet and is made up of 49 water jets that shoot water up over 30 feet in the air. The water-shooting patterns are synchronized to music recorded for Crown Center. This fountain is a popular place for children to play in warm weather.

The Children’s Fountain

Located at North Oak Trafficway and Missouri Highway 9, this North Kansas City fountain was dedicated in 1995 and features six bronze sculptures of children playing in the water.

Meyer Circle Fountain

Also called the Seahorse Fountain, this fountain is located at the roundabout intersection of Ward Parkway and Meyer Boulevard. J.C. Nichols bought the 17th century Venetian sculpture for the center in the 1920s. The centerpiece has a child playing with a dolphin while the base is made up of three seahorses.

Women’s Leadership Fountain

Kansas City’s oldest and recently renovated fountain is located at Ninth Street and the Paseo. The fountain was first dedicated in 1899. Its renovation was a part of the $2.7 million renovation of the Paseo’s median features. It became known by its current name in the 1990s and has been working on and off since the 1940s.

William Volker Memorial Fountain

This fountain is located at Volker Boulevard and Oak Street and was dedicated to William Volker, a local businessman and philanthropist who died in 1947. It is estimated that he donated nearly ten million dollars in total, many times anonymously giving him the nickname, “Mr. Anonymous”. The fountain features St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of France and is associated with generosity. There are also four angel figures surrounding the statue.

The Northland Fountain

This fountain is the first to have been built north of the Missouri River and is located at North Oak Trafficway and Vivion Road. It was dedicated in 1983 and is one of the only fountains that run year-round. The fountain has an 80-foot diameter as well as water jets that shoot 30 feet in the air.

Rozzelle Court Fountain

Ancient fountain located inside the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art dating back to around 200 A.D. It is the oldest fountain in the area and is believed to be one of the imperial baths of Rome that may have been used to cleanse the feet of athletes.