Famous Fountains & Parks

James Scott Memorial Fountain, Detroit

Who is James Scott? A Belle Isle landmark of white marble designed by architect Cass Gilbert and sculptor Herbert Adams. A fascinating story of ego and fortune helped build this beauty years ago.

The Orpheus Fountain, Bloomfield Hills

Carl Milles’ masterpiece, The Orpheus Fountain, is on the grounds of the Cranbrook Art Museum. Spend a few moments studying the fountain’s ethereal nine bronze figures and their graceful poses.

RiverWalk Fountain, Detroit

There’s no better place to splash around and cool off on a steamy summer afternoon than the Detroit RiverWalk Fountain.

Horace E. Dodge and Son Fountain, Detroit

When you walk Detroit’s Hart Plaza and feel that refreshing cool mist, take a closer look at the water’s source. The plaza’s centerpiece fountain is an Isamu Noguchi original.

Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain, Royal Oak

This Carrado Parducci original lives among the beasts and birds in the Detroit Zoo. Happy bear statues in the water.

Metro Detroit also features several water wonderments created by Wet Design, the same company responsible for the fantastic fountains at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Wet Design originals include:

Detroit Metro Airport Fountain, Romulus

Watch the water dance and arc in this animated fountain located in Detroit Metro Airport’s McNamara Terminal.

The Woodward Fountain at Campus Martius Park, Detroit

A centerpiece of the park, this fountain can shoot water up to 10 stories in the air. In the winter, it becomes the base of the city’s majestic Christmas tree.

Water Feature at One Campus Martius, Detroit

The world’s largest indoor, hanging water feature, this 14-stories-tall beauty also features colorful glass kites suspended in air.

Photo Credits: Detroit RiverWalk by Vito Palimisano; Belle Isle, Detroit Zoo and Hart Plaza by Bill Bowen; Campus Martius by Lynn Powell