Lights, jets and water: Boise debuts fountain ahead of Fourth of July celebration

Over 100 people went down to Ann Morrison Park on Wednesday to watch the opening of a new fountain that has been two years in the making.

The $2 million, 70-foot fountain is designed for children to play in and has 69 water jets equipped with LED lights. Water from the fountains can shoot 10 to 12 feet into the air. The Idaho Statesman previously reported in 2021 that the fountain was expected to cost $1 million.

A previous fountain at the site — which sits along the tree-lined passageway that runs east from Americana Boulevard — was raised off the ground on concrete and not suitable for children to splash about in.

“It makes sense that a focal point of this park, the Ann Morrison Fountain, would be rebuilt into something that is highly engaging, highly interactive, and highly accessible,” Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway said at the Wednesday ceremony.

The fountain is programmed with a variety of different jet-shooting sequences and color displays, Holloway said. The fountain also has weir-type founts gushing from either end, and the sequences can be reset with a push of the button. The different patterns include different water arches, “sprays and splashing designs,” according to the city’s website.

At the Ann Morrison Fourth of July Festival, the new fountain will have a light and water show, Holloway said. The fountain is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The project has been two years in the making and includes 10 miles of electrical wiring, Holloway said.

West of the fountain is a red art sculpture called the “Donor Portal,” which displays the names of donors. The fountain’s cost includes a $325,000 donation from the Harry W. Morrison Foundation and a $100,000 donation from the Morrison Knudsen Foundation, according to the city’s website. The sculpture was designed by Stephanie Inman and funded separately by the Harry W. Morrison Foundation.

At the ceremony, Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton said he remembered coming over to the fountain on hot summer days in his youth. He said creating the new fountain was a “puzzle,” and that he’s glad it’s now open.

“One of the things I’m excited about today isn’t necessarily what’s happening right now, but all the memories that will be made in the future,” he said.

Mayor Lauren McLean and Council Member Colin Nash also attended the opening.

After the fountain was turned on, over a dozen children — and some adults — played in the new watery landscape.

Gina Shanahan, a Boise resident, was at the fountain with her two children.

“I love the fact that it’s now interactive,” she said, adding that she hopes her 5-year-old daughter will remember coming to the fountain’s opening.

She said her family comes to the park regularly in the summer.

“I’m sure that swimsuits will now be thrown into our bags, or at least a change of clothes,” she said.