Lincoln’s Cascade Fountain turns on for first time since restoration project

The fountain was rededicated to teachers on Thursday

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Bicentennial Cascade Fountain finally has water flowing through its pipes again, after getting a major face-lift and new parts.

The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Lincoln Parks Foundation, held a rededication ceremony on Thursday.

The event brought over 400 community members to Antelope Triangle at 27th Street and Capitol Parkway.

At its first dedication in 1978, the fountain was dedicated to Nebraska educators, both currently teaching and those retired.

Bradley Brandt, chair of Lincoln’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, said it was only right to return the fountain to them.

“We celebrate the hard work of designers and planners, contractors and fundraisers. It took a village to make this work,” Brandt said at the ceremony. “And we obviously celebrate the educators to whom this fountain was originally dedicated to, and whom we returned it to.”

After 40 years, the fountain had to be shut down because of severe damage to the concrete surfaces, piping and mechanics.

“We had to stop turning it on because there was a risk that pipes were going to implode and it was going to cause further damage,” said Parks and Rec Director Maggie Stuckey-Ross. “So the decision was made after a survey of Lincoln to restore the fountain, to fix the pipes and to make it a more community space.”

The restoration of the fountain took about two years and cost around $900,000. Luckily, the large price tag was funded by donors and fundraisers.

The event highlighted the importance of educators in Nebraska and gratitude for those teachers who changed the lives of many. It also celebrated those who put countless hours into the restoration.

At the end of the event, the fountain roared to life once more.