Rings Fountain: 350 pavers, 156 lights, and 3 miles of wire!

6, Oct, 2019

The Greenway Conservancy’s signature Rings Fountain has a new light show for our 10-Year Anniversary of The Greenway! Fountain repairs and upgrades have transformed this one-of-a-kind fountain and created a dynamic new experience in the park. 

Work at the Rings Fountain began in October 2018 and, after hundreds of hours of work by Greenway Conservancy staff and technicians from WET Design, upgrades were completed in May of 2019 in time for our summer season in the park. 

The jigsaw puzzle of 350 granite and concrete pavers were removed and replaced with a crane, and the fountain received new light stands, lenses, hoses, solenoid valves, and more. Fountain equipment in the underground vault was upgraded, as were lights in the plaza near the fountain. 156 lights were upgraded to energy-efficient color LED lights that are programmed to sync to the fountain’s water shows and an incredible three miles of wire were used in the upgrades and repairs. 

The Rings Fountain is one of the most popular features on The Greenway. Hailed as “the most unconditionally happy spot in all of Boston” and “one of the most effortlessly diverse places in the city” by The Boston Globe, the Rings Fountain is located in the heart of the park, near the New England Aquarium and Faneuil Hall. Throngs of visitors delight in the fountain’s gracefully choreographed and playfully unpredictable jets of water.

In addition to the Rings Fountain, The Greenway has two fountains near the North End, the Armenian Heritage Park fountains, the Harbor Fog installation, and the waterfall in Chin Park. Fountains operate daily until Columbus Day Weekend from 9a-11p.

Join us for Celebrate: 10 Years of The Greenway this Thursday, October 10 at 5:30p, featuring a free sweet treat from Cookie Monstah by the Rings Fountain, a few words from our Executive Director, and a specially commissioned, site-specific dance performance Waterway/Lightway/Greenway. This new work by Public Displays of Motion is inspired by the history of The Greenway and includes ~30 professional and community dancers, aged 14 – 75.

Rings Fountain Photos by Matt Conti Photography