Public/Private Partnership

The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center is a hub of innovative education, informing people, young and old, about our shared water resources and the history of the Fairmount Water Works. The Interpretive Center functions as the education arm of the Philadelphia Water Department.

The Fund for the Water Works, a city-founded nonprofit, was formed in 1998 to restore the Fairmount Water Works, by then designated a national historic landmark. The Fund partnered with the Fairmount Park Commission (now called Philadelphia Parks and Recreation) and the Philadelphia Water Department to promote long-term care and use of the buildings and surrounding campus.

In the first decade of the Fund, philanthropist and park commissioner Ernesta Ballard oversaw the restoration of the entire site with over $30 million raised. The first two phases restored the buildings, plazas, and the signature railing that surrounds the main buildings. The subsequent phases restored the historic South Garden and the intricate Cliff Path Trail system and gazebos. Philadelphia Parks and Recreation then restored the 1926 Italian Fountain, forming a grand gateway to the campus, and created the new Fairmount Boardwalk and Trail.

Over the last decade, the Fund expanded its mission to support projects and programming at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and the Floating Water Workshop. This focus recognizes that activating the Fairmount Water Works campus and recruiting people to share in the work of protecting our waterways is another important tool to guarantee a bright future for this iconic landmark. The Fund for the Water Works raises funds for the operation of the Interpretive Center as well as several other educational initiatives.

Visit the Fund for the Water Works website to learn about our exciting new projects or make a donation today!