Fairmount Water Works

Mommies and Minnows, Fathers and Fry
2014-10-08 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Plunge into fun!
Head on down to the Fairmount Water Works, where parents and preschoolers ages 3-5 can learn all about water.
Join us Wednesday mornings, 10:30am- 11:30am from September 17th – October 22nd to splash around and discover new things about water through interactive story telling, movement activities, arts and crafts and hands-on experiments. This program is free of charge but preregistration is required. Space is limited.
Lesson: Fishin’ Around
Take a deeper look into the different species of fish in the Schuylkill River.

Annual World Habitat Day
2014-10-06 17:30 - 20:15 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Join the United Nations Association (Philadelphia Chapter) for a special showing of the film “Urbanized”, a documentary that explores the diverse range of new city design projects from around the world.
Following the film, there will be discussion, Q&A, and a networking reception.
Click here for the full event flyer.
To RSVP, email info@una-gp.org.

About “Urbanized”
Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers. Over half the world’s population now lives in an urban area, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues is disconnected from the public domain.

Norristown Around-the-Island Tour
2014-10-04 14:00 - 16:30 | Riverfront Park
Norristown Around-the-Island Tour
Circumnavigate Barbadoes! Did you know the largest island in the entire 130-mile Schuylkill River lies between Norristown and Bridgeport? Barbadoes was part of the original manor owned by William Penn, Jr. that included the “Town of Norris”. On this one-of-a-kind tour, we will hike and paddle from Norristown to Bridgeport and back, viewing all “coasts” of Barbadoes while soaking up riverfront lore.
Starting from Riverfront Park near the West End Historic District, we’ll walk along the former railway Schuylkill River Trail across Stoney Creek to the Dekalb Street Bridge. After crossing the bridge, we’ll visit the Norristown Dam Fishway before launching our dragon boat from the Upper Merion Boat Club dock. Knowledgeable local guides will provide background on Norristown’s important historic, environmental, and recreational connections to its river, our drinking water source. The walk is approximately two miles and the paddle is approximately a half mile.
Highlights of the route:
-Elevated views of the Schuylkill River and Stoney Creek
-Norristown Arts Center, adaptive reuse
-site of McCredy’s Mill, first large industry in Norristown
-1932 brick P&R Railroad Station
-Montgomery County Courthouse and Courthouse Square
-river views from DeKalb Street Bridge pedestrian walkway
-site of Norristown Canal on Bridgeport side, part of 19c Schuylkill Navigation System
-new Norristown Dam Fishway that enables the return of the American shad to our waters
-a short voyage in a dragon boat, around the northern tip of Barbadoes Island back to our starting place. Beginners and children 12 and older welcome!
Space limited to 15 people. Meet at Riverfront Park. Register.

Leave it Pigment
2014-10-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Do you wonder why leaves are green in the spring and summer, but change to red, yellow and orange in the fall? How do trees use water and how does that change in the winter?
We’ll investigate the different colored pigments in leaves, identify different leaves, and perform an experiment to show how one color is really made up of many different colors. Learn about the science of chromatography and make your own chromatogram.

Join us for this autumnal Science Saturday.

Mommies and Minnows, Fathers and Fry
2014-10-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Plunge into fun!
Head on down to the Fairmount Water Works, where parents and preschoolers ages 3-5 can learn all about water.
Join us Wednesday mornings, 10:30am- 11:30am from September 17th – October 22nd to splash around and discover new things about water through interactive story telling, movement activities, arts and crafts and hands-on experiments. This program is free of charge but preregistration is required. Space is limited.
Lesson: No Fowl Play! A lesson about the Schuylkill River Watershed’s native birds

Sunday Cinema
2014-09-28 15:00 - 17:00, 2014-09-28 13:00 - 15:00, 2014-09-14 15:00 - 16:30, 2014-09-14 13:00 - 14:30, 2014-09-07 15:00 - 16:30 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Join us every Sunday afternoon starting in September for Sunday Cinema – a free series featuring movies and documentaries that surround a water theme. It’s a great family-friendly event, and we’ll show a different movie every month.

A Walk in the Park-way
2014-09-28 15:00 - 17:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
The last tour of the season!
Put on your walking shoes and discover the magnificent buildings along Philadelphia’s own Champs–Élysées – and what lies beneath them. Start at the Fairmount Water Works, where wheels once pumped the city’s drinking water, then embark on a mile-long stroll down the picturesque path from Fairmount Park to Logan Square, and back again.
Tickets

Science Saturday: Waterfowl
2014-09-27 14:00 - 16:00, 2014-09-20 14:00 - 16:00, 2014-09-13 14:00 - 16:00, 2014-09-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Learn what species have made the Schuylkill River their home and how the East Park Reservoir became the travel destination of choice for many birds. Find out about the history the East Park Reservoir and what has made both of these sites an ideal home or hangout for winged friends. Join in our activity that highlights water-loving birds from ducks to divers like the Cormorant.
Sessions run every 30 minutes from 2pm – 4pm

Hills of the Wissahickon Watershed
2014-09-27 09:00 - 11:00 | Blue Bell Park, 842 W. Walnut Lane, Philadelphia, PA, 19144, United States
Meet at Blue Bell Park. Free parking. Also accessible via SEPTA bus route 65.
(This is a two-hour, two-mile loop hike over trails, roads, and some hills. Wear sturdy shoes or hiking sandals. All ages 8+ are welcome. Maximum group size 15.)
Join local “Rocks Burrow” resident and Fairmount Water Works environmental educator Sandy Sorlien as we tromp the wooded valley of the Wissahickon and Monoshone Creeks. We’ll learn the history, engineering, and ecology of several special sites. First we’ll walk downhill through the forest overlooking Forbidden Drive along with “Wiss”. A short walk up the Monoshone brings us to Rittenhouse Town, where the creek, also known as Paper Mill Run, provided water power in the 18th and 19th centuries to run the first paper mill in British North America Then and today, the Monoshone has collected stormwater runoff from the steep hills on both sides. Today we can see the contrast of wooded Fairmount Park on one side of Lincoln Drive and urban conditions on the other. We will cross the creek to Saylor Grove, a 3.2 acre park where more than half is a manmade wetland created by the Philadelphia Water Department to help manage stormwater runoff. This is a beautiful site with a diversity of plants and wildlife, including seasonal butterflies and waterfowl.
Your guide will put all these sites into a context of the larger Schuylkill River watershed, the urban water use cycle, the historic role of dams and mill races, and the ecology of our local streams.
Register here.

Schuylkill Soundings
2014-09-25 17:30 | PA
“Life, Death & Rebirth”
Did you know that Philadelphia was the first municipality in modern history to deliver water to its citizens? Or that the city’s first pumping station was at Centre Square (now City Hall)? Or how about the fact that site has been visited by people from all over the world and served as the home of the region’s first major aquarium?
Join us as Ed Grusheski, former General Manager of Public Affairs for the Philadelphia Water Department and moving force behind the Fairmount Water Works, gives an illustrated lecture on its history. Rich archives of engineering drawings, paintings and prints will accompany the telling of the site’s story through its golden years when it was considered the model for water delivery systems.
Today with a $33 million dollar restoration, an environmental education center, and a first class restaurant, the Fairmount Water Works is once again a destination for folks from all over the world.
Please join us to hear this amazing story of one of Philadelphia’s architectural and engineering treasures.
Light refreshments will be served.
Admission is free, but registration is required.

Mommies and Minnows, Fathers and Fry
2014-09-24 10:30 - 11:30 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Plunge into fun!
Head on down to the Fairmount Water Works, where parents and preschoolers ages 3-5 can learn all about water.
Join us Wednesday mornings, 10:30am- 11:30am from September 17th – October 22nd to splash around and discover new things about water through interactive story telling, movement activities, arts and crafts and hands-on experiments. This program is free of charge but preregistration is required. Space is limited.
Lesson: Puddles of Fun
Discover how puddles are formed and where they go once the sun comes out.

FLOW Festival
2014-09-21 13:00 - 20:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Our 2014 FLOW Festival was a success! More than 500 people attended this daylong celebration of water!Guests enjoyed performers, art installations, and a plenty of hands-on activities. Food was provided by Cosmic Cafe.
And of course, the weather was gorgeous!
Let us know how you liked the event! Connect with us online, using the hashtag #FWWFLOWFest

Pop Up Yoga!
2014-09-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Join us for a special yoga class with Pop Up Yoga Philly.
For a $10 donation, not only will you enjoy a peaceful session overlooking the waterfall, but proceeds will benefit “Haiti’s Heroes” – a project aimed to building a school and community center in northern Haiti. Click here for more information about the initiative.

Mommies and Minnows, Fathers and Fry
2014-09-17 10:30 - 11:30 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Plunge into fun!
Head on down to the Fairmount Water Works, where parents and preschoolers ages 3-5 can learn all about water.
Join us Wednesday mornings, 10:30am- 11:30am from September 17th – October 22nd to splash around and discover new things about water through interactive story telling, movement activities, arts and crafts and hands-on experiments. This program is free of charge but preregistration is required. Space is limited.
Lesson: Whether the Weather
Explore all parts of the water cycle and what types of weather it brings.

A Walk in the Park-way
2014-09-07 15:00 - 17:00, 2014-08-31 15:00 - 17:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Put on your walking shoes and discover the magnificent buildings along Philadelphia’s own Champs–Élysées – and what lies beneath them. Start at the Fairmount Water Works, where wheels once pumped the city’s drinking water, then embark on a mile-long stroll down the picturesque path from Fairmount Park to Logan Square, and back again.
Tickets

Sunday Cinema
2014-09-07 13:00 - 14:30 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Join us every Sunday afternoon starting in September for Sunday Cinema – a free series featuring movies and documentaries with an environmental theme. It’s a great family-friendly event, and we’ll show a different movie every month.

Milling Around Tour
2014-09-07 13:00 - 14:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Travel below street level and into the Kelly Pool venue. This space is being reinvigorated as an arts and performance space; it was part of the “Hidden City” arts festival and is where “Tributaries” was performed to a sold-out crowd.
Eye-level with the Schuylkill, you’ll walk the same underground paths as a royal family and Olympic swimmers during a behind-the-scenes look at Philadelphia’s first tourist destination and hear about the future expansion of the landmark that pioneered engineering, tourism, and environmental awareness in Philadelphia.
This is a hard-hat tour, and may not be accessible for all of our visitors.

Pennsylvania Coast Day 2014
2014-09-06 11:00 - 16:00 | Walnut Plaza on Penn’s Landing, Columbus Blvd at Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Celebrate Pennsylvania’s coast with FREE marine-themed activities and family fun! Get your face painted, win prizes, make recycled crafts. Watch the Tug Boat Festival, meet Coastie the robot, and tour fire boats and oil spill cleanup boats.
Want to dive deeper? Take a free boat ride or take a free spin around the marina in a kayak or swan pedal boat. And don’t miss the free shuttle bus for a round-trip tour to the Fairmount Water Works, to take part in a whimsical way for getting a drink of water. Discover what it takes to make clean, reliable, and refreshing water flow from your tap everyday.
Come see the world’s largest LEGO model ship collection, TEACH FLEET, inside Independence Seaport Museum (standard admission applies). The Museum will also host the Philadelphia Ship Model Society Regatta in the marina.

Milling Around
2014-08-31 13:00 - 14:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Eye-level with the Schuylkill, get a behind-the-scenes look at Philadelphia’s first tourist destination. Be the first to hear about the future expansion of the landmark that pioneered engineering, tourism, and environmental awareness in Philadelphia.
Register here.

Science Saturday: Waterfowl
2014-08-30 14:00 - 16:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Find out what makes theSchulykill river an ideal hangout for our winged friends like the Redtail Hawk, Bufllehead Duck, and the House Sparrow.
Sessions run every 30 minutes from 2pm – 4pm

Fairmount Water Works Inside and Out
2014-08-30 13:00 - 14:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Learn about the Water Works’ architecture. Then head inside for a guided orientation to the “Water in our World” exhibit including a 15-minute film about the building’s important role in Philadelphia’s history.
FREE

Pop-Up Activity: Seeing is Believing
2014-08-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Fairmount Water Works, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, United States
Spy on tiny organisms that live in the river. You won’t believe what you see – one simple drop is teaming with life aquatic.
