Come summer, most adults dream of being kids again and getting to spend weeks at sleepaway camp or river rafting through the Grand Canyon.
Me? I just miss running through the lawn sprinkler.
There was something so free-ing, even slightly subversive, about scooting back-and-forth in its undulating spray while inhaling a Popsicle. None of this “wait one hour after eating” hooey when it came to “swimming” in the sprinkler.
Luckily, that feeling’s within reach again, courtesy of “Big Splash,” “Legacy Fountain” or any of the half-dozen other interactive fountains around metro Atlanta. With Centennial Olympic Park’s “Fountain of Rings” paving the way in 1996, these gigantic, glorified lawn sprinklers are public in the truest sense of the word: They’re all centrally located in parks, town squares, in a mall and along the Atlanta Beltline. And they’re free to frolic in (OK, one charges a nominal $2 entry fee, but it’s good for all day).
Kids overwhelmingly make up their customer base. There's no maximum age limit for using any of the area's interactive fountains, though some don't exactly encourage adults to wade in and do much more than supervise. Use your common sense: Don't squash the little kids or their sense of fun.
Besides, from a brewery tour to an outdoor sculpture exhibition, there’s plenty of other cool, grown-up things to do within, uh, spitting distance of all these fountains. So whether you’re there to chaperone or just soak up a memory, check out our guide.
FOUNTAIN OF RINGS, Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Ave W. NW, Atlanta. 404-222-7275, www.centennialpark.com
Hours: Operates 365 days a year. Musical show plays four times daily — at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. — with the fountain running continuously through that time period. Free.
Fountain 411: Made up of five interlocking Olympic rings, each measuring 25 feet in diameter. The 250 computer-controlled water jets can reach heights of 12 feet normally, and some up to 30 feet during shows.
Why it's cool: Big and bold like the city, it's the fountain where all age groups, locals and out-of-towners come to cool off and gawk. And it's soaked in history: Built for the 1996 Summer Olympics, it was an immediate hit with tourists and Atlantans who all got to "experience" the Olympics for free. After a fatal bombing temporarily closed the park during the Games, the fountain brought some cheer back to a rattled city and world.
Deeper dive: SkyView Atlanta Ferris wheel is right across the street. The newly opened Center for Civil and Human Rights is nestled between the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola at one end of the park. At the other end, the College Football Hall of Fame opens Aug. 23 and the CNN Center offers tours, shopping and a food court with public restrooms (the park also has restrooms). Nearby Castleberry Hill and Luckie-Marietta neighborhoods boast a mix of trendy dining spots, shops and galleries.
LEGACY FOUNTAIN, Piedmont Park
1320 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta. 404-875-7275, www.piedmontpark.org
Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily in the spring and summer; the fountain will shut down sometime in the fall (based on air temperature). Free.
Fountain 411: Opened in 2011 as part of the park's ambitious northern expansion, the circular fountain features more than 70 jets that can soar as high as 30 feet.
Why it's cool: Spectacularly situated with views of the park's new wetland areas, meadows, dog parks and even part of the Atlanta Beltline, it's ideal for younger kids not ready for the Piedmont Park pool. Many families make it an afternoon, with parents splashing in the fountain with their kids and socializing at tables and chairs in a covered portico area. There are bathrooms onsite and a refreshment stand open on weekends; the paid parking deck is close by in the park.
Deeper dive: Piedmont Park's many attractions are mere steps away, along with the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the unpaved trail that connects directly to the Beltline's popular Eastside Trail. For adults only, Orpheus Brewery, with its Thursday-Saturday schedule of tours and tastings, is about a five-minute rapid walk/slow jog away. For a sit-down meal or drink, Ansley Mall, Midtown and Virginia-Highland are within a five-minute drive. For culture, so's the High Museum of Art.
BIG SPLASH, Town Center Park, Suwanee
Town Center Avenue, Suwanee. 770-945-8996, www.suwanee.com
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Groups of 10 or more are required to make reservations; no reservations allowed on Fridays. Free.
Fountain 411: Open since 2006, it features 43 jets, with a larger jet shooting up high in the center. The oval-shaped plaza opposite City Hall on the edge of the park is partially bordered by low stone walls ideal for sitting, and there's a shaded area created by large, bright blue canvas "sails" on one end.
Why it's cool: One of the most relaxed fountain settings — despite the closeness of traffic-choked Lawrenceville Suwanee Road and Buford Highway. The fountain is at one end of the 10-acre park, where people regularly picnic, kick around soccer balls or doze on the grass. The town square nips right up to the park edges; on summer days, teens or younger children who emerge dripping from the fountain to pad over to Rita's Ice Cream, Five Guys or Moe's are a common sight.
Deeper dive: For fans of public art, Suwanee is the place to be. The popular SculpTour, where the city displays pieces and lets the public vote on which one to acquire, is in full swing; 14 sculptures are situated in and around the park. There's also a dramatic, graffiti-covered piece of the Berlin Wall on display in front of City Hall. The square also offers a handful of boutiques and full-service restaurants where you can sit outside and sip a drink while gazing at the park and fountain.
SPLASH ‘N PLAY, Riverside Park, Roswell
575 Riverside Road, Roswell. 770-594-6158, www.roswellgov.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays, and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays except Tuesdays. After Sept. 1, open weekends only through month's end. (Another sprayground is in East Roswell Park, open through Aug. 10. Same hours; closed Wednesdays. 9000 Fouts Road, 770-594-6188.) $2 (age 1 and up). For adults who aren't going in the fountain, there's no charge if they're entering with a paying child. Private rentals available by calling 770-594-6134.
Fountain 411: The fully fenced-in, rectangular sprayground has what appears to be a gigantic mushroom growing at one end. It's one of several brightly colored structures, standing some 6 to 8 feet tall, that "rain" water down on the spraypad while it shoots up from below in other spots. There's a shaded deck area beneath an awning at one end and roomy public restrooms
Why it's cool: Decidedly "kid-centric." Several whistle-toting staffers patrol the deck at all times and the sprayground is designed so the smaller, gentler sprays are nearest the entrance to ease little kids in comfortably. The larger, more elaborate sprays are in the middle and at the far end. A snack stand sells hot dogs, chips, and novelty ice cream products like a SpongeBob Popsicle. The park itself has a paved walking/running trail, picnic pavilions and a boardwalk leading to a charming dock overlooking the Chattahoochee River.
Deeper dive: The park is less than 3 miles from the entrance to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area at Vickery Creek, where you can hike, canoe, paddleboard, bird-watch and more. And it's a mile to the historic town square, where you can visit the old mills site and tour a "Southern Trilogy" of antebellum historic homes. Roswell is filled with charming shops, galleries and signature eateries like Swallow at the Hollow, Fickle Pickle, Salt Factory and Dreamland Bar B Que.
TOWN GREEN FOUNTAIN, Duluth
3142 Hill St. NW, Duluth. 770-476-3434, www.duluthga.net
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-9 p.m. Sundays. Operational until the last weekend in September, when Duluth's Fall Festival starts. Free.
Fountain 411: Set on a slightly raised circular plaza, the fountain has two rings of 12 gracefully arc-ed outer jets and 36 inner ones, with a center spray with heights reaching between 16 and 20 feet.
Why it's cool: Opened in 2001 as part of a Town Green that feels like a throwback to a bucolic New England village. City Hall is at one end, and benches and historic monuments border the rolling expanse of lawn where teens toss Frisbees and people stroll to nearby shops. On a recent weekday, about a dozen kids ran in and out of the fountain, where chalk drawings covered a nearby walkway. It was hard to believe frenetic Buford Highway was two blocks away.
Deeper dive: Duluth has big name attractions, from the Arena at Gwinnett Center and the Southeastern Railway Museum to Sugarloaf Mills nearby in Lawrenceville. But it's easier making the one-minute stroll over to Main Street, home to the Red Clay Theatre, Crave Pie Studio and a quaint-meets-chic row of home and crafts shops, art galleries and more.
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