The Rights and The Ways of Water
Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center 2026 Events
The Fairmount Water Works began operating in 1815, establishing Philadelphia as the first city in America to provide its residents with clean water for drinking, cooking, cleansing and firefighting. Recognized as a significant achievement in civil engineering for its centralized water distribution technology and hydropower pumps, the FWW became a significant landmark in Philadelphia and the second most popular tourist attraction in the country, next to Niagara Falls. It continued to operate as a public utility until 1909. INFO: Fairmountwaterworks.org
International Day of Sites & Monuments
April 18 10:00 a.m.
Join us for a Cultural Heritage Tour of one of Philadelphia’s most iconic landmarks. See how the Fairmount Water Works continues to meet the challenges of changing times —from a public health crisis in the 1800s, through the changing climate of the 21st century.
Ellen Freedman Schultz, Director of Strategic Partnerships Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center/ Philadelphia Water Department, will show rarely seen “before” images of the late 20th century rehabilitation of the site, reaffirming that the historic Fairmount Water Works still stands as a beautiful and enduring symbol of the city’s commitment to providing clean public drinking water and across the globe.
MAY IS WORLD HERITAGE MONTH! General Lafayette Tour
May 2 and May 23 10 AM – 11:30 AM
Marquis de Lafayette was a French aristocrat who traveled to America and defied his own king to fight in the American Revolution against Great Britain. Lafayette returned to America for a Farewell Tour which triggered such intense public enthusiasm that Lafayette stayed for thirteen months and traveled to all 24 states. At the end of his tour, in the summer of 1825, Lafayette visited Philadelphia once more, specifically to see the dedication of the Fairmount Water Works with a tour by the watering committee. He referred to it as “the perfect embodiment of the American Government, in which were combined simplicity, power, and economy.” This special tour of the Fairmount Water Works will include excerpts from the writings of both Lafayette and his secretary, Auguste Levasseur, about their experience at the site that has now been designated a National Historic Landmark.
Register: https://tinyurl.com/ddbsuntk
Loving Landmarks
May 6 and May 20 4 – 5:30 PM
Global Water Heritage presentation
Come experience the story of Philadelphia’s water—past, present, and future!
Join us for a Cultural Heritage Tour of one of Philadelphia’s most iconic landmarks. See how the Fairmount Water Works continues to meet the challenges of changing times —from a public health crisis in the 1800s, through the changing climate of the 21st century.
Ellen Freedman Schultz, Director of Strategic Partnerships Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center/ Philadelphia Water Department will show rarely seen images of the late 20th century rehabilitation of the site and will talk about other water heritage sites throughout the world. All will inspire conversations about the challenges and possibilities for the protection of our significant water heritage sites.
Said In Stone: Statuary Art and Gardens in and around the Fairmount Water Works
May 13 and May 27, 2026 4-5:30 PM
Multimedia Exhibition curated by Philadelphia Sculptors
May 9- August 8, 2026 in John B. Kelly Pool area
Ten prominent local artists will explore the hidden mysteries of the raw architecture and underground corridors beneath the National Historic Landmark Fairmount Water Works. As America looks back on its 250th anniversary as a nation, visitors will experience multi-media installations that connect colonial times to both the real present and an imagined future, 250 years ahead. Imaginative site-specific artworks will evoke the voices of the river, with trickling harmonic notes over ephemeral video projections and mixed-media art works that delve into the history and ecology of the Water Works structure and its environs, reanimating the raw subterranean space to address environmental and historical themes highlighting water, the river, and the site itself.
The exhibition is co-curated by Elaine Crivelli, Leslie Kaufman and Marsha Moss. Philadelphia Sculptors works to promote contemporary sculpture and expand public awareness of the role and value of sculpture through exhibitions, public forums, and educational outreach.
Special “Currents” Artists Performances
TR7 and the Sonic Sculpture Ensemble
May 16 and June 7 2:00 p.m.
Calculating Banneker: The Work of Water/An Installation Activation in Four Movements
Experience a transformative fusion of history, ecology, and sound. By merging the precision of Benjamin Banneker’s calculations with the rhythmic life cycle of the apiary, the audience is invited to witness “The Work of Water” as a communal pulse of continuity and care. From the hive, discover how every drop sustains the collective.
Martha McDonald Performance Art
May 30 & 31 2:30 p.m.
River Ode: The Schuylkill Freed
Martha McDonald will use movement, costume and original music as she activates the exhibition space and explores the history of the Water Works and the life of the Schuylkill River. Leading audience members around and into the empty John B. Kelly Pool, she will pause to play ethereal tones on the spinning glass bowls of a glass armonica—an instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. Reflecting on the engineering feats that harnessed the power of the river to bring clean water to the people; tales of the Schuylkill Rangers, 19th century Irish river pirates from nearby Grays Ferry; and the rebirth of the river after decades of pollution.
We the People: Preserve the Right to Clean Water
Fourth Annual Spring Art Exhibition May 16-August 1, 2026
Preview VIP Reception May 14 4:30-7 PM
Curator & Artist Conversations: May 16 & 30; June 13 & 27; July 11 & 18; August 1@11AM & 1PM
For more than two centuries, the Fairmount Water Works has built upon its foundation of civic duty, engineering and environmental sustainability and education. The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania proclaims people have the right to clean air and water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution. Growing public awareness and concern for controlling water pollution led to amendments in 1972, and the law became known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). In 1976, honoring our Nation’s Bicentennial, the Fairmount Water Works was designated as a National Historic Landmark for its architectural beauty and engineering innovations.
The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has been a national leader in educating the public about the value of clean water and the need for public stewardship of our regional and local watersheds. WE THE PEOPLE: Preserve Our Right to Clean Water Fourth Annual Fine Art Exhibition encapsulates these ideas and invites visitors to engage in thought and discussion sparked by a series of events which celebrate clean water including a fine art exhibition, installations, dance performances and interactive displays throughout the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center.
Curated by Thom Duffy under the direction of Karen Young, FWWIC Director, and brought to you in part by the Fund for the Water Works and the Edward F. Grusheski Water Literacy Foundation.
Michael Williamson, Two Clouds
World Fish Migration Day
Dew Drop-In Saturday, May 23
“Bodies of Water” performed by the Naked Stark Dance Company
September 26 – October 3, 2026
The Naked Stark dance artists transform the former Kelly Pool into a fantastical riverbed,and portal to new beginnings. In this next iteration of the Bodies of Water* project, the dancers slip between real and imagined currents, bringing the audience on an immersive journey that compels us to consider our shared stewardship of water, place, and each other.
POP UP Outdoor rehearsals -Catch our partners in movement, The Naked Stark dance artists, rehearsing outside on the grounds near the Fairmount Water Works Interpretative Center
May 13:10 AM – 2 PM
May 14: 11 AM – 2PM
and May 15: 1PM- 5PM
Performances:
Saturday ,September 26 1 PM
Monday, September 28 7 PM
Tuesday, September 29 7 PM
Thursday, October 1 7PM
Friday, October 2 7 PM
Saturday, October 3 1 PM
John Brady Photography
Walking the Schuylkill
Sept. 19, 2026 – Jan. 8, 2027
Photography Exhibit PUBLIC opening September 19, 2026
VIP Opening Reception September 16, 2026 4:30 – 7 PM
William Penn placed the city where it is because of the Schuylkill River, guaranteeing the city and the river a prominent place in American history. Over time, the Schuylkill has served the city and its industry, first with a canal system and later with railroads and highways in the river’s flood plain. Factories and mills were built along its full length. Industry radically changed the river. Along with bringing farm products and coal to the city. The Schuylkill River provided drinking water. These purposes often collided; eventually drinking water won out. The environmental movement changed the river as radically as the industrial age had. These changes, and contemporary uses, leave imprints. “Walking the Schuylkill” intends to capture and highlight those marks, illustrating the character of the modern Schuylkill River.