Fairmount Water Works

Don't miss our January session of Watershed is an Open Book this Saturday the 13th at the Interpretive Center, starting at 12:00pm. We will provide a light lunch, hold both indoor and outdoor activities, and give out a water-themed book to take home. The program is free but registration is required here: https://rb.gy/k8dmsc

Happy National Bird Day! Birds are an important part of ecosystems, dispersing seeds and eating insects, berries, and even fish. Because birds are sensitive to toxins and pollutants in their environment, they can serve as an early warning system that something is wrong. Here around the Schuylkill River, there are a number of birds that keep the ecosystem running smoothly, such as the Great Blue Heron and the Double Crested Cormorant. Summer interns created a bird guide of birds seen around Fairmount Water Works, some pages seen here. It's still in "working draft" form, but come check it out!

You can celebrate today by going bird watching, donating to a bird sanctuary, or even adding a birdhouse or feeder to your backyard, garden, or porch area!

Our first Watershed is an Open Book program of 2024 is Saturday, January 13th! We can't wait to get the year started with some fun water-related activities like the one pictured here where we wanted to see how paper might be dyed if split between two water cups. The program runs 12:00pm to 2:30pm with a light lunch provided. Register here!: https://tinyurl.comy89rkprz

Don't miss the final week of "Take Me to the River" at Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center! This Schuylkill-themed art exhibition features a wide range of local artists with their various tributes to the river and the community it creates. Our hours this week are Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday 10am-5pm, and Friday 10am-2pm. Pictured here is "Decay Along the River" by Nancy Halbert.

Happy Happy Holidays!

We are so grateful to all of our partners, friends and visitors who joined us this year in exploring and learning more about our waterways and how to become impactful advocates and stewards of our shared resource. In this, our 20th year of operation, we continued our commitment and strong tradition of providing STEAM-based, hands-on, minds-on programming in and around our historic building, in communities, school classrooms and in the field, and thanks to the generosity of friends like you, we initiated a couple of new projects this year, too!

Some 2023 highlights include:

-engaged nearly 7,000 visitors in discussions around equity, access and water safety related to public pools through "POOL: A Social History of Segregation."

-provided tours and watershed education programs to upwards of 7,500 K-12 students, teachers and administrators.

-connected with over 2,000 people recreating on the Schuylkill River Trail with our new PWD Water Bar, providing samples of our high-quality, healthy and delicious tap water.

-successfully piloted a new "Mussels in the Classroom" program, allowing high school students the opportunity to engage in authentic and relevant research on freshwater mussels, one of our river’s inhabitants, each one a miniature high powered natural filter.

To read about even more of our accomplishments this year, visit our website!: https://fairmountwaterworks.org/

Thank you for your continued support and interest in what we do. We wish each and every one of you a healthy, happy holiday season and a new year filled with lots of new and safe water-filled adventures!

Looking forward to 2024!

The staff and management of the FWWIC

The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center will close at 2pm on Friday December 22nd and Friday December 29th in celebration of the Holiday weekends.

❄️We look forward to seeing you this Holiday Season ! ❄️
Our hours are as follows:

Wednesdays December 20th and 27th : 10am-5pm
Thursdays December 21st and 28th : 10am-5pm
Fridays December 22nd and 29th : 10am-2pm
Saturdays December 23rd and 30th : 10am-5pm

Don't miss Watershed is an Open Book this Saturday! The program is noon to 2:30pm with a light lunch provided. Come join in for water activities and a free water themed book. Registration is strongly encouraged here: https://rb.gy/k8dmsc

This Saturday, December 16th, is our last mussel measuring event of the year! This community science event helps our freshwater mussel propagation program, bringing us one step closer to cleaner water for the river ecosystem and for ourselves. See you at The Discovery Center at 10:00am! Remember to register here: https://rb.gy/o60oh9

Come join us for our free museum day on Wednesday, December 20th! We'll have hourly tours from 11:00am to 2:00pm and a pop-up activity running from 11:00am to 3:00pm. More information can be found here: https://phillyholidays.com/event/free-museum-days-fairmount-water-works-interpretive-center/. See you then!

Learn the role Fairmount Water Works played in the growth of rowing as a sport and the iconic Boathouse Row, a National Historic Landmark. Take a tour of Boathouse #12 and then head back to Fairmount Water Works for a curator-led visit to the "Take Me to the River" art show. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while listening to one of the featured artists of the show discuss his connection to the river as he demonstrates techniques used in his paintings.

Meet at Lloyd Hall at 10am.
Registration is required:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-me-to-the-river-boathouse-tour-and-more-tickets-764178998957

Congratulations to Dottie Baumgarten who is being honored tomorrow night by Need in Deed, an organization working to connect classrooms with the community to help each student realize their potential. Dottie has been an educator with the Philadelphia Water Department and Fairmount Water Works IC for 14 years and a Need in Deed community partner since 2017. Dottie is one of the first called when students want to learn about the water system and she has visited countless Need in Deed classes.

Way to go, Dottie!

Our final mussel mania of the year is Saturday, December 16th at The Discovery Center! Register here: https://forms.gle/gJYMXSTkzPSx32zV9. We look forward to seeing you! If you miss December's event, look for Mussel Mania to start back up in March 2024.

Our next Watershed is an Open Book program is Saturday, December 16th from noon to 2:30pm! A light lunch will be provided and we have a wide range of activities planned for the session. While the program is free, we strongly encourage registration: https://rb.gy/k8dmsc. See you there!

Have you ever been curious about the 19th century boathouses lining the Schuylkill River? Together these historic buildings form the iconic Boathouse Row, an important recreational space originally made possible by the construction of Fairmount Dam. Join us on Saturday, December 9th for a tour of 12 Boathouse Row, home to Penn Athletic Club, followed by hot chocolate at Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center with a curator-led tour of "Take Me to the River" and a talk from one of the featured artists. Program is free, but registration is encouraged as space is limited. Register for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-me-to-the-river-boathouse-tour-and-more-tickets-764178998957?aff=oddtdtcreator

Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center has updated hours this week for the holiday!

Mark your calendars for our Thanksgiving holiday pop-up this Friday and Saturday from 11:00am to 2:00pm! We'll be taking a look at your water footprint by exploring the amounts of water necessary to grow and produce common foods we use to celebrate. Can't wait to see you there!

Due to expected traffic congestion with the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend, Saturday's Watershed is an Open Book program is canceled. We hope to see you for our next session on December 16th!

We’re closing early today in observance of Veteran’s Day - see you tomorrow!

Most recipes for pumpkin pie don't call for any water, but from the time a pumpkin starts growing to the evening it ends up on your dinner table, that pie takes over 200 gallons of water to make! If a pie uses that much, what about the rest of your Thanksgiving meal? Come by Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center for our Thanksgiving holiday pop-up event to find out! On November 24th and 25th from 11:00am to 3:00pm, we invite you to come and explore the unique amounts of water necessary for common foods.

Our next date for The Watershed is an Open Book is Saturday, November 18th at the Interpretive Center! This family oriented program gives children a chance to explore and deepen a connection with water. Come join us for a wide range of activities with lunch provided! The program is free, but registration is required: https://tinyurl.com/y89rkpzr

The interpretive center’s Wondrous World of Water program gives K-3 students an introduction to what healthy rivers and ecosystems may look like! Pictured here, our youngest visitors create their own river mural and then discuss the importance of diversity in river habitats.

Missed Mussel Mania this past weekend? Don't worry! Registration is now open for November's session on Saturday the 11th at The Discovery Center. We hope you'll join us! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/HFJUbietGaSupi8C8

Mussel Maniacs Join us for our monthly freshwater mussel measuring event at the Discovery Center on November 11, 2023! This community science program helps our freshwater mussel propagation program and brings us a step closer to cleaner water for birds and for ourselves. This program is designed for adult voluntee...

It's the final weekend for viewing POOL: A Social History of Segregation! Stop by to immerse yourself in this thought-provoking, impactful exhibit one last time. We are open until 5:00pm today and have added special hours tomorrow, Sunday the 29th, from 12:00pm-4:00pm.

We have a busy weekend! Come say hello at our Water Bars, stop by the Interpretive Center to check out POOL on its final weekend and "Take Me to the River" for its opening, or register below to join in on the mussel measuring at The Discovery Center!

Mussel Mania: https://forms.gle/PA2Nmf8GWiZVmyE19

Be sure to stop by our Water Bar at the Head of the Schuykill Regatta this Saturday, October 28th. We celebrate Philadelphia's great tap water by providing tastings and talking about the city's commitment to water health and safety. Bring any and all questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

"Take Me to the River," a Schuylkill-themed art show, opens this Saturday at Fairmount Water Works! Featuring work from seven local artists, the exhibition celebrates the river and its ability to bring communities together. Visit on opening day while you're on your way to or from the Head of the Regatta, or on Sunday for special opening hours 12:00pm-4:00pm.

During our We Drink the River educational program, students perform a variety of chemical tests assessing water quality of the Schuylkill River, including one to test pH. Based on results from Maritime Academy Charter School, the pH of our water sample looks to be about 7 - this is a good result!

Join us for our monthly freshwater mussel measuring event on October 28th at the Discovery Center! This community science program helps our freshwater mussel propagation program and brings us a step closer to cleaner water for the river ecosystem and for ourselves. Register for the event here: https://forms.gle/PA2Nmf8GWiZVmyE19

Only another week and a half to explore the POOL exhibition at Fairmount Water Works! Don't miss out on seeing this impactful exhibit housed on the site of Philadelphia's historic Kelly Pool. Our hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10:00-5:00 and admission is always free.

📷: TWO LIFEGUARDS - mixed media by Azikiwe Mohammed