Love Park Fountain

The great spout of city center water washes way up into the sky, stirring the souls of gritty skaters and office workers on their lunch break. The sound seems to string together the disparate souls that surround the fountain, suggesting a subconscious energy that keeps the urban scene flowing and vibrant, all underneath the absolute idea of big love. Love Park is a plaza located in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park is nicknamed Love Park for Robert Indiana's Love sculpture which overlooks the plaza. The park was built in 1965 and covers an underground parking garage. The main features of the plaza are curved granite steps and a single spout fountain which was added in 1969. What was once the city visitor center was closed down for five years, but opened up in May 2006 as The Fairmount Park Welcome Center. The park was dedicated in 1967 as John F. Kennedy Plaza after President John F. Kennedy. A "Love" sculpture, designed by Robert Indiana, was first placed in the plaza in 1976 as part of the United States' Bicentennial celebration. It was removed in 1978, but the sculpture was missed and the chairman of Philadelphia Art Commission, F. Eugene Dixon, Jr., bought the sculpture and permanently placed it in the plaza, in 1978. The large space, granite surfaces, and curved steps made the plaza attractive to skateboarding and in the 1980s it became a popular location for skateboarders. In the 1990s, LOVE Park's international reputation as a skateboarding locale had been strengthened by the successes of some of its most famous users.