About

The Aspen Dancing Fountain was initiated in 1980 with the Big Squirt Celebration

Artist Travis Fulton and Technology Wizard Nick DeWolf built the fountain to provide a common place of enjoyment for Aspen residents and visitors alike.   Many generations of children and adults have enjoyed the delight of watching the fountain perform it’s random dance and most have not been able to resist the urge to try and outsmart the fountains timing. This usually winds up in a refreshing splash of cool mountain stream water when the fountain fools it’s observers.

The fountain, one of Aspen’s most beloved features, made its debut 25 years ago on Memorial Day weekend (see photos). The fountain is the joint creation of electronics wizard Nicholas DeWolf and sculptor Travis Fulton. Working on the project since May 1978, DeWolf designed the computerized controls while Fulton did the engineering for the hydraulics. …DeWolf explains further, “Travis was subconsciously looking for a spot and bam, there it was in the storm drain at Mill Street in front of the Wheeler Opera House. Here was a spot where a fountain could leap out of the pavement and then go away again, back into the drain under the street instead of leaving an ugly dirty unused pool. My fondest hope is that the fountain will become a standard meeting place in Aspen – that whiling away a little time there will be entertaining.” …Members of the city council and DeWolf agreed to split the cost of the fountain materials 50-50 and DeWolf and Fulton contributed their labor.