Gateway Geyser

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The Gateway Geyser is a fountain located on the riverfront of the Mississippi River in East St. Louis, Illinois, directly across from the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. The fountain is the world's second tallest, lifting water to a height of approximately 630 feet (190 m), trailing the King Fahd's Fountain in Saudi Arabia which can reach 312 meters (1,020 ft). The Gateway Geyser mirrors the equally tall Arch on the opposite riverbank.

The Gateway Geyser was designed and constructed by St. Louis–based Hydro Dramatics and was completed in 1995 at a cost of $4 million. Three 800-horsepower (600 kW) pumps power the fountain, discharging 8,000 U.S. gallons of water per minute (50 L/s) at a speed of 250 feet per second (75 m/s). The fountain has an axial thrust of 103,000 pounds-force (460 kN); water is jetted out of the 6 foot tall aerated nozzle at a pressure of 550 pounds per square inch (3.8 MPa).

On June 17, 2005, it was announced that ownership of the Gateway Geyser and its 34 acre (14 ha) site had been transferred to the Metro East Park and Recreation District. The fountain will serve as the cornerstone for a new park named after the late Malcolm W. Martin.

The Geyser was illuminated for the first time on October 28, 2005, in celebration of the St. Louis Arch's 40th anniversary.

On September 16, 2006, ground was broken on the Mississippi River Overlook project at the Malcolm Martin Memorial Park, a 40-foot (12 m) high platform providing a scenic overlook of the Gateway Geyser, the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis skyline. It is expected to open in mid-April 2008.

Scheduled operation times for the Geyser are from 12:00-12:15 pm and from 1:00-1:15 pm daily from April to October.