Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center

For more than 200 years, the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center (FWW) has been a leading symbol of technological innovation, and a cultural destination. It operated as a pumping station from 1815-1909, an aquarium from 1911 to 1962, and as the Kelly Natatorium (pool) until 1972. Today, FWW is an award-winning leader in urban environmental education, and serves as the Philadelphia Water Department’s public education destination. FWW has continually found ways of telling the story of our connection with water through: interactive, user-friendly exhibits and programs about water in our world; out-of-school time programs for all ages; weekend hands-on science programs for families; and guided tours of the landmark and its surroundings that explore its past, present, and future impact. FWW is dedicated to fostering stewardship of shared water resources by encouraging informed decisions about the use of land and water. What makes Fairmount Water Works unique among environmental centers is its location at the river’s edge and in the center of the fifth largest city in the nation. The Center is free and open to the public six days a week.