Berger Fountain Rehabilitation Advances in Loring Park

The rehabilitation of the Berger Fountain in Loring Park, the spherical "dandelion" fountain installed in 1975, is moving ahead as a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board capital project, supported in part by a $50,000 donation from the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

The fountain stopped working in summer 2020 because of deferred maintenance, prompting a task force to push the rebuild forward. Beyond the Parks Foundation gift, the board has assembled funding from several sources, including a $200,000 state appropriation secured in 2024, about $157,641 in Dibble-Hornstein parkland dedication funds, $8,000 through the city's Neighborhood Revitalization Program, and a planned $350,000 from the NPP20 rehabilitation program. A first phase of construction, focused on demolishing and removing the old mechanical equipment in the vault below the fountain, was planned for winter and spring 2026. Project details are atand

The restored fountain is to keep its location, size and cascading pools while adding decorative nighttime lighting, more seating and gathering space, added protection for nearby trees and roots, and a better connection to the Loring Greenway entrance.

For residents of Lowry Hill, the Wedge and the surrounding neighborhoods who use Loring Park, the work fits the larger story of the board's 2026 budget, which concentrates on maintaining existing assets after the end of federal pandemic relief. Residents can track the project through the Park Board's capital listings at minneapolisparks.org or raise questions with their elected commissioner and at board meetings.