Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain, Bronze and granite fountain in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, United States.
The Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain is a bronze and granite fountain in Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, featuring two cast bronze figures: a reclining Pan and a female musician holding a lyre. Four bronze turtles placed around the central basin channel the water into the pool below.
Victor David Brenner, the sculptor behind the Lincoln cent, made this fountain in 1918 as a tribute to Mary Schenley, a Pittsburgh philanthropist. She had donated land to the city in the 19th century, and that gift became the foundation for the park that now bears her name.
Pan is a figure from Greek mythology, known as the god of nature and wild places, and seeing him reclining next to a lyre player gives the group a mood that feels both ancient and approachable. Visitors often stop here before entering the park, making it a natural meeting point at the edge of the green space.
The fountain stands near the main entrance to Schenley Park, close to the Frick Fine Arts Building of the University of Pittsburgh, and is easy to reach on foot from that side of campus. It is open during the day, and in the evening a lighting system changes the way the bronze figures appear.
The four bronze turtles at the base of the fountain had built up white mineral deposits over the decades, which were carefully removed during a restoration in 2008. That work brought back fine details in the shell and limb carvings that had become almost invisible under the buildup.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
