Lotta's Fountain, Cast-iron fountain in downtown San Francisco, United States

Lotta's Fountain is a cast-iron fountain at the corner of Market, Geary, and Kearny Streets in downtown San Francisco, built in 1875 as a gift from actress Lotta Crabtree. The structure features a slender column with lion-head spigots and sits on a small traffic island amid busy streets, surrounded by historic buildings and shops.

The fountain was commissioned in 1875 by then-highly-popular actress Lotta Crabtree and originally placed at the corner of Market and Kearny Streets. After the 1906 earthquake, it became a vital meeting point for people searching for family members, and in 1916 a bronze column was added to match new street lighting standards.

Lotta Crabtree, born in New York in 1847, moved to California as a child and performed in gold-rush saloons before becoming a national star. She gave the fountain to San Francisco in 1875 as thanks for launching her career. A plaque records Luisa Tetrazzini's Christmas Eve 1910 concert, held after contract disputes kept her off New York stages; reportedly 250,000 people attended.

The fountain sits in the busy downtown area on a traffic island and is easily accessible on foot from various directions. It is a brief stop with limited space to linger, ideal for a quick visit while exploring nearby shops and attractions.

The annual commemoration began in 1919, when the South of Market Boys, a fraternal drinking organization, hung a wreath on the fountain. Survivors gathered at 5:12 a.m. on April 18 each year; after the 2015 anniversary the last two survivors died, and in 2016 more than 200 participants, many in period costume, attended.