Fountain of Time

Fountain of Time is a concrete sculpture in Washington Park, Chicago, extending about 126 feet (38 meters) and featuring around one hundred human figures in relief passing by a central hooded figure holding a scythe. The group stands in a shallow basin and forms a long curved wall that directs the view across the grounds.

Lorado Taft began the work in 1907 and completed it in 1922 as a memorial to one hundred years of peace between the United States and Great Britain following the Treaty of Ghent. The execution stretched over many years as Taft continually refined the proportions and arrangement of the figures.

The work shows people of different ages moving in procession past the central figure of Time, with children playing, soldiers marching, and old people walking. This arrangement creates a continuous flow, where each group represents a moment in life.

Access is from Midway Plaisance at the southern end of Washington Park, where the memorial stands near the road intersection. Those coming from the city can reach the park via streetcar lines or by car along 57th Street to Stony Island Avenue.

The sculpture was among the first major artworks worldwide to be cast entirely in reinforced concrete, serving other sculptors as a testing ground for this material. This construction method made it possible to create such a large group of figures that would hardly have been structurally feasible in stone.

Location: Chicago

Inception: 1920

Creator: Lorado Taft

Made from material: concrete

GPS coordinates: 41.78675,-87.60775

Latest update: December 20, 2025 12:24