The world famous Fountain always provides a dramatic backdrop for the community of Fountain Hills .

Nearly 40 years ago, a mirage-like image rose out of the desert, marking the center of a master planned community.

“The World’s Tallest Fountain” has been a draw to the Town of Fountain Hills since December 1972.

The Fountain, celebrating its 39th birthday this year, has given the community its name and its identity. The Fountain and Fountain Park are the focal points of Fountain Hills.

Statistics are not kept about visitors to the Park, but the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce compiles a report about visitors to the Chamber office. Some 2,094 people dropped by the office throughout 2008 for a variety of reasons. Visitation is up in 2009, with some 1,221 visitors signing in at the chamber as of April 2009. The Chamber provides information on numerous topics and events in the visitors’ center. It is presumed that these visitors at least stop by the Park to view the Fountain, but thousands of others spend time at the Town’s main landmark.

Only two states were not represented during visits to the Chamber in 2008, yet every state but Delaware have been here. International visitors came from Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Guam, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales and the Yukon Territory.

No visit to Fountain Hills is complete without a stroll around the Park. Currently, the Fountain operates each hour on the hour for 15 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until 9 p.m. daily. The icon takes on a completely different look at night, with it being illuminated from below, creating a majestic stream of water reaching for the dark desert sky. No matter what time of day it is viewed, it is a wonder to behold.

The Fountain also is turned on for longer periods of time for special occasions such as concerts in the Park, Pony Express Days and St. Patrick’s Day. It is designed to not operate on windy days.

The St. Patrick’s Day celebration features the Fountain running for a longer period, but it also is a time when the icon runs emerald green. The annual event showcases the green Fountain at noon and again at 5 p.m. on the weekend before the St. Patrick’s Day holiday (unless it falls on Saturday).

The idea for the Fountain is credited to the late C.V. Wood Jr., president of McCulloch Oil and the person who designed the master plans for planned community projects for McCulloch Properties Inc.

The Fountain was first run in December 1970. Until the spring of 1997 when the Fountain was taken over by the Town, the original developer was responsible for its operations.

The Fountain’s nozzle weighs nearly a ton and is more than seven feet in length. The nozzle was built in Zurich, Switzerland. The line connecting the nozzle and pumps is an 18-inch diameter cement coated and cement lined steel pipeline.

The column of water produced by the Fountain differs from other large fountains. Instead of a solid stream of water, it projects a hollow cylinder of high-pressure water, six inches in diameter, with air drawn into the column’s open center to mix with the water.

The current daily height of the Fountain is estimated at about 330 feet. Nowadays, only two pumps are used to propel the Fountain, while the third is kept as a backup. The jet stream can project up to 560 feet under optimum conditions when all three pumps operate.

The 64-acre Fountain Park serves as a gathering site for numerous events throughout the year including the annual Easter Sunrise Service, “Movie Night under the Stars,” “Ballet Under the Stars” hosted by Ballet Arizona, as well as a national disc golf championship event. The Parks and Recreation Department uses the amphitheater as a site for musical concerts.

The Fountain has served as a backdrop for celebrations and parties, as well as television commercials and photo shoots.