Berger (Dandelion) Fountain

Because the Berger fountain in Loring Park was in such bad shape after 40 years, the park board was close to shutting it down forever.  The neighborhood protested.  The resulting publicity led to an agreement with the park board that if we could raise sufficient money, the Fountain would be restored.

The Minneapolis Park and Rec Board then asked the Friends of Loring Park and Citizens for a Loring Park Community to determine costs and to begin looking at what would be the best way to restore the Berger Fountain. 

Friends and CLPC formed a joint committee.  We chose Damon-Farber (the Minneapolis landscape firm that planned the Convention Center park, Peavy Plaza and WaterWorks) to help us.

Damon-Farber proposed alternatives.  The committee has now chosen the simplest plan.  It is to restore the fountain in its current location and to preserve the look of the iconic dandelion design.  The fountain will be stainless steel that will not rust. The Friends of Loring Park - Citizens for Loring Park Community committee has worked closely with the park board staff to get to this point.  Plans are to have the Dandelion Fountain operating by 2026.

Friends of Loring Park and Citizens for the Loring Park Community have established a fund raising committee.    That committee will evaluate the consultants' report which will give tell the community what the cost will be. When our committee began, we set $600,000.00 as our goal.  Damon-Farber will give us a concrete goal this summer.  Fundraising will begin then.  We already have cash and pledges for the restoration.  

Restoration of the Berger is part of the city Master Plan for downtown.  That plan includes a walking trail from the Mississippi River to Nicollet Mall, then from Nicollet to the Loring Greenway, down that beautiful walkway to the Berger-Dandelion Fountain, then through Loring Park, around the only downtown lake in our City of Lakes - Loring Lake - and ending at the Walker Sculpture Garden.