The cascading fountain at the Washington, D.C., Meridian Hill Park is running again after sitting dry for roughly seven years as contractors test the long-dormant feature.
A resident named Anna captured the scene from her eighth-floor apartment window around 7:30 a.m. on May 7, sharing the imagery with local news site PoPville. The outlet also obtained footage of the water flowing, and had reported on April 20 that water finally returned to the structure, though it reportedly ran as little more than a trickle at the time. The fountain had been shuttered since 2019, the National Park Service (NPS) stated on its Rock Creek Park page. The U.S. Department of the Interior posted a photo in March showing water running down the cascading pool
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) Chairman Miguel Trindade Deramo also posted footage May 7 showing water flowing through fountains. “Progress report at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park,” he wrote.
“Park visitors and neighbors may have noticed water in the cascading fountain. Work is still underway, and the contractor is testing the water flow,” the NPS said. The agency added that fountain work began in late 2025 or early 2026 and most park areas should reopen in the summer. (RELATED: Commission Advances Trump’s Ambitions To Make DC Beautiful Again)
In March, National Park Service (NPS) spokesperson Autumn Cook said repairs to the park would cost $15 million repair, with $10.7 million going to the cascading fountain, reflecting pool, secondary fountains and plumbing and water structure, The Washington Post reported. Water has not run through the fountain’s length in seven years, according to Axios D.C.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO/PHOTOS: Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park Fountains Flowing!! – Glorious: https://t.co/PeaBVKzlZK
— PoPville (@PoPville) May 7, 2026
The project falls under Executive Order 14252, titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful” and signed by President Donald Trump, according to an NPS announcement. The agency identified nine inoperable fountains slated for repair across the capital, including those at Lafayette Square, Freedom Plaza, John Marshall Park and the John Paul Jones Memorial.
Martin Austermuhle, a reporter with The 51st, shared an image showing water in the foutains on April 21. Carter Christensen, a communications strategist for Democrat-aligned fundraiser ActBlue, responded on X, “Cannot believe it’s taken this long, but this truly makes me so incredibly happy to see.”
In late April, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital, “President Trump’s common sense efforts to make D.C. safe and beautiful again are so popular that even Democrats are publicly praising the President for these much-needed and long-overdue renovations.”
The Daily Caller has reached out to the National Park Service and DC Parks and Recreation for comment.
Editor’s note: Article updated with additional information.