| Oregon State Capitol State Park |
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| Spring Tour |
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Three fountains on the state capital grounds have been turned on, anticipating the spring cherry tree bloom.
The three fountains include Waite Fountain (west of the capitol building in Willson Park), the Wall of Water bordering Court Street across from the main capitol entrance, and Capitol Fountain, on Center Street at the north end of the Capitol Mall. Waite Fountain will be left on after the bloom ends and through the summer.
"With the cherries coming into bloom, the capitol mall walkways are a wonderful, peaceful place to take a walk," says Park Manager Jim Bader. "The fountains enhance the atmosphere and encourage people to linger a bit."
The grounds around the capitol building, and the landscaped area between the capitol and Center Street, are now managed as a state park. The park features not only cherry trees and other plants favored by Oregonians, but tells a little history as well. Stone plaques set in the mall sidewalks list the county seat and establishment date for each of Oregon's counties. On the Willson Park side of the street, flags from every state in the union sit in a circle near the Moon Tree, a state heritage tree. The young Douglas-fir, just north of the flags along Court Street, was grown from a seed carried to the moon by Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa in 1971.
The Wall of Water will return to operation when warm weather returns. A summer schedule for the Capitol Fountain is being developed.
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