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Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
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Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
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Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
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Revson Fountain, in front of the Metropolitan Opera House, is as iconic a New York City landmark as you can imagine.
The dancing waters, bursting from more than 350 nozzles arranged in concentric circles, are quite a sight. You may have seen them in “Moonstruck,” where a dolled-up Cher meets Nicolas Cage before they see a show together, or in “Ghostbusters,” when Bill Murray hops and spins around the water feature as he waits for Sigourney Weaver.
I swung by Lincoln Center earlier this month to meet with a few of the fountain’s engineers and learn how they keep it running. After a few minutes of observing its majestic movements, they led me down a winding path to an underground control room. One all-powerful iPad controls the fountain’s movements. The two engineers smiled at one another with childlike delight as they selected a programmed effect labeled “shooters,” and then we scurried back upstairs.
Lincoln Center engineer Patrick McLaughlin
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
Streams of water shot like cannons straight into the air, arcing at heights of up to 60 feet. Wind is a major factor in the fountain’s management; Patrick McLaughlin, who serves as director of engineering and facilities operations at Lincoln Center, told me many of the most ambitious effects aren’t displayed unless it’s a windless day, like it was when I visited.
This sunny afternoon seemed perfect for the dramatic effect, until a sudden gust of wind sprayed water onto a family of tourists from Hong Kong. They were completely soaked, but continued to gaze at the fountain in awe.
“I think that kind of made the experience, actually,” said Michael Petrie, the father of three giggling teenagers. “That’s what you should come here for.”
Revson Fountain was completed in 1964 and is named after Charles Revson, whose cosmetics company, Revlon, gave Lincoln Center $300,000 to build the water feature. It was upgraded in 2009 by a California design firm called WET Design.
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
The fountain has become known for its choreographed water shows, which on special occasions are timed to lighting and music cues. The control room's iPad runs the programming, a secluded space that also houses noisy water pumps. McLaughlin didn’t hesitate when asked if he has a favorite water effect: “Shooters. Shooters!” he said. “As many days as we can sneak them in.”
Sometimes, the arcing streams of water look like they’re dancing. These shows run on a schedule. The iPad menu has many simpler effects, and then there are the showstoppers — like the shooters, as well as complex sequences like a three-tiered effect designed to resemble a wedding cake. That one's only used once a year: the day when Lincoln Center invites hundreds of couples to get married at Alice Tully Hall.
The control room.
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
Inside the control room with McLaughlin and fellow engineer Matthew Johnson
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
It’s a charming trick that makes the most of the fountain’s concentric nozzle rings. But the engineers also said they are careful not to push WET Design too far in what they ask it to program. John Houlihan, chief engineer for the central mechanical plant, explained that they don’t want this to become a spectacle like the Fountains of Bellagio, which WET Design also works on.
“This isn’t Vegas, you know?” Houlihan said. “It’s New York. It’s gotta be functional and cool and do a couple things … but we don’t need all the gaudy flash.”
Revson Fountain will be part of special programming Lincoln Center is hosting this weekend for its annual open house. Chief Artistic Officer Shanta Thake remained coy when asked how the water feature will figure into an interactive art piece called “Plaza,” but said it will encourage visitors to “notice the beauty that’s in our midst.”
The fountain “feels like an intersection of all these amazing artforms,” she said. “You’ve got ballet on one side and the Philharmonic on the other. You’ve got Fordham on one side and Juilliard on the other. Water always brings people together, the idea of meeting at a central watering hole. It carries all of that symbolism, but it’s also so much fun.”
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
This communal quality was a major reason Matthew Johnson, senior manager for engineering and sustainability, joined Lincoln Center after years in the hotel business. As he stood in the plaza, not far from the shooters that his colleagues had just programmed, he observed a small crowd forming.
“It’s almost instant,” he said. “It’s like a magnet. It makes people come out of nowhere.”
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
All three of the engineers I spoke to are native New Yorkers, as are many of the people on their teams. They all grew up walking past Revson Fountain on trips to Manhattan, and yet, they said it hasn’t gotten old. Houlihan, who has worked at Lincoln Center for 22 years, lit up as he listened to McLaughlin talk about the steam-heat exchanger that allows them to run the fountain in temperatures as low as -10 degrees.
Christmastime is Houlihan’s favorite time to visit Revson Fountain. “You feel it in your bones around here,” he said of Lincoln Center’s holiday spirit. He likes to watch steam rise off the heated water as it meets the brisk winter air.
“It’s iconic. It’s magical,” he said. “If you walk by or drive by, or you walk through, you know you’re in Manhattan. You’re in the middle of it all.”
Thomas Wilson for Gothamist
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Sonia Rao
Sonia Rao is a culture reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. She previously covered entertainment and breaking news at The Washington Post. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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