Benson Bubblers

Benson Bubblers are Portland's iconic drinking fountains. The city currently boasts 52 of the fountains and

74 one-bowl variations. Though the single-bowl variations look like Benson Bubblers, they are not. In fact, in the 1970's, the Benson family asked that the installation of the four-bowl fountains be limited to certain downtown boundaries so as not to diminish the uniqueness of them.

And while most Benson Bubblers are, indeed, downtown, there are a couple of notable exceptions.

1. In 1965, the City of Portland presented a Bubbler to Yosaku Harada, mayor of Portland's sister city, Sapporo, Japan.
2. Sam Maryhill, a friend to Simon Benson, asked to have a Bubbler installed at his Maryhill Museum of Art.

Benson Bubblers are made of copper, but years of weathering give them that eye-catching patina finish that makes them so beautiful and green. Patina is a thin layer of brown and greenish oxides that takes years to build up. Well meaning citizens have "cleaned" off the patina more than once over the years, but the Water Bureau has always restored the patina finish, preferring it to they shiny copper.

Bubbler Facts

• The Bubblers flow freely from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., daily.
• The fountains run 365 days per year unless a cold snap or excessively windy weather forces the Water Bureau to temporarily shut them down.
• The fountains are cleaned bi-monthly.
• The fountains serve up Bull Run drinking water!