Drumheller Fountain

Drumheller Fountain, in the center of Frosh Pond, was a gift from Regent Joseph Drumheller for the university's centennial celebration in 1961. The fountain has built-in lighting and three banks of jets. The center jet can shoot water to a height of 100 feet, while the two surrounding rings of jets gush water slightly outward from 10 to 30 feet.

Frosh Pond

Frosh Pond is actually two ponds; the one that you can see with Drumheller fountain in the middle, and an encircling outer pool hidden under the walk. At one time the center pool provided water for the Harris Hydraulics Laboratory, and the surrounding ring stored water for the power plant. The pond, known then as Geyser Basin, was a focal point of the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition in 1909.

One fine autumn day that year, a group of well-organized university sophomores battled a contingent of bewildered freshmen near Denny Hall. The second-year students captured a number of frosh, then wondered what to do with them. One bright mind thought of Geyser Basin, so the hapless prisoners were marched to the pond and tossed in. A tradition was born and "Geyser Basin" became "Frosh Pond" for all time.

Central Campus Tour