Friday, October 16, 2026

Question: In the 1800s, Philadelphia’s Fairmount Water Works was one of the most-visited sites in America, second only to what natural wonder?

Answer: Niagara Falls. Visitors flocked to see the Water Works’ gardens and machinery pumping Schuylkill River water to the city from 1815 until 1909. Even Charles Dickens praised it after his 1842 visit, calling it no less ornamental than useful.