Day 7 of 365 Days of Boulderado Photos ~ Lobby Drinking Fountain

The drinking fountain found in the Hotel Boulderado's lobby is no ordinary drinking fountain. At the start of the 20th century, Boulder residents purchased a direct pipeline that brought the fresh, cool water from the Arapahoe Glacier right into the town. Drinking fountains, like the one pictured above, were installed all over Boulder. Today, ours is the last remaining. Next time you're in the lobby, take a drink and marvel at the gold-plated spigot and marble details.

Drinking Fountain in the Lobby

Tucked away in the southwest corner of the Hotel Boulderado lobby is an ornate drinking fountain. "Pure cold water from the Boulder owned Arapahoe Glacier" it proudly reads. Drinking fountains like this one used to be found all over Boulder. In the early 20th century, the city of Boulder purchased a watershed of dammed-up lakes fed by the Arapahoe Glacier. A $200,000 pipeline was installed to bring the "99.996% pure" water into town. The Boulderado's drinking fountain is the only one left today.