FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 4, 2015

Contact: Karis Floyd, 313-821-9844

Warm weather, visitor interest will keep Belle Isle fountain open through Sept. 20

Some other park facilities to close later in season; others will remain open year-round

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced that, due to warmer weather conditions and visitor interest, the James Scott Memorial Fountain in Belle Isle Park will stay open through Sunday, Sept. 20. The fountain will remain in operation three weeks longer than it did in 2014, and nearly two weeks longer than this year’s plan to close after Labor Day.

“The temperatures have remained warm enough to continue to draw high numbers of visitors to the island, many of whom come to see the fountain,” said Ron Olson, DNR chief of Parks and Recreation. “By keeping it running for two more weeks, even more people can enjoy this island centerpiece.”

The fountain runs daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It began running for the season on Memorial Day.

As in past years, some of the Detroit island park’s facilities and attractions will close for the season on various dates following Labor Day. This includes the giant slide, visitor contact station and some restrooms.

The giant slide will operate through Labor Day, reopening in mid-June 2016.

The visitor contact station, located on the island just across the McArthur Bridge, will close for the season Nov. 1. Recreation Passports, $11 for Michigan-registered vehicles, can still be purchased on the island from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the White House (administrative building), located at 2 Inselruhe Ave. Recreation Passports also can be purchased at the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, located at 1801 Atwater St. in downtown Detroit. Visit www.michigan.gov/oac for the center's hours of operation.

Two restrooms will remain open year-round: the outdoor casino restrooms and the bus stop restroom (shelter #7). All other standalone restrooms will close for the season beginning Nov. 1 and reopen in early to mid-spring.

“The restrooms that are closing for the season are not heated,” said Karis Floyd, DNR supervisor of Belle Isle Park and Milliken State Park and Harbor. “Because the restrooms don’t have heating systems, the water pipes will freeze and burst during cold weather if these restrooms are not closed and winterized.”

Floyd said that the two restrooms remaining open throughout the winter are heated.

For information about the hours of operation of additional island attractions, visit www.belleisleconservancy.org.

Additional information about Belle Isle Park – Michigan’s 102nd state park – is available at www.belleislepark.org.

Follow Belle Isle Park on Twitter @BelleIsle_Park. Belle Isle partners and others interested in the park's revitalization are encouraged to use the hashtag #AllinforBelleIsle.

Recreation Passport

Learn more about how the Recreation Passport gains you access to Michigan state parks and more at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.

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/Note to editors: A photo of the James Scott Memorial Fountain is available below for download./

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.