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Thompson Elk Fountain
restoration project |
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Celebrate the return of the Thompson Elk statue!
The City of Portland, Portland Parks Foundation and Regional Arts & Culture Council welcome all to come to a free community celebration on Sunday, April 12.
 This April, the iconic Thompson Elk statue will return to its historic location on SW Main Street for the first time since 2020. Join us for a day of festivities, entertainment, and family-friendly activities!
When: Sunday, April 12, 2026, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Program starts at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Chapman and Lownsdale Squares, SW Main St. between Third and Fourth Avenues, in Downtown Portland.
Get the full list of vendors and activities on the Portland Parks Foundation elk homecoming event page.
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About the restoration project
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The Thompson Elk is ready to return to its pedestal, and we're just as eager as you are to unveil the finished fountain. The multiyear makeover means that the elk is more sustainable, seismically resilient, and elegant than ever before.
This project is working to
- Restore, rehabilitate, and reinstall the fountain in its original location
- Comply with standards for treatment of historic properties
- Increase the seismic stability of the Thompson Elk statue
- Retrofit the fountain with a recirculating water pump
The statue is ready to return to its pedestal!
In summer 2020, fires in the fountain base damaged pieces of the stonework. The bronze elk statue was not damaged. When we examined the fountain, we discovered that the statue was not properly secured to the stone base and was at risk of falling. We removed it soon after, along with parts of the fountain base.
 Conservator Robert Krueger cleaning the Elk statue this March 2026.
Thompson Elk Fountain restoration project is the result of years of careful collaboration. Last month, conservators worked to clean
Keith Lachowicz from the Regional Arts & Culture Council and Robert Krueger from Cascadia Art Conservation offered a behind-the-scenes look at the maintenance of the statue. Conservator Robert Krueger has been maintaining the Thompson Elk statue for over 20 years!
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The City of Portland is committed to providing meaningful access. To request translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, or other auxiliary aids or services, or to file a complaint of discrimination, contact 503-823-4000 (311), Relay Service & TTY: 711
Traducción e Interpretación | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या
口笔译服务 | Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad
Письмовий і усний переклад | Traducere și interpretariat | Chiaku me Awewen Kapas
Translation and Interpretation: 503-823-4000 (311), Relay: 711
This email was sent from an unmonitored inbox. Please do not reply. Instead, contact us at waterprojects@portlandoregon.gov.
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