The Las Vegas Strip may be home to several iconic attractions, but none of them are as synonymous with the popular tourist destination as the Fountains of Bellagio.
One of the largest musical fountain systems in the world, the Fountains of Bellagio has remained at the top of travelers’ to-do lists since the attraction debuted in 1998. Featuring more than 1,200 fountains - spanning 1,000 feet across Lake Bellagio and choreographed to send water soaring as high as 460 feet into the air - the Fountains of Bellagio was recently named one of the Best Las Vegas Sights in the 2013 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
No trip to Las Vegas is complete without visiting the Fountains of Bellagio — Photo courtesy of MGM Resorts International
“The last scene of the popular 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven at the Fountains is so memorable that it immortalized the iconic attraction,” said Randy Morton, president and COO of the Bellagio. “The final scene, when the cast walks away from the Fountains, is absolutely one of the most powerful images of the movie.”
The attraction took three years to create from the first concept discussion to its completion. The attraction features 32 songs for the fountains to perform to, which include eight holiday/winter tracks. Surprisingly, the song list doesn’t change all that much.
In fact, the last time the Fountains of Bellagio added new music to its catalog was in December 2011, when Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” were added to the performance list. Whenever a song is added, it takes about three weeks to choreograph each three- to four-minute piece, as every 1/8 of a second needs to be programmed.
While the performance schedule of songs changes quarterly, every day the first and last performance is always to Whitney Houston’s version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Regardless of which song visitors see the fountains dance to, however, they’re sure to be enthralled.
