The 'Fountain Of Youth' Exists And It's A Secret Roadside Attraction In Pennsylvania

When 16th-century conquistador Ponce de León legendarily set foot in the "New World" to find the Fountain of Youth, he simply might not have gone far enough north. That's because the Fountain of Youth sits in Wexford's North Park, 13 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home to America's steepest street and this free open-air art museum. You'll find it just off Kummer Road, in the woods, southwest of North Park Golf Course. Pull off to the shoulder and step onto a small footpath leading to a tiny creek. On the other side is the Fountain of Youth. In fact, that title is carved right into the finial disk sitting on top. Below is what looks like an ancient Roman grotto or tomb, with rough stone pilasters framing a portal and wings of cut stone extending left and right before disappearing into the hillside.

Step inside, and a cavernous darkness mingles with the aromatic must of wet soil and decaying matter, making a good pair of boots and a flashlight wise accouterments to any visit. Surveying the interior with a bright beam illuminates the dome atop and the base of the former water pump on the ground in the back, in front of a stone shaft leading back to the water source that's now a home for hundreds of spiders (bringing to mind a scene from an "Indiana Jones" movie left on the cutting-room floor). You'll also find graffiti that's not always family-friendly. And it goes without saying that drinking the water from this Fountain of Youth is a bad idea.

The first clue to the whys and wherefores can be found on the dome itself. Carved into the outside sheath is the year 1939, when the fountain was built (or at least completed). This was the tail end of the Great Depression, when many Americans were earning income on construction projects by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The Fountain of Youth was one of these and intended to supply the public with fresh water. This it did for about 16 years, until in 1955, the water was declared unfit for consumption owing to coliform organisms — the consumption of which might turn it into the Fountain of Death. As for the Fountain of Youth inscribed on top, that remains a mystery; but likely done with tongue firmly in cheek.

The Fountain of Youth is only one of many sights in North Park, which totals 3,089 acres. Among the other activities on tap are a USGA-ranked 18-hole golf course, a lake for fishing and boating, a 2-million-gallon swimming pool, an archery range, an ice rink, miles of hiking trails, and the Latodami Nature Center, with apple orchards, vernal ponds, butterfly and hummingbird gardens, and a historic 1914 dairy barn. L.L. Bean also operates a number of "outdoor discovery" programs here that include courses in archery, kayaking, fly-casting, and paddle boarding, which you can follow with reward scoops at Millie's Homemade Ice Cream Shop in the park. While in the Pittsburgh area, also enjoy this historic railway ride with breathtaking views and a glimpse of the past.