This month, the Bellagio celebrates its 25th year on the Las Vegas Strip. In honor of the momentous occasion, Las Vegas Magazine highlights one of the resort’s most iconic offerings, the Fountains of Bellagio. It’s one of the most stunning attractions on the Strip, but it doesn’t just happen. The fountains have a crackerjack team working behind the scenes, 365 days a year, to ensure that the watery spectacle continues to flow beautifully after more than two decades. We went beyond the façade and captured the inner workings of the fountains—an operation that few are privy to. Dozens of employees work on the fountains, including engineers, pool specialists and maintenance divers—and each employee is scuba-certified and holds Open Water Diver or Rescue Diver certifications. Get to know three of those employees, who have all been with the Bellagio since day one. You’ll also get a peek of the support area, where the equipment and mechanics for the fountains are stored. It’s a cavernous space just off the 8.5-acre Lake Bellagio and continues underneath the hotel’s landscaping. The inside look continues with the bat cave, the compression room and, finally, the control tower.
Arnold Cabrera
(Lead Engineer)
Where are you from?
Born and raised in El Monte, Calif.
What is your work background?
U.S. Navy boiler technician.
When you got hired by Bellagio did you have the title you have now?
No, I started at Bellagio as a security officer, but my dream was to work at the Bellagio fountains.
What was it like working for Bellagio when it first opened?
It felt so amazing working for such a high-end resort and casino that was really the first of its kind.
What does your current job entail?
I ensure our fountain technicians have the right tools to make the necessary repairs of all the lake equipment.
How often do the parts for the fountains need to be replaced or upgraded?
Having over 1,200 devices, we are constantly replacing parts that are broken or potentially worn out. Our goal is to ensure everything works perfectly at all times.
What are some of the most important things you need to remember when operating the fountains?
Safety is always most important to us. Beyond that, we make sure the fountains look good and run perfectly for the many visitors that come to watch them.
How many dives would you say you’ve done?
Over 2,500 dives.
What do you love most about your job?
We are always working on something different; no two days are the same. One day we may be diving, another day working on shows, another day working with film crews for movies or commercials that feature the fountains.
What are some of the best parts about working for Bellagio?
We are always working with new exciting projects, film shoots and events. There is always something exciting happening at Bellagio.
Richard Marker
(Maintenance Engineer)
Where are you from?
I was born in Burbank, Calif., and grew up in the Los Angeles area.
What’s your work background?
Warehouse worker and a college student at UNLV.
When you got hired by Bellagio did you have the title you have now?
No, I started in construction security at Bellagio. I did that until June of 1998 and then I got into engineering and began working on the fountains.
What was it like when Bellagio first opened?
It was great. I loved working during the construction of Bellagio, especially when they filled the lake with water. I used to drive my personal vehicle in the lake before they filled it up, which is such an awesome memory to have.
What does your current job entail?
I handle daily fountain maintenance. I do everything from working on lights to diving and repairing pipes and structures under the water. I also rig and drive a forklift, booms and scissor lifts for Bellagio Conservatory.
What are some of the most important things to remember when operating the fountains?
I always remind myself to enjoy the beauty and elegance of the Bellagio fountains—it’s so amazing how they make people cry with joy and happiness and how they’ve become such an iconic Las Vegas experience.
How many dives would you say you’ve done?
I can’t even guess. We always log our dives, but after 25 years of doing this, I have lost count!
What do you love most about your job?
Diving and doing the lake maintenance!
Tell us an interesting story or two about your job at the fountains.
Working here has been the greatest job. I get to meet so many incredible people, from the people we work with to build structures on the lake, to singers and athletes who work with the fountains, to my day-to-day colleagues.
What do you love about living in Las Vegas?
Working on the world-famous fountains is a huge plus. I love that Las Vegas is a 24-hour town and much smaller than Los Angeles!
What’s best about working for Bellagio?
The people I work with. I have the honor to work with some of the most talented people!
Will Flores
(Maintenance Engineer)
Where are you from?
Born in Texas; raised in Las Vegas.
What is your work background?
I served in the U.S. Marines and worked as a Golden Nugget security officer.
When you got hired by Bellagio, did you have the title you have now?
No, I started at Bellagio as a security first responder before eventually joining the fountains team.
What was it like at Bellagio when it opened?
It kind of felt like the first day of school. You don’t know anyone, you get lost easily and you’re trying to make a good impression, but everyone is excited for what’s to come.
What does your current job entail?
I work to maintain the tens of thousands of components that are in the lake. I handle proactive maintenance—fix it before it breaks. I adjust and calibrate the devices that you see during a show.
How many dives would you say you’ve done?
Well, I dive every day and I’ve been doing this for close to 20 years, so I have done a lot of dives!
What do you love most about your job?
That it doesn’t feel like a job. Every day is like a box of chocolates!
What do you love about living in Las Vegas?
I love the heat and how I don’t have to wear a raincoat or shovel snow or rake up leaves. Working at Bellagio is awesome; your co-workers are like family and there are many opportunities to advance in your career.
What are some of the best parts about working for Bellagio?
Bellagio provides a wonderful, safe working environment and gives us clean uniforms, good food, high-level training, awesome benefits and everyone here has the same goal of giving our guests the best experience that they will never forget.
Did you know ...?
• The control tower is where the magic happens. The main computers that control the lighting, sound and performance numbers are located in this tower. Here is also where you’ll find the “famous” green button. At the top of the tower, accessible only by ladder, workstations command awesome views overlooking the lake. Each choreographed show is stored on computers. To start a new show, the file is uploaded and the green button initiates the fountains—a button only a handful of people have pushed, including this writer!
• It’s so loud inside the compressor room that one is advised to wear industrial-strength earmuffs. Inside this room sits two of the large compressors (of 10 total) used in the show. The compressors operate at about 3,000 horsepower and push through approximately 9,000 cubic feet of air per minute. Large storage tanks of soft water, used for the fog that drifts across the lake, are also in this room. The ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) panel that protects people and equipment is also here. The panel shuts down all the electricity on the lake in the event of an emergency or electrocution, reacting faster than the blink of an eye.
• Inside the bat cave, located in the front features support area, is where you’ll find the water-emitting devices. Workers clean and repair all of them in-house. The devices include three shooters of different sizes that push water straight into the air at varying heights. The mini shooter (798 total) goes 100 feet up, the super shooter (192 total) goes 240 feet up and the extreme shooter (16 total) goes 460 feet up. The oarsmen (at top of photo column) spray water—this is where the “dancing fountains” come into play. There are 208 in the lake and 13 spares. The streams of water can reach 77 feet high and flow up to 140 gallons per minute.
BY THE NUMBERS
59,229,120
Combined lumens emitted by the light bulbs of the Fountains of Bellagio
183
The number of speakers located around the lake’s perimeter
35
The number of choreographed performances
4,792
The number of individual lights in the attraction
460
The highest point in feet that the jets of the Fountains of Bellagio reach
Musical Notes
It takes WET (the company behind the design and choreography of the fountain performances) several months to develop, design and perfect a new song for the catalog. Some of the songs include:
“Believe” Cher
“Bad Romance” Lady Gaga
“Uptown Funk” Bruno Mars
In celebration of Bellagio’s 25th anniversary, the resort will feature a new fountains show:
“Perfect Symphony” Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli
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