The first thing a tour guide at FSU tells you when passing by Westcott Fountain is about what everyone does for their twenty-first birthday: when the clock strikes midnight, your friends throw you into the waters of Westcott Fountain, and you officially become a bona fide adult.
But unfortunately, what has held up as a tradition for over a decade has seemed to end during Spring 2026. The Westcott Fountain has seen countless students start their journey into adulthood, and the idea of it closing its waters is devastating, especially for those of us still under 21 here on campus.
Why did Westcott Close?
Westcott Fountain was briefly shut down last February due to numerous safety concerns regarding major injuries sustained by students. However, Westcott was not closed for long before being reopened with a strict curfew: open during the day for visitors and tourists but closed at night.
When dusk falls and 7 p.m. hits, Westcott is shut down every night to prevent more students from climbing atop the steps and injuring themselves in pursuit of fulfilling the tradition. This curfew is strictly enforced, with students risking disciplinary and even legal repercussions if not respecting the closure of Westcott.
An Alternative
As Westcott Fountain closes its waters, students have flocked to numerous different fountains across campus to continue the tradition. Heritage Tower Fountain, located next to Doak Campbell Stadium and across the street from the Flying High Circus, as well as the Legacy Fountain located in the heart of Landis Green, are extremely popular alternatives to the iconic fountain we all have come to love. Not to mention, these fountains are among those on campus that are chlorinated, so they’reperfect for swimming!
However, it’s important to point out that there are some safety concerns regarding the architectural designs of these fountains. Having recently attended a fountain throw at Heritage, I found myself grimacing at the idea of being thrown in too rough and wounding myself against one of the four pillars in the middle of the fountain, despite its large size.
Not to mention, parking on campus past midnight at the stadium poses a risk to students, as their cars can possibly be towed due to campus parking enforcement. Additionally, the metal statues in the middle of Legacy can also cause a nasty injury if you aren’t careful where you’re being thrown. With every fountain comes a great responsibility, and it is our job as students celebrating the tradition to respect it as well.
My Experience
For many of us, we’re attending the fountain throws of our friends. We’re the ones throwing them into Westcott and watching them jump at midnight.
Last year, I went to my friend’s throw into Westcott; this year I’ve thrown my friend into Heritage. The contrast between the two fountains was stark, with possibly hundreds being at Westcott Fountain and my friend having to push her way to the front of the line just to jump in. Everything was chaos, but in a way that gets your blood pumping and has you fantasizing about your throw.
On the other hand, Heritage Fountain felt calmer and more personal. Actually getting to throw her in myself, I found this experience more like a friend hangout and celebration of the tradition rather than getting lost in the chaos of Westcott. There was a moment to sit down and take it all in at Heritage. These two experiences couldn’t be more different, but they both came down to one core element: supporting your friend and welcoming them to adulthood.
While the fountains may change, the experience ultimately doesn’t. No matter the fountain you’re at, it feels just as good to surround the person you care about, to be there for them at such a turning point in their life. Personally, no matter what fountain I’m at, I just want the people I love to be there with me. While it can be disappointing not to throw at the iconic landmark of FSU, I wouldn’t want to be cooped up at home because I can’t have Westcott.
Is It Still Worth It to Throw?
It’s my personal belief that no fountain will ever fill the Westcott-sized hole in my heart, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t throw on the sole account of Westcott Fountain being closed. Like the students who have come before us in the days of FSU being a women’s college, we deserve to celebrate our twenty-first in a special “Florida State” way you can’t get anywhere else.
We deserve to be surrounded by our friends as we journey into adulthood, reminding ourselves that just because we are now on the path to becoming an adult, we don’t have to walk it alone. The real joy in the tradition of being thrown into Westcott is not the fountain itself, but the hands that throw you in and then pull you out–no matter how wet you get them.
At the cusp of adulthood as an FSU student, I personally feel dismayed at the aspect of missing out on such an integral cornerstone of my college experience. Writing to you as a fresh 20-year-old on campus, my opinion might resonate with many of the students here on campus.
I feel sad that I won’t get my Westcott photoshoot and that I won’t get to say that I celebrated my twenty-first the same way everyone else did. I so earnestly wish to be among the many who got to enjoy their twenty-first soaking wet at the famous fountain. Though I can confidently say that no fountain may ever measure up to Westcott, being alongside my friends is worth getting soaked at another fountain.
This tradition, while starting at Westcott, is not fountain-specific. My verdict: while it would be nice to throw in that famous fountain, the joy lies in the aspect of turning 21 alongside your closest friends. An experience like that can’t be traded for anything else in the world, Westcott or not!
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