1
Stand back
From a few paces away the tap appears to hover alone in the air. Let yourself believe it for a moment.
The Illusion Trail · Stop 8
The Floating Tap
A brass tap suspended in mid-air, pouring an endless stream of water into the pond. No pipe. No support. Only the falling water itself.
Look, then look closer
From a few paces back the tap hangs unsupported, with water spilling from the spout into the pool below. Approach slowly, and the trick gives itself away.
2
Take the photo from here
This is the angle that fools the camera too. The clear support pipe disappears inside the falling water and the tap looks unmoored.
3
Step closer
Walk in slowly and look at the water column with fresh eyes. You will see a thin transparent pipe hidden inside the stream, holding the tap up and feeding it from below.
A little about it
A pipe hidden in water
The secret is a thin clear pipe running straight up from the pond into the body of the tap. Water is pumped up through it, spills out of the spout, and then falls back down around the outside of the pipe.
From any distance, the falling water hides the pipe completely. The tap looks suspended on nothing, and the stream looks endless.
It is one of the oldest tricks at the trail and still one of the most popular. There is something quietly impossible about a tap that has forgotten where its sink is.
Continue the trail
More wonders ahead
Each stop on the trail is a different illusion. Follow the path through the trees, and don't forget to take a photo at every one.