Lawrence outdoor aquatic center opens after week-long delay

Heat relief finally returned to Lawrence families on June 1, when the Outdoor Aquatic Center opened for the season after a one-week delay. The pool at 727 Kentucky St. had been set to open on Memorial Day, but renovation work pushed the start back, leaving swimmers waiting through a stretch of near-90-degree heat and heavy humidity.

By the time the gates opened, eager swimmers were lining up outside for the first chance of the summer to get in. The delayed opening mattered in a practical way for parents, kids, lap swimmers and anyone looking for an affordable place to cool off, because the city pool is one of the few public recreation spots in town that can serve both heat relief and a full afternoon out.

The center’s regular schedule is 1 to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 1 to 6 p.m. on weekends. Lap swimming is set to begin June 15, with weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. For families deciding whether to go the same day or plan ahead, the price structure is straightforward: monthly passes cost $47 per person, a season pass valid through Sept. 7 costs $94, daily admission is $7 for ages 3 through 17 and for people 60 and older, and $8 for adults ages 18 to 59. Ten-day punch cards are also available for $55 for youths and seniors and $65 for adults.

The opening also reflects a longer renovation effort that has shaped the pool’s timeline for more than two years. In May 2024, the city said it was seeking public input on a projected $6.1 million renovation, noting that the aquatic center had last been renovated in 1995. A later proposal drew concern in August 2024 because it would have reduced total pool space, and about 1,700 people signed a petition asking commissioners to reconsider the design. By November 2024, city leaders approved the current renovation concept.

The project was estimated at just over $4.7 million in August 2025 and was split into phases so the pool could stay open. The city said building improvements, including restroom work, would come first, followed by aquatic-area improvements later, with that second phase expected to begin in late 2026 and finish before summer 2027. Officials also said the revised schedule was partly needed to accommodate the Jayhawk Watershed Project and work along Tennessee Street.

For residents who needed water access before the pool opened, splash pads at Lyons Park in North Lawrence and Burroughs Creek Trail and Linear Park in East Lawrence began daily service on May 26, from noon to 8 p.m. Together with the reopened aquatic center, those sites give Lawrence a full set of summer options, even as the city tries to keep construction from interrupting the season again.