Jasper Pool opens summer season with busy family crowds

Families were already filling Jasper Municipal Swimming Pool as summer settled into Dubois County, with children shooting down the water slide and diving from the concrete platform at 1405 Bartley St. In one scene, 9-year-old Gracelynn Aders burst out of the slide. In another, Brayden Schnell struck a pose after jumping in, a snapshot of how quickly the city pool has become a warm-weather gathering place for Jasper families.

The pool opened for the 2026 season on May 23 and is operating daily from noon to 7 p.m. Admission is $5, while children age 4 and under get in free. Season passes are $60. The city says the pool will close for the season on Aug. 2, and it is using a bag-check policy at the entrance for bags, purses, backpacks and carried items.

The renovated pool, updated in 2025, sits within Jasper Community Parks and brings together a lineup designed for steady family use: two water slides, a one-meter diving board, a three-meter diving platform, a climbing wall, a zip line, a volleyball net and a wet deck. City listings also include restrooms, a shelter, volleyball courts, a playground, a concession stand and dressing rooms. A shade structure is available for reserved events such as birthday parties, and tent rentals come in half-tent and full-tent formats during three-hour blocks.

That mix has helped turn the pool into one of Jasper’s busiest summer amenities. Local reporting said the new facility drew more than 5,000 visitors in its early weeks after opening and later set attendance records. The pool reached 33,068 swimmers in the 2025 season and generated $251,049.75 in revenue, far above the 11,757 swimmers and $59,514.65 recorded in 2023.

Those numbers also show how far the city has come from its older outdoor pool, which had been plagued by mechanical problems before it was replaced. The previous attendance record, 22,892 swimmers, had stood since 1974. Jasper’s newer pool has already cleared that benchmark, underscoring strong demand for a public recreation spot that functions as both a summer pastime and a practical family destination.

For parents deciding where to spend a hot afternoon, the draw is straightforward: a renovated city pool, a predictable schedule, family-priced admission and enough activity to keep children moving while Jasper’s summer season gets underway.