Fashion photos by Karla Monroe, featuring Natalie Lawrence and Lexi Wells at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center pool in Iowa City.
Full photo credits
In collaboration with Lexi Wells, Fashion Coordinator at Wright House of Fashion; photos by Karla Monroe (@karlajanettephoto); modeled by Natalie Lawrence (@nnataliellawrence) and Lexi Wells (@lexwells_); styled by Lexi Wells; makeup by Chica Dalia (@chica_dalia) and Isabel Canchola (@lolitasluxelashes); swimsuits, gold chain belt, high heel red pumps and Stella McCartney platform sneakers from Jamie Hudrlik of ContempoLA; AJ Morgan red sunglasses from Revival Iowa City.
The last time Iowa Citians didn’t have an outdoor public pool for the summer, Harry Truman was president.
The pool that served Iowa City swimmers and poolside-loungers since 1949 closed for the final time at the end of last year’s season. Construction on its replacement — which will feature “a zero-depth [entrance] leisure pool, six 50-meter lap lane pool, diving tank with low and high diving boards and new bath and filter house,” according to Iowa City Parks and Rec — is supposed to begin in April and run through April 2026. A grand opening for the new City Park Pool(s) is scheduled for May 2026.
After more than seven decades of use, City Park Pool was showing its age. There were cracks and chips in the pool’s surfaces, and on parts of its deck. It was leaking badly. In 2022, Parks and Rec estimated the pool was losing 30,000 gallons of water every day. Parts of the facility weren’t in compliance with accessibility standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Replacing City Park Pool is a major part of the Recreation Facilities and Programs Master Plan approved by the Iowa City Council in 2022. But potential changes to the iconic pool generated a lot of concern among dedicated swimmers and people who worried about a loss of the “classic simplicity” of the old pool, as then-Councilmember John Thomas put it.
“When I look at that preliminary drawing, that aesthetic character of the pool, which I kinda view as classic simplicity of a pool in a forest, isn’t represented in that proposal,” Thomas said, when the council reviewed the first design sketches.
Public input kept coming, and changes were made to the design.
“The history of City Park Pool is important,” Andrew Caputo, senior project manager for Williams Architects, told the city council in September 2023. “I know personally as an architect, history is something that is cherished in the community. History has a role to play in the design process.”
Williams Architects handled the design phase of the City Park Pool project. Construction contracts are scheduled to be awarded at the beginning of April. The city council approved a budget of $18.4 million for the project.
Iowa City’s other two pools — at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center and Mercer Park Aquatic Center — will be open this summer, but both are indoor pools, separating the joy of swimming from the sunny weather.
The first pool in Mercer Park, which opened in 1969, was an outdoor pool and was supposed to provide year-round, all-weather swimming thanks to an inflatable plastic bubble that covered the pool in bad weather. The bubble could even be heated for swimming during cold months. Unfortunately, the promised bubble never appeared. The pool also had other problems. In 1985, it closed permanently. Three years later, the aquatic center opened.
Even though Iowa hasn’t had a shoreline since the Devonian age, some lakes have beaches where you can combine sunshine and swimming. But Iowa’s appalling water quality, and the state’s refusal to do anything effective about it, mean beaches often have to close due to E. coli or other forms of pollution.
City Park Pool was meant to be an alternative to dangerous waters. Iowa Citians had been swimming in the Iowa River during warm weather since the city was founded in 1839. The water was usually dirty, the currents were often dangerous, but there wasn’t an alternative for the general public until the Big Dipper opened in 1923.
The Iowa City Natatorium and Amusement Company built its outdoor pool next to City Park. People flocked to it at first, but the Big Dipper’s popularity dimmed over time. Newspapers of the era don’t mention when it closed for good, but ads for the pool stopped appearing after the summer of 1940. By then there were already loud calls for a city-owned pool.
During the 1920s and ’30s, almost every self-respecting city in the country was building a pool or two. Years of public pressure finally convinced the Iowa City Council to propose a $62,500 bond issue for a pool in 1941. Voters overwhelmingly approved it in a September election, but the project never got off the ground, because three months later, the U.S. entered World War II. The bond money stayed in the city’s bank account.
After the war, revised estimates added $40,000 to the project’s cost. City leaders balked at the new price. It took the death of Keith Howell in 1947 to change things.
In the late spring of 1947, the Iowa River surged over its banks, flooding lower City Park. On June 5, 10-year-old Keith and a friend were playing in the flooded area. Neither could swim. Keith got on top of a floating log that carried him into deeper water. He slipped off and drowned before his friend could get help.
The Daily Iowan responded to Keith’s death by launching a campaign to get the pool built with a front-page editorial titled, “How Much Is a Child’s Life Worth?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Iowa City, could your child swim if he were suddenly faced with a life-and-death struggle in the water?” editor R. Bruce Hughes wrote. “How much would it be worth to you to know at least he would have the chance Keith Howell didn’t?”
Community-wide fundraising efforts began. The city council relented, and a new bond issue was put on the ballot that fall. It passed.
City Park Pool opened on June 11, 1949. Admission was 40 cents for adults, 15 cents for children. According to the DI, 1,100 people visited the pool on opening day.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s April 2025 issue.
Beat the heat
Here are the closest public alternatives to City Park pool for Iowa City swimmers in summer 2025. (Hours and admission prices may vary.)
Iowa City’s indoor pools
Open year-round; Day pass costs $4, free for kids 2 & under
Mercer Park Aquatic Center pool, 2701 Bradford Dr, open M-Sat (6:15 a.m.-8 p.m.), Sun (11:15 a.m.-8 p.m.)
Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center pool, 220 S Gilbert St, open M-F (6:15 a.m.-1 p.m.), Sat (6:15 a.m.-3 p.m.), F & Sun (5-8 p.m.)
Iowa City’s splash pads
Available Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, M-Sun (roughly 9 a.m.-8 p.m.); Free
Fairmeadows Park, 2451 Miami Dr
Tower Court Park, 1124 Tower Ct
Wetherby Park, 2400 Taylor Dr
Weatherdance Fountain, Ped Mall, 210 S Dubuque
Outdoor pools in nearby cities
Coralville Community Aquatic Center’s outdoor pool
1513 7th St, Coralville — 3.2 miles from IC City Park
Open May 31-Aug. 20, Mon-Fri (11 a.m.-7 p.m.), Sat & Sun (12-6 p.m.); Day pass costs $6, free for kids 2 & under
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- 3 water slides
- Diving boards
- Splash deck with play features
- Concession stand
North Liberty Aquatic Center’s outdoor pool
520 W Cherry St, North Liberty — 8.1 miles from IC City Park
Open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, Mon-Fri (1-9 p.m.) Sat & Sun (1-6 p.m.); members get an extra hour each day, 12-1 p.m.; Day pass costs $6, free for kids 2 & under
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- 2 water slides
- 2 diving boards
- Swim lessons on weekday mornings
- Concession stand
- Hosts some free events (a community swim lesson, swimming storytimes, etc.)
Kalona Public Pool
Kalona City Park, 1120 E Ave — 19.9 miles from IC City Park
Open Mon-Sat (1-7 p.m.), Sun (1-6 p.m.); Day pass costs $5, free for kids 2 & under
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- 2 diving boards
- Water features
- Concession stand
- Adult swim, 12-1 p.m.
- Managed by the YMCA of Washington County
Mt. Vernon Swimming Pool
Davis Park, 919 2nd Ave N, Mt. Vernon — 21.7 miles from IC City Park
Open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend;Open swim: Mon-Fri 12:30-5 p.m. & 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sat 12:30-5 p.m., Sun 1-8 p.m.; Lap swim: Mon-Fri 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. & 5:45-6:30 p.m., Sat & Sun 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Day pass costs $4-6, free for kids 2 & under
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- 2 water slides
- 2 diving boards
- Play features
- Movie & theme nights
- Updates to deck, gutters and amenities debuting this season
West Liberty Municipal Pool
Kimberly Park, 810 North Park St, West Liberty — 22.6 miles from IC City Park
Jones Pool
201 Wilson Ave Dr SW, Cedar Rapids — 25.9 miles from IC City Park
Open June 7-Aug. 3; Open swim: Mon-Th (1-5 p.m. & 6:30-8:30 p.m.), Fri-Sun (1-5 p.m.); Lap swim: Mon-Sun (11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.)
Day pass costs $5-5.75, free for infants under 6 months
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- Sloping stairs
- Water slide
- Play features
Ellis Pool
2000 Ellis Blvd NW, Cedar Rapids — 28.3 miles from IC City Park
Open June 7-Aug. 24; Open swim: Mon-Th (1-6 p.m.), Fri-Sun (1-5 p.m.) Lap swim: Mon-Th (7:30-9:15 a.m.), Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun (11:45 a.m.-12:45 a.m.); Adult swim: Mon-Th (9:30-11:30 a.m.)
Day pass costs $5.50-6.25, free for infants under 6 months
Features:
- Ramp entry
- Water slide
- 2 diving boards
- Baby pool
- Late morning swim lessons
Bever Pool
2700 Bever Ave SE, Cedar Rapids — 29.4 miles from IC City park
Open June 7-Aug. 3; Open swim: Mon-Sun (1-5 p.m.), Mon-Fri (6:30-8:30 p.m.); Lap swim: Mon-Sun (11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.), Tu, Th & Fri (5:15-6:15 p.m.)
Day pass costs $5.25-6.25, free for infants under 6 months
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- Sloping stairs
- Water slide
- Diving board
- Play features
- Concession stand
- Morning swim lessons
- Farm Day on July 12
- K9Splash! Dog Swim on Aug. 9 & 10
James Kennedy Aquatic Center’s outdoor pool
700 Park Rd, Tipton — 29.9 miles from IC City Park
Hours TBD; Day pass costs $5, $4 for ages 3-9, $1 under 2
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- Two water slides
- Lazy river
- Concession stand
Cherry Hill Aquatic Center
341 Stoney Point Rd NW, Cedar Rapids — 30.5 miles from IC City Park
Open May 31-Aug. 17; Open swim: Mon-Fri (1-5 p.m.), Sat (1-8 p.m.), Sun (1-6 p.m.); Lap swim: Mon-Sun (11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.), Mon-Fri (5:20-6:15 p.m.); Family swim: Fri (6:30-10 p.m.)
Day pass costs $5.50-6.50, free for infants under 6 months
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- Sloping stairs
- 3 water slides
- Diving board
- Play features
- Concession stand
- Sand play area
- Morning swim lessons
- Longest Day of Summer Swim on June 20 (6:30-10 p.m.)
Noelridge Aquatic Center
1248 42nd St NE, Cedar Rapids — 30.7 miles from City Park
Open May 24-Sept. 1; Open swim: Mon-Fri (1-5 p.m. & 6:30-8:30 p.m.), Sat (1-6 p.m.), Sun (1-8 p.m.); Lap swim: Mon-Fri (11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. & 5:20-6:15 p.m.), Sat & Sun (11:15-12:45 p.m.)
Day pass costs $5.50-6.50, free for infants under 6 months
Features:
- Zero-depth entry
- Sloping stairs
- Play features
- Sand play area
- Concession stand
- Morning & evening swim lessons
Marion Swimming Pool*
Willowood Park, 1855 35th St, Marion — 39.4 miles from City Park
Open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend; Open swim: Mon-Fri 1-5:30 p.m., Sat & Sun 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Lap swim: Mon-Sun 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Day pass costs $3.50-4.50, or $12 for two adults & up to 5 kids
Features:
- Two diving boards
- Shallow training pool
- Baby pool
- Spray park
- Concession stand
*In November 2025, Marion voters will decide whether to approve funding for a new aquatic center. If the referendum passes, the 38-year-old pool will be replaced by a 4.7-acre complex including a leisure pool, lazy river, wave pool, waterslides, obstacle course, diving platform and lap pool — all part of the Outdoor Aquatic Center Feasibility Study presented to the city council in 2021. Construction would begin in 2026 on the nearly $27 million project.
