Construction delays have pushed the debut of Iowa City’s new public pool to 2027, the Parks and Recreation Department announced Friday afternoon. Last summer was the first time since Harry Truman was president that there was no outdoor public pool open in Iowa City. City Park Pool, which had been a central part of local […]
City Park
Posted inCommunity/News
Everyone and their dog can enjoy a free bike ride thanks to this Johnson County nonprofit
There’s nothing like the feeling of freedom when riding a bicycle, attached to the earth only by a couple of spinning tires, the road spooling out in front of you, the wind in your hair. But for some people, the delight of riding a bike is just a distant memory. Limited mobility, injuries, or the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
With City Park Pool closed for the summer, it’ll take some creativity to stay cool in Iowa City
Fashion photos by Karla Monroe, featuring Natalie Lawrence and Lexi Wells at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center pool in Iowa City. Update: As a result of construction delays, the new City Park pool will not open until 2027, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department announced on June 5, 2026. The last time […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘It feels like we are one hive’: 100 percussionists fill City Park with sound in performance of ‘Inuksuit’
The sky overhead City Park in Iowa City was clear, a dome of deep blue. Under that sky, more than 100 musicians arranged in concentric circles around conductor Steven Schick, their legs folded in lotus positions. Schick stood up and brought a sea shell to his mouth. The sound was almost imperceptible, only the friction […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City pools: City Park is seeping, rec center swimmers fight likely closure and Mercer may be heating up
The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department has recommended closing the 58-year-old pool at Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, and instead adding a warm water pool at Mercer Park Aquatic Center and Scanlon Gym, as part of its Gather Here Recreation Master Plan. The plan also includes a redesign of City Park pool, introducing […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Parks and Rec weighs possibility of closing one pool and expanding another
The 58-year-old pool at Robert A. Lee Recreation Center may be permanently closed under the Recreation Facilities and Programs Master Plan. The Iowa City Parks and Recreation department has been working on the master plan for the past year and has held events and surveys to gather public input. The department will present their recommendations […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City adds more glass recycling drop-off locations
Iowa City has added three new glass recycling drop-off locations, including one not actually in Iowa City. The new glass recycling containers can be found in parking lots of Upper City Park and the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, as well as the Coralville Drop-Off Recycling Center at 950 Hughes St. Just like the recently […]
Posted inCOVID-19
City Park Pool will open for the season on Saturday
City Park Pool will open for the 2021 season on Saturday, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department confirmed on Wednesday. There had been the possibility of delaying opening day because of a leak in the pool’s surge tank, but repairs were finished on schedule. The pool will be open on Saturday from 6:15 to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
White supremacist graffiti spray-painted in City Park
Visitors to City Park on Saturday morning may have encountered an unpleasant surprise on the pavement: white supremacist messages written with black spray paint in three different areas. “We’ve had spray-painting before, but never messages like this,” Collin Lenton of the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department said as he was scrubbing graffiti off one […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City cancels Fourth of July fireworks, closes City Park Pool for the season
Iowa City is canceling its annual Fourth of July fireworks display due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The decision comes in collaboration with the Summer of the Arts, whose annual Iowa City Jazz Festival is held in unison with the City’s fireworks display,” the city said in a statement on Friday. Summer of the Arts has […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Public invited to see plans for the new City Park playground, as the park’s old rides are being sold online
The amusement rides that entertained generations of children in City Park are gone, and the Iowa City Department of Parks and Recreation wants the public’s input on its plans to fill the space the rides occupied for almost 70 years.
Posted inCommunity/News
Kids can enjoy the amusement rides in City Park for free, starting in August
The amusement rides in City Park will be dismantled after the season ends on Sept. 23, but before the train that has carried young passengers for almost 70 years makes its final run, kids will be able to enjoy all the rides for free, the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department announced on Monday. The […]
