LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A long-awaited pool is making a splash this weekend at Algonquin Park. 

"It looks so beautiful," Kiaryaun Robertson said when he saw the renovations. "We've been waiting for this for a very long time."

For the first time in years, people in the Algonquin neighborhood have a brand new public swimming pool to use on hot summer days. 

"For years, the Algonquin pool has been more than a place to cool off," Shane Crowe, a former lifeguard at Algonquin Pool, said. "It has been a second home and a cornerstone of community, connection, youth engagement, and summertime joy."

It's the first new public pool to open in west Louisville since the previous Algonquin Pool was built in the 1960s. That pool closed abruptly in 2023 after it fell into disrepair.

Old Algonquin Park Pool

FILE - This undated image shows people swimming in the old pool at Algonquin Park that closed in 2023. A brand new pool was scheduled to open on May 24, 2025. (WDRB/archive)

"When I became mayor in 2023, this was the first major construction project we funded and started," Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a written statement. "Now, we can officially say Algonquin Park has the most incredible new public pool in the entire region."

It's all part of a multimillion-dollar project to renovate both the Algonquin and Camp Taylor pools.

Unfortunately, bad weather forced construction delays for Camp Taylor. It has been closed since 2019.

Construction on Camp Taylor's new pool, basketball courts, and fencing is now expected to be completed by late spring of 2026.

To ease the disappointment for Camp Taylor families, the city plans to offer family activity vouchers for alternative recreational options this summer. 

Mayor Greenberg joined other Louisville leaders at the Algonquin Park Pool Thursday morning -- and broke it in with a cannonball plunge. 

The new pool features many amenities, including a family slide, water slides, lap lanes, a lily pad bridge, and a zero-depth entry ramp. There's also a climbing wall and vortex pool.

"We did not have slides, so to see this is a total transformation," Kiara Rice, a long-time Algonquin resident said.

The facility includes a new pool house with restrooms and a concession area. Anyone 12 years old or younger has to be accompanied by someone who is at least 13 years old.

Louisville Parks and Recreation will provide trained lifeguards for the 13,000 square foot Algonquin pool. Louisville Parks and Recreation Executive Director said the pool was designed "with accessibility in mind. There’s something here for everyone — from exciting features to comfortable spaces for relaxation." 

The new pool will officially open to the public at noon on Saturday, May 24. There will be a community celebration with food trucks, community vendors, and family-friendly activities to welcome guests to the new facility.

"I need the Algonquin community to take pride in this pool to keep this pool," Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins said. "I'm going to try to do everything I can do to keep this pool funded." 

The pool will be open daily from noon to 5 p.m., except when it's closed on Tuesdays. The pool season runs through August 2, 2025. 

The public pool costs $2 daily for children 12 years and under. Everyone else will pay $3.

"It's gonna be packed," Robertson said. "Everyone's gonna be excited."

Sun Valley and Fairdale's public pools will also open May 24, 2025. For more information on Louisville Parks and Recreation’s pools, splash pads and spray grounds, click here.

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