Memorial Pool set to open in early August

Fans of La Crosse’s Memorial Pool will get a few weeks to enjoy the newly rebuilt facility before the summer is over.

Supporters of the pool near the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have told the city’s park board that Memorial is scheduled to open Aug. 2, and it will be allowed to operate until the end of August, later than the usual summer closing date.

Jacob Sciammas of the citizens committee, which has lobbied several years to get the old pool repaired, said the city is “looking to keep it open all of August, which I think will really help the community see that the parks department is really committed to the site.”

In May, city leaders thought that Memorial Pool would be ready for use this week, but bad weather caused some delays during the construction process.

A grand opening is set for Aug. 20.

During the weekend, many young musicians performed at a UW-L fundraising concert, collecting close to $3,000 for the Memorial Pool project.

The event was called Kids Helping Kids.

Memorial, originally built in the 1930s, has been closed for several summers now, but a $3 million renovation is nearly complete. 

A committee, which has raised money for the pool, has collected all but $12,000 of the money pledged for it.