Krannert Aquatic Center
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Krannert Aquatic Center is a newly renovated indoor aquatic facility that serves as a community resource, particularly good for families wanting an indoor pool experience. It uniquely allows outside food and drink, which can be a money-saver for families. The facility features two main indoor pools: one with gentle double baby slides suitable for younger kids (2-7 years) and a sloped entry, and another 'aerobics style' pool with a fast, twisty slide for older kids and adults. Despite renovations, it faces operational challenges and has strict rules.
Key Highlights
- ✓Newly renovated indoor facility with modern pools and locker rooms.
- ✓Allows outside food and drink, with a water fountain and vending machines also available.
- ✓Friendly, nice, and helpful lifeguards who actively manage crowd behavior.
- ✓Features a fast, twisty slide suitable for both children and adults.
- ✓Includes double baby slides (suitable for kids 2-7) in a sloped entry pool.
- ✓Provides noodles for swimming (specific colors for general use).
Standout Features
- ⭐Ability to bring outside food and drink to save money.
- ⭐Dedicated water fountain near vending machines for hydration.
- ⭐Availability of both fast and gentle slides catering to different age groups.
- ⭐New, modern locker rooms post-renovation.
- ⭐Outdoor area for laying out and tanning (though not connected to the pool view).
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →**Always check their Facebook page or call ahead** to confirm pool opening status due to reported chemical/pH issues, especially if traveling from afar.
- →**Bring your own food and drinks** to the facility, as only two vending machines are available for purchase.
- →**Plan your visit outside of peak summer camp hours** (typically 1 PM onwards on weekdays) to avoid significant crowds, especially if your children prefer less crowded slides.
- →**Prepare your children for strict pool rules**, specifically that parents cannot hold children in the pool or let them ride on their backs.
- →**Bring warm clothes or towels for changing** as the dressing rooms are noted to be cold due to air conditioning.
- →Consider arriving early to secure one of the limited indoor benches.
- →Be aware of potential strong chlorine levels that may irritate sensitive eyes.
Things to Consider
- ⚠The outdoor splash pad and its double baby slide were closed with no estimated reopening time due to disrepair.
- ⚠Locker room floors and toilets were reported as dirty.
- ⚠Strong chlorine levels caused children's eyes to swell for at least one visitor.
- ⚠A 'vortex' slide was closed and observed to have visibly green walls and bottom.
- ⚠Strict pool rules prohibit holding children in the pool or having them ride on your back.
- ⚠Indoor seating is limited to approximately 10 first-come, first-serve benches.
- ⚠Dressing rooms are cold due to constant air conditioning.
- ⚠The facility has experienced ongoing issues with chemical levels (pH) leading to potential pool closures.
- ⚠Summer camps can significantly crowd the pools, particularly between 1 PM and 3 PM.
- ⚠The outdoor lounge area is not viewable from the indoor pool, and direct pool access from outside is no longer available.
Price & Value
No specific pricing is mentioned, but reviews describe it as a 'great addition to the community' and a 'wonderful resource,' implying good value for local patrons. The ability to bring outside food and drink enhances its value proposition by reducing potential spending on snacks.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accommodations for special needs or accessibility features were mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Outside food and drink are explicitly allowed.
- •Only two vending machines are available for purchasing snacks or drinks inside the facility.
- •A water fountain is located near the vending machines.
🚗Parking Info
- •Parking information was not explicitly mentioned in the provided reviews.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Can get very crowded during summer camp hours on weekdays:
- •Around 1:00 PM: Young campers (estimated 4-6 years old) typically crowd the baby slide and sloped pool.
- •Approximately one hour later: An older group of campers tends to take over the aerobics-style pool.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Numerous lifeguards are present, described as friendly, nice, and helpful.
- •Lifeguards actively keep summer campers in line and enforce rules.
- •Noodles are provided for swimmers, though with color restrictions for general use.
⏰When to Avoid
- • During summer camp hours (roughly 1 PM to 3 PM on weekdays) if you want to avoid significant crowding at the slides and pools.
- • If you or your children are sensitive to high chlorine levels.
- • If you have young children who require constant holding or riding on your back for comfort or safety in the water.
- • If your main interest is an outdoor water park experience or an integrated indoor/outdoor space, as the outdoor area is often closed and not connected visually.
- • If a 'vortex' slide is a primary attraction, as it has been reported as closed and unhygienic.
Pricing/Package/Events
Events & Schedule
🚗Parking Information
- • Parking lot temporarily inaccessible from May 5, 2025 to May 18, 2025 due to bridge widening and drainage improvements.
Photos
What People Say
What's Great
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 9 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Can get crowded during peak times (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Mal Trefts
11 months agoI hadn’t seen any new reviews of the facility since they completed their renovations, so hopefully this review is helpful to others. We visited today (a Tuesday in the summer) from around 12:30-3:30PM. We went solely for the new indoor/outdoor water area. As someone who enjoyed the old outdoor Krannert water park as a kid, the new area is definitely underwhelming. The indoor area consists of 2 large pools, one aerobics style and one sloped. The sloping pool has a double baby slide suitable for kids around 2-7. The aerobics style pool has 1 twisty slide with water going constantly and it did seem to spin kids and adults down very fast. The outdoor portion is a small splash pad, but also contains a double baby slide. However, this portion was closed today. When I asked the front desk when the outdoor splash pad would be opened, they said they didn’t have an estimate as it wasn’t working and they were unsure how much time fixing it would take. The new locker rooms are standard. The floors and toilets were dirty. The rest of the new facility looked nice. There is an outdoor area available for renting which contains AstroTurf and picnic tables. There was also a small outdoor area to lay out and tan. You may bring outside food & drink which was nice. There is nothing available for purchase besides the 2 vending machines near the entrance. There is a water fountain near the vending machines as well. The indoor area contains maybe 10 benches that are first come, first serve. Something to note in the summer months - this location hosts summer camp. Around 1:00PM a big group of young (looked 4-6) campers came in and crowded the baby slide and sloped pool. About an hour later an older group came in and took over the aerobics style pool. There are adults with them, but they didn’t ever manage them/tell them to stop doing something. The lifeguards kept the campers in line luckily. All of the lifeguards were very friendly and nice and helpful. However, they do have a lot of rules at this facility. They provide noodles to swim with, but only a certain color can be used as the other colors are used in their aerobic classes. You cannot hold your children in the pool or have them ride on your back, which was a little bit of a bummer for my youngest. Overall, I think this is a great addition to the community.
michael weber (umopapisdn)
a month agoLove this pool, I come a couple times a week after work to do laps. I guess they're having some trouble with the chemicals keeping the pH right since this used to be an outdoor facility so if you're coming from afar you might check their facebook page or call first to see if the pool is open. If it isn't, the Thatcher pool is only about a mile away!
Shay Ann
10 months agoUpdate: Renovations were completed. The large enclosed pool is really nice. There is a water slide on the deeper side. On the shallow side are 2 straight slides into the pool for kids. My only complaint is the air conditioning is on in the dressing rooms. I was cold in there even before I got wet. When you go in there wet & you'll be freezing. // Krannert pools & building will be closed after May 1, 2022. They will be renovating. A new pool building will be built where the outdoor pool was. The old indoor pool will become a larger weight room. The inside will be closed until at least 12/31/23. The outdoors (lake, playground, picnic areas) will still be open. I don't think there will be a restroom available.
Carisa Lynn
10 months agoThe new pool setup isn't ideal for summer fun!! They consider the pool inside/outside because it has 2 garage doors. It does have an outside lounge area to lay out, but it's not viewable to the indoor pool. They kept the pre-existing pools but just closed it in! They have seat benches inside for the parents. The little slide (vortex) wasn't open today. It was visibly green on the walls and bottom of the pool. Also, the amount of chlorine is so powerful that we left do to my kids' eyes swelling. You also have to go into the main building to access the locker rooms , which leads you to the pool from inside(you can No Longer Access the pool from outside)
Pastor Christopher CAMPBELL
6 months agoWonderful resource in our community