A lazy river, dive board, lap pools, slides: Here’s when this aquatic center opens

Lenexa will make a big splash this Memorial Day weekend when the new Sar-Ko-Par Aquatics Center opens at 8801 Greenway Lane.

The project’s $15 million renovation of the former Indian Trails Aquatic Center has been the largest investment Lenexa community leaders have made into outdoor aquatics.

The project also included some overall park improvements, including expanded parking and a new pedestrian sidewalk down Greenway Lane for a safer connection to the Sar-Ko-Par Park’s amenities.

“This project is a result of years of planning and community engagement through which we learned that residents were looking for a modern, community-wide aquatic center with something for everyone to enjoy,” said Lenexa Parks & Recreation Director Logan Wagler. “We are beyond excited to open.”

The center, which opens Saturday, got its start with a residents’ aquatic study in 2021. From that study, city officials knew the renovation’s focus should be on fun play features, expanded shade areas, increased parking and features that allow for robust programming options, said Lenexa Parks & Recreation Assistant Director Mandy Danler.

“Opening this facility is taking Lenexa outdoor aquatics into the new age with exciting and interactive features like a lazy river that has vortex, climbable play features for younger kids, diving boards, lap lanes and two new slides,” Danler said.

“We were able to incorporate all those priorities within the project,” she said. “Instead of spending money on new bathrooms and concession stand we performed light renovations within the project assuring we stayed within budget while meeting the needs of the community.”

Among the more unique features of Sar-Ko-Par Aquatics Center is its lazy river.

“You find lazy rivers in other pools, but this lazy river is 512 feet long and includes an active channel with more spray features and faster moving water along with a slower, more relaxing channel for those that want to slowly flow through the river,” Danler said. “The lazy river also includes a vortex which spins tube riders around on one end and an area with seating to relax on the other end.”

The name of the center was achieved through an online voting.

Among the special contributors to the planning process were fourth- and fifth-graders from surrounding elementary schools. They were asked about amenity options.

“Why fourth- and fifth-graders? Because kids are the biggest users of outdoor pools, and why not allow them to be a part of the process, have a voice of what they think is fun within a pool,” Danler said. “We want kids to enjoy the space and have a place to create fond memories. Over and over again what we heard from the kids was number one a lazy river and number two slides.

“While their priorities were already part of the project, we ran with their suggestions and invested more into these features so they were unique and fun.”

Among the the other amenities at the new Sar-Ko-Par Aquatics Center are a zero-depth entry pool with interactive features for younger children; a climbable play feature with dump bucket; an eight lane 25-meter competition pool; deep-water alcove with 3-meter platform and two 1-meter diving boards; two climbing walls (in deep-water alcove); and a water slide complex with an inner tube slide and speed slide.

For more information about the Sar-Ko-Par Aquatic Center, go here.