Noelridge pool opens in 1960 in Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids voters in 1958 approved a $425,000 bond issue to build three swimming pools in the city, at Noelridge, Bever and Jones parks.

The Noelridge pool in the northeast quadrant was the last of the three to open on July 2, 1960. It was built to accommodate 1,000 people, the same number as the Ellis Park pool in the northwest quadrant.

The Bever pool, in the southeast quadrant, and the Jones pool, in the southwest quadrant, were smaller, with a capacity of 500 each.

The Noelridge deck was 15,750 square feet and the pool 10,465 square feet. It held 396,000 gallons of water, which could be changed every six hours.

The 8 p.m. dedication on July 31, 1960, included a water show by the Aquarelles synchronized swimming group and competitive and clown diving.

It was a popular pool. Figures reported in August showed the pool’s average daily attendance was running about 105 percent of its capacity.

In 2001, Cedar Rapids voters approved a one-year local-option sales tax to update the city’s pools. The Noelridge Aquatic Center opened in 2003.

Tara Templeman is curator at The History Center. Comments: curator@historycenter.org