If attendance has seemed a little light at the Jones Aquatic Center, it’s not just your imagination.
Bad weather held the pool to an attendance of 341 people in its first week, which began just before Memorial Day. The May 26 opening was canceled entirely and on two other days that week the aquatic center didn’t open until 3 p.m.
“So far, we’ve struggled with the weather to be open at noon — most days, anyway,” said Mike Lynch, the aquatics manager for the Emporia Recreation Commission.
Even when open, he said, conditions weren’t exactly ideal.
“There was one day we were open all day but it rained all day and we didn’t have anyone come,” Lynch said.
The first-week attendance included 235 kids and 106 adults.
Things seem to have rebounded in the last week, though. The pool’s second-week attendance came to 441, which Lynch said was a little more normal. Average attendance figures were not immediately available.
“Now that the sun’s out and the temperature’s rising a little bit, everything’s evening back out,” he said.
Regular pool hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 8 p.m. on the weekend. Tickets are $2.50 for children ages 5 through 15, $4.50 for swimmers aged 16 and over, and no charge for 4-year-olds or younger who are accompanied by a paying adult.