Municipal Swimming Pool
Garden City can brag that it has the "World's largest, free, outdoor, concrete, municipally operated swimming pool." It's about half a city block in size. It is 220 feet by 330 feet and can hold 2.75 million gallons of water. The pool takes about 12 hours to fill.
The pool was built in 1922 by volunteer labor and materials. Teams of horses were used to dig the pool. At first, it was drained, cleaned, and refilled every two weeks during the swimming season. A more effective filtration system was added in 1978 to solve that problem.
The band shell from the Stevens' Park used to be located where the bathhouse is now. Concerts were given at night . The present bathhouse was built in 1937.
At first, the pool was used in the winter as an ice skating rink, but the ice caused to much damage to the cement and the practice had to be stopped.
The swimming pool is free to the public and on a normal Sunday there are an average of 800 swimmers. There are 12 lifeguards on duty at all times. Close to the end of the season they will bathe the elephants in the pool.
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