Opening delayed for $41M Pasco Aquatic Center. When you can tour it
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- Pasco Aquatics Center open house will be June 12 for tours and pass sales.
- Official public opening of the $41 million, 47,000-square-foot center is June 27.
- 2026 Pasco resident summer pass discounts range from 15% to 25% by pass type.
Pasco’s long-awaited aquatic center won’t open as soon as originally planned, but they will still be hosting an event on their originally projected opening day.
Matt Watkins, the PFD’s director, said the decision was primarily a safety concern because more time is needed to train staff.
On June 12, the day before the original expected opening date, the facility will instead host an open house where families can tour the facility and get more information on seasonal and annual passes, as well as renting party rooms.
Then on Saturday, June 27, the $41 million, 47,000-square foot Pasco Aquatic Center will officially open to the public.
“While we could force it to be opened the 13th, we’re making sure we do it right the first time, and we do it safely,” Watkins said.
The original date would have left the center with no margin for error if anything came up in the final stages of construction and preparation.
The extra time will allow for more training and practice for the about 100 lifeguards and staff.
“We really appreciate the community’s patience, and giving us the time to do it right,” Watkins said.
This year’s summer passes will be discounted by 25%.
Construction of the center is paid for by a special sales tax in Pasco passed by voters in 2022.
Features and hours
The center will open with a four-lane indoor swimming pool, with slides and a ninja course, an indoor children’s swim area, a lazy river with a beach-like entry to ease access for all users, splash pads and a dramatic indoor-outdoor hot tub.
More than half of the amenities will be indoors, and the facility will operate year-round.
The board is already working on plans for a second slide tower, expected to be added in time for the 2027 summer season.
The center will have concessions, but there also will be designated eating areas for families that want to bring in outside food and beverages.
General hours Monday through Friday will be 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, with lap swim and open swim times carved out.
Lap swim and programming runs from open until 10:45 a.m. daily. Those morning hours will be 50% of the regular rate.
The first open swim block will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the second from 4-8 p.m.
How will aquatic center tickets work?
Families will be able to buy individual tickets, summer passes or year-round packages.
Since the tax was passed Pasco families have wondered if they’ll get a discount as the primary funders of the center, and now they have an answer. The summer passes are based on a break-even point of one visit per week for each of the designated 14 weeks of summer.
Family passes are based on a family of two adults and three children. More family members can be added to the passes for an additional fee per person.
The Pasco resident discount ranges from 15% to 25% depending on the type of ticket. There will not be a daily rate for families, in order to encourage them to buy summer and annual passes.
Residency will be determined by whether someone lives in the city’s Urban Growth Area, which includes the “donut holes” within the city and many of the newer subdivisions norths of Burns Road that aren’t yet within city boundaries. Staff will be able to verify during check-in.
The center is on track to open June 13 as schools release for summer break.
Youth are considered ages 4 to 17, and seniors are 65+.
Here’s how much each group will pay:
Pasco residents
Daily rates: $10 for youth tickets, $9 for seniors and $12 for adults.
2026 Summer passes: $105 for youth summer passes, $95 for seniors, $126 for adults and $199 for families
2027 Summer passes: $140 for youth summer passes, $126 for seniors, $168 for adults and $265 for families
Annual passes: $280 for youth and seniors, $375 for adults and $750 for families.
Non-Pasco residents
Daily rates: $13 for youth tickets, $11 for seniors and $15 for adults.
2026 Summer passes: $126 for youth summer passes, $114 for seniors, $158 for adults and $229 for families
2027 Summer passes: $168 for youth summer passes, $152 for seniors, $210 for adults and $305 for families
Annual passes: $350 for youth and seniors, $469 for adults and $938 for families.
Activity rooms
The two activity rooms will be available to rent for $300. Groups of up to 15 will get the room for 1-hour, plus the open swim time. Additional party members will need to pay the regular rate. The larger, premium activity room will be $400 for a 1-hour reservation.
The entire facility can be rented for an hourly rate plus staff costs at $900 per hour plus staff costs for indoor and outdoor, or indoor or outdoor only for $500 per hour plus staff
Cabana rentals will be reserved by session at $100 for four hours.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 6:18 PM.
