A balloon nearly the size of a Goodyear blimp was inflated in Pasco. See inside
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pasco inflated a huge fabric dome to enclose Memorial Pool during the winter.
- Dome stays Sept.–March, uses continuous warm air to keep pool at about 80°F.
- Project costs $1.5–$2M and adds clubhouse upgrades and year-round programs.
Memorial Pool in Pasco got a new look on Monday with the installation of a white heavy-duty fabric dome.
The cover will allow Tri-Cities schools, club swim teams and recreational swimmers to practice and swim in the Olympic-sized pool in a warm, enclosed space in the fall and winter.
The pool is set to re-open in the next one to two weeks for team practice. It’ll be a new indoor option while the Pasco Aquatic Center on the west end of town is being built.
Dome setup
The dome – a project seven years in the making – will be in place from September to March each year.
The bubble towers at 38-feet high, 113-feet wide and 200-feet long and features a skylight.
Warm air keeps the dome inflated for 24 hours, 7 days a week and keeps circulating through vents.
The pool is heated to a comfortable 80 degrees, and city staff said the air inside the dome will likely stay around the same temperature.
Leading up to colder months, the cover gets inflated and attaches to the pool’s foundation. Before summer, it’s deflated, removed and stored.
There will be short closures — up to two weeks — each fall and spring to prepare the cover for the next season. The city will also complete maintenance during closures.
Pool construction
The pool bubble cover is part of a $1.5 to $2 million project to improve the Pasco facility. The pool clubhouse will get a new roof, insulation, and heating and cooling.
The city eventually will connect the pool clubhouse with the rotating north entrance to the pool. Plus a vertical bulkhead will be installed with the pool to divide it for use by different groups.
In the fall and winter, the pool will be used by Pasco School District’s high school varsity swim teams and other swim clubs for practices and competitions. There are also plans for year-round open swimming, swim lessons, lifeguard classes and other programs like scuba.
This story was originally published November 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
