{"id":227218,"date":"2026-06-24T21:41:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/227218\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T21:41:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:41:10","slug":"nay-aug-parks-pool-drought-ends-with-opening-of-new-attraction-in-scranton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/227218\/","title":{"rendered":"Nay Aug Park’s pool drought ends with opening of new attraction in Scranton"},"content":{"rendered":"

SCRANTON \u2014 Nay Aug Park\u2019s seven-year pool drought ended Wednesday with the opening of a shallow activity pool.<\/p>\n

With a walk-in beach entry, mushroom fountains and a circular slide, the activity pool is the first of three water amenities that will replace Nay Aug Park\u2019s former swim complex that had an adult lap\/diving pool and a shallow pool with giant slides. After those old leaky pools failed, both were torn out and their holes were filled to make way for replacements.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are, after so many long years, finally going to swim at Nay Aug,\u201d Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said during a ribbon cutting for the activity pool on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Remaking a big splash<\/p>\n

The city intends eventually to flank the activity pool with a splash pad and a lap pool, depending on securing funding to complete those projects, the mayor said. A splash pad could cost about $900,000, while an adult lap pool could cost $3 million to $4 million, she said.<\/p>\n

The activity pool also is the latest new attraction at Nay Aug Park, following the Butterfly Playground that opened last year behind the former zoo building, and pickleball and basketball courts that opened earlier this year next to the pool complex. It\u2019s also the latest park upgrade of several in recent years throughout the city.<\/p>\n

Margie McHugh of North Scranton heard the new pool at Nay Aug Park was going to open Wednesday and brought her children, Evie Ogonosky, 8, and Max Ogonosky, 6, to check it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great,\u201d McHugh said of the activity pool. \u201cI\u2019m a big fan of Nay Aug. I play pickleball (there, too). We\u2019re really excited for the splash pad to go in as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evie likes that she can stand in the shallow activity pool and splash around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went down the slide a bunch of times,\u201d Evie said.<\/p>\n

So did her brother and other children who attended the pool\u2019s opening day.<\/p>\n

Lake Lincoln came first<\/p>\n

A swim area at Nay Aug Park began in 1909 as the man-made Lake Lincoln. The two former pools built in 1967 on part of the footprint of Lake Lincoln included an adult diving pool and adjacent shallower pool. The shallower pool got giant slides in 2003.<\/p>\n

The Nay Aug Park pool complex last opened in summer 2019 with only the shallower pool operational. The adult pool, with a deep end and diving boards, leaked so badly in 2018 that the Scranton Municipal Recreation Authority kept it closed for 2019 and started looking at converting it into a splash pad.<\/p>\n

The shallower pool with the giant slides opened in 2019 as usual for that summer, but its liner failed midway through swim season and afterward was torn out. The COVID-19 pandemic shelved the liner replacement, and the slide pool did not reopen in 2020 or 2021. In early 2022, both pools were removed and their holes filled. The giant slides were dismantled in fall 2022.<\/p>\n

The first phase of reviving the Nay Aug Park pool complex was funded by $3 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money and a $1 million state grant. It also involved renovation of a bathhouse and installation of a pump house and infrastructure piping for a lap pool and splash pad.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so important that we continue to invest in all of our parks, especially here at Nay Aug, (which is) really the crown jewel of the park system here in Scranton,\u201d Cognetti said. \u201cSustainability is very important to us. Part of the build-out of these budgets and projects is making sure these are assets the city can sustain throughout the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the city\u2019s other pools \u2014 at Weston Field, Weston Park and Connell Park, as well as the Novembrino splash pad \u2014 all have already opened for the 2026 summer swim season. The city expects to also open in a few weeks a new splash pad and playground at a formerly long-defunct pool site on Capouse Avenue in Pine Brook. The playground there is ready but the splash pad remains in final stages of construction.<\/p>\n

\"Easton<\/p>\n

Easton Poehlman, 2, of South Scranton, walks through the water of Nay Aug Park pool complex in Scranton Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Children<\/p>\n

Children and their parents swim in the Nay Aug Park pool Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Ogonosky, 6, of North Scranton, goes down a water slide at the new activity pool that opened Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. (JIM LOCKWOOD \/ STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

\"Water<\/p>\n

Water attractions are turned on for swimmers to enjoy at Nay Aug Park pool in Scranton Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People get ready to swim in the Nay Aug Park pool in Scranton Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Nay Aug Park pool Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Nay Aug Park pool Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Scranton<\/p>\n

Scranton opened a new activity pool at Nay Aug Park on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The pool, which was completed last year after summer swim season ended, is the latest attraction at the park, following the recent opening of pickleball and basketball courts visible in the background. (JIM LOCKWOOD \/ STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/p>\n

Max Ogonosky, 6, of North Scranton, goes down a water slide at the new activity pool that opened Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. (JIM LOCKWOOD \/ STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

\"Scranton<\/p>\n

Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, ninth from left, and a small crowd celebrate during a ribbon cutting for the new activity pool at Nay Aug Park in Scranton on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (JIM LOCKWOOD \/ STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 10<\/p>\n

Easton Poehlman, 2, of South Scranton, walks through the water of Nay Aug Park pool complex in Scranton Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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