Closed for nearly two years, a beloved Lenexa neighborhood pool will reopen on the Fourth of July this Saturday.
The city announced on Thursday that Ad Astra Pool, 8265 Maurer Road, is set to make its 2026 summer season debut on the Independence Day holiday.
The opening marks a milestone for the city, which spent more than $10 million updating the Ad Astra complex, including a complete demolition of the old pool and the addition of a number of new amenities, including lap lanes, a deepwater diving area and an 180-foot current channel.
A series of heavy rains this spring complicated construction work and led to the postponement of the pool’s original reopening date on Memorial Day.
“While we were disappointed we couldn’t open Ad Astra Pool earlier, this project is a long-term investment that will serve our community for the next 30 to 40 years,” said Logan Wagler, director of Lenexa Parks & Recreation.
“I am confident that the community will be excited about what the new Ad Astra Pool has to offer. We appreciate the community’s patience as we worked with the contractor to complete this project,” he said.
Open since 1988, Ad Astra Pool has become a key neighborhood gathering place in the summertime in the area around Christa McAuliffe Elementary, but the city said the aging complex had major issues, especially underground, where the structure’s foundation had settled unevenly.
In 2021, a consultant recommended permanently closing the pool, demolishing it and possibly replacing it with a public park, but a coalition of residents formed to advocate for keeping and restoring the pool.
Ultimately, the Lenexa City Council voted to keep Ad Astra, launching a years-long process to design a replacement pool, gather public input and then actually build a new complex.
The pool closed after the 2024 season, and the old pool complex was demolished later that year.
It was closed for the entirety of the 2025 swim season as work continued.
The project, which also included upgrades in the surrounding park area, cost more than $10 million, funded with revenues from the city’s 3/8-cent sales tax.
“The entire site has been redeveloped to better serve the community, including a new access road to ease traffic and support student drop-off at nearby Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, upgraded park features and shelter and year-round restrooms,” the city says on its website.
Ad Astra Pool will be open from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday. After, that, its regular daily hours will run from noon to 7:30 p.m.
The pool will close for the season on Aug. 9.
