Campus Buildings
The Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus is located on the corner of Laurel Avenue and Sixth Street. Within the campus sits the entry building, pool building, community swimming pool and wellness center, which are all handicap accessible.
Walking into the facility, there is a ramp and a patio table with chairs covered by a bright blue umbrella. Also, a restroom can be accessed from outside of the campus.
The entry building has two areas. The space on the right includes the admissions window and lifeguard office. Please present your Daily, Saturday or Season Chautauqua Pass to receive a colored wristband daily for swimming. Even if a wristband has been obtained, please present your pass to re-enter the pool.
As you enter, on the left, drinks are available for purchase.
Walking forward, you’ll see the 6,000 square foot pool, capable of holding 400 swimmers. The swimming pool features heated water, zero-depth entry, a water slide, five lap lanes and an expansive pool deck for families to gather. The water slide has two fiberglass flumes; one open and the other closed. Swimmers must be taller than 48” to ride.
Strolling along the west side of the pool is the pool building, which houses restrooms, changing rooms, showers and the mechanical room.
South of the pool sits the wellness center, which will include two multi-purpose rooms and an equipment room with a few treadmills, ellipticals, a rowing machine and stationary bikes. Stay tuned for more information about the Wellness Center in the months to come.
Please note that we have started the following regulations and processes below, but will adjust according to demand and usage of the new facility.
Hours of Operation
The pool will operate until Labor Day weekend during the following hours with swim breaks scheduled the last 15 minutes of every hour. The water slide will be available during open swim, but not during lap swim, lessons or classes.
Unless the pool is crowded, the lifeguards will have one or two lap lanes open the entire day so swimmers can incorporate laps into their daily routine.
Monday-Friday
- Lap Swim: 7-8:30 a.m.
- Swim Lessons & Water Classes: 8:30-11 a.m. (Visit the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus Admissions Office in the entry building for details and sign up information.)
- Open Swim: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Saturday
- Open Swim: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday
- Open Swim: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admissions & Entry
Upon entering the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus from the entry building, guests will need to present a Chautauqua Pass. A Daily, Saturday or Season Chautauqua Pass is required for admission, similar to Hoover Auditorium shows.
Chautauqua Passes must be purchased at the Lakeside Chautauqua gates, Welcome Center or Hoover Ticket Office. Passes will not be sold at the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus.
Complimentary Passes (Church, Faith for Living Hour, Laundromat, Orchestra Hall Movie and Shopping/Dinning); Special Passes (Garden Tour, Lakeside Women’s Club Tour of Homes, Antique Show, etc.); and the Partial Day Pass (three-hours) do not include admission to the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus. Auto Passes to enter Lakeside or park in the South Gate or Danbury School Parking Lots are sold separately.
Once a Chautauqua Pass is presented, swimmers will obtain a daily waterproof wristband. Even if a wristband has been obtained, please present your pass to re-enter the pool. Children age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult Daily, Saturday or Season Chautauqua Pass holder to swim. To contact the Pool Office, call (419) 702-7598.
Parking, Bikes & Golf Carts
Limited parking for cars, bikes and golf carts is located on the north side of Sixth Street. There are two reserved handicap spaces and two additional spaces reserved for drop-off and pick-up.
Golf cart parking is located across the street from the Lakeside Grounds Building on the corner of Vine Avenue and Sixth Street. Bike parking is on the corner of Vine Avenue and Sixth Street or in a bike rack. Please do not park bikes, scooters or other modes of transportation in the grass or in the flowers.
Given our mission of wellness, we encourage walking to this new facility. For your safety, additional four-way stops will be added in the area and a pedestrian crosswalk is located in front of the entry building.
Shuttles
An additional shuttle route has been added. There will be a dedicated shuttle route from both hotels and the business district that will take guests to the pool and wellness center. A shuttle stop is located at the corner of Vine Avenue and Sixth Street. Please wait there for the next available shuttle, which is marked by an orange or blue flag.
Safety & Use
Your collaboration in following the safety regulations will help ensure your safe enjoyment of this new facility. As we use the new Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus, we ask that you follow the lifeguards’ directions at all times.
Swimmers are asked to shower before using the new swimming pool and keep their area clean while using the facility. There is no diving.
Individuals should not leave children unattended, even for a few moments. Diaper dependent swimmers must wear swim diapers or snug plastic pants under swimsuits. Swim diapers can be purchased at the Admissions Office in the entry building for $1 each. Children age 5 and older should use gender appropriate locker rooms or family bathrooms.
Lifeguards will use a single short whistle blast to gain a swimmer’s attention and a long whistle blast to clear the pool for a rest break and/or emergency. Guests are encouraged to listen to the lifeguard for further instructions.
Swimmers will not be permitted to use inflatables, water wings, noodles or any other floaties. Kickboards, pull buoys and jogging belts may be used in the lap lanes only. Life jackets are permitted, and a limited number are available for use for the safety of non-swimmers. Puddle jumpers are also permitted. For the safety of all, it is important not to run on the concrete pool deck.
Families and individuals should plan ahead before using the new facility and bring along sunscreen, towels and flip flops. Wi-Fi is available; name: Pool Guest, password: wellness.
In the event of a thunderstorm, pool activities will be suspended until 30 minutes after the last thunder is heard.
Lemonade stands are not permitted in or around the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus, especially in the grass or flowers.
Security cameras and motion detectors have been installed across the campus. The Danbury Police Department will be called if there are after-hour trespassers.
Make a Splash
Today, we celebrate you and everyone in the community who helped make this pool and wellness center a reality. We wouldn’t be opening this new facility without your love, support and generosity. Thank you deeply.
