Edmundson Park Swimming Pool in Oskaloosa, Iowa

When temperatures soared to almost 90 degrees, we decided to add another stop in our pool tour of Southeast Iowa at the Edmundson Park Swimming Pool in Oskaloosa.

Edmundson Park Swimming Pool

Location: 1405 South F Street, Oskaloosa, IA--Located on the west edge of town. Find Highway 63 and go west on 11th Ave. Edmundson Park will be on your left. There are signs indicated which direction to go to the pool. Enjoy the stone walkways and bridges on your drive to the pool. A golf course, disc golf course, ball field, and picnic shelters are nearby.

Cost: Youth $4.00; Adult $4.00; Passes and Punch cards are available.

Hours: 1:00 pm -7:00 pm daily; Caution: Rumor on the street is that the pool can close at any time without notice. The rumor was substantiated with a sign at the admission desk indicating the same based on the number of patrons at the pool. It may be wise to call ahead. 641-672-2233

Description: The Edmundson Park Swimming Pools is located in the picturesque Edmundson Park. The stone work on the building at the pools says "Oskaloosa Municipal Pool" and was built in 1937 during the Works Project Administration. Osky did it right. They didn't tear down the pool and out buildings they had, they improved them. The pool has a zero depth entry with a shade structure in the pool for little swimmers. Water sprays and jets along with a not-so-kiddie slide is on the other side of the kiddie play area. The drop off of the kiddie slide is padded on the bottom of the pool. There is a large 1.5' to 3.5' swimming area which includes a water basketball hoop on one end--it comes with a ball. There is an even larger 4'-5.5' swimming area that could be used for lap swimming. The deep end is roped off for the two diving boards and then there is the exit area for the two water slides.

Rules to Know: Masks, goggles, dive sticks, balls, and toys are all OK. Only flotation devices worn on the body are allowed. No outside food or drink allowed, but we walked in holding two water bottles and had snacks in our bag. 48" is the height requirement on the slides.

Food: Snacks and food are available for $.25-$2.00 and include candy, drinks, popcorn, hotdogs, etc.

Cleanliness: Very clean! The flower box planters separating the concession area from the pool area are a nice touch.

Friendliness: Friendly. All the workers spoke to us on their way in and the gal at the admission desk was helpful.

Web-site:  http://ia-oskaloosa.civicplus.com/index.aspx?nid=99  The information is updated for 2012.

Pros: If you want to swim, jump, and dive this is a good pool to go to. It is obviously a pool heavily used by kids as the adult to kid ratio was quite low. We saw lots of kids being dropped off. This means that the community deems the pool a safe place for their kids to go and hang out. Lots to do. The boy wasn't ready to go until a little after two hours. Lots of space to move around in the water. The guards kept eye contact on the pool when switching stations every 15 minutes and there were plenty of guards. There were also two gentlemen supervising (when we were there in July of 2011 if was a young woman and man). Head guards? In addition to the lady at the admission desk, there was another lady who seemed to be supervising the "head guards." (Didn't see this person in July of 2011.) So, plenty of supervision. Birthday parties seem to be a big thing, as the area roped off for birthday parties indicated there were two parties on this day. The XM radio being broadcast over the speakers was a nice touch. Easier to make sure the language is appropriate in the songs being played. Food selection, while minimal, hit the basics and the price was right.

Cons: I counted no more than 3 dozen pool chairs--that's not enough. Guests were bringing in their own chairs as there was plenty of room. The metal trim around the edge of the pool can get a bit hot. Be sure to cool it down with water before sitting on the edge. It is time for a bit of diversity.

Fun Factor: High fun factor! Being able to use water balls, dive sticks, and other water toys allows for more fun. The slides and diving boards just add to the fun.

To read about our experience at The Beach Ottumwa, click here. See how Monroe County Aquatic Center stacks up by clicking here.

Our pool tour will continue. I wonder what will be our next stop. . .