The Mandan Aquatic Center is an 8-lane, 50-meter municipal indoor swimming pool located at 901 Division St NW in Mandan. It is a partnership between Mandan’s Park District and School District and operated by the school district.
The facility was originally named the Mandan Community Center, with a large gymnasium complimenting the pool area. Opened in 1975, it cost $1.5 million to build, $120,000 of which funded through donations. A new Mandan National Guard Armory was also constructed on-site.
Today, the name “Community Center” references the facility at Raging Rivers Waterpark, which the city acquired for $2.25 million in 2009 from private ownership.
History
Planning for a Mandan pool-auditorium complex began on January 12, 1968, when the Park Board began exploring federal funding to construct such a facility. The project was scraped the following month after discovering that the 1% bond limit that the district could impose would not be sufficient financing.
Soon after, a citizens committee organized a drive to increase the park district’s mill levy by six mills. In 1970, voters narrowly approved the measure by a margin of only 18 votes. Another election held on December,19 1972, to authorize a $495,000 bond measure was overwhelmingly approved with an 84% majority.
Ground was broken in June 1973. A ribbon-cutting ceremony commenced on January 15, 1975, and the facility celebrated its grand opening in February.
Originally, the center boasted a 150’x140′ gymnasium/auditorium and two mezzanines to compliment the swimming pool area, which consisted of a main L-shaped pool and separate diving pool.
A waterslide was added in 1990. It was the first indoor waterslide in North Dakota. The original three-loop 144-foot slide has since been replaced.
In 2011, work completed on transforming the former gymnasium/auditorium and mezzanine into classroom and office space for the school district, as well as a smaller gymnasium and carpentry shop.
