Sept. 2 — St. Joseph parks officials are looking to make a splash in spring 2026 with the opening of two new aquatic facilities in north and south St. Joseph.
While variables remain, if all goes as planned, the new $2 million Northside Splash Park and the $3.7 million Hyde Activity Pool will open simultaneously in late spring, though likely not on the same day to allow enough time for celebratory ribbon-cutting events.
“The goal is maybe to open them two days in a row,” said Chuck Kempf, St. Joseph’s director of parks, recreation and civic facilities. “But there’s still a lot to do in terms of construction and all that… but yeah, the goal is to open them in about the same amount of time.”
If construction allows one of the two facilities to open earlier than the other, the city will likely consider it, even if it means the two openings won’t be as close together as originally planned.
“The overall picture that’s emerging right now is very unique,” Kempf said. “It’s very unique that we’re opening two new recreational facilities, both aquatic and non-aquatic.”
Plans for Hyde’s new shallow pool, which will be located in the same location as the old one, are largely complete. The pool will have a similar look to the water park’s shallow pool and will be supervised by a lifeguard. The facility is expected to have a central play structure and deck space in and out of the water for multi-use.
“There will be water park-type elements,” Kempf said. “They will be built into the pool deck, but the pool depth will probably be between 3 and 3.5 feet.”
Hyde Waterpark will have a fee to enter, unlike Liberty Oak Waterpark next door. The city is working on a system that will allow families and children to easily access both facilities, whether with a wristband or other device.
The Hyde project also includes major renovations to renovate the pool house for a total of $1.5 million, a boost for a structure that has seen little use in the past decade since the old Hyde pool closed in 2015.
“There will be space for lifeguards, park staff, concessions and a community room,” Kempf said. “That community room will be available for rent and can be used in conjunction with the pool when it’s open, but also year-round.”
North of town, plans and layouts for the Northside Splash Park, which will replace the Krug Pool, are nearing completion, and major decisions must be made in the coming weeks. One of them is whether the park should be designed to leave only a very small amount of standing water, about an inch.
Northside Waterpark will have a nature-based theme that complements the greenery and stone structures of Krug Park. During the preliminary planning process, park officials were impressed by the designs of two nature-based waterparks in Kansas City by…
