Chet Hobert Park pool drawing crowds with new fun and safety features | Winchester Star

BERRYVILLE — With its new attractions, the recently renovated outdoor pool at Chet Hobert Park has been the place to be this summer.

General admissions from Memorial Day weekend, when the pool opened, through the end of June totaled 5,102. That was more than double the 2,265 admissions during the same period last year.

Revenue from general admissions for the period rose from $8,082 to $22,298. Overall revenues increased from $45,894.55 to $79,499.90, preliminary figures show. The latter included collections from seasonal pool passes, reservations for private parties and participation in swimming lessons and other aquatic programs, according to Clarke County Parks & Recreation Director Lisa Cooke.

No doubt this summer’s generally sunny weather helped draw crowds to the pool.

But “a lot (of the increase) has to do with the new things” at the pool,” Cooke said. “People like them.”

Renovations made during the past year were designed not only to make the pool more fun, but also to make it safer.

A previous shallow “kiddie pool” was removed. Instead, the pool now has a large “zero-depth entry” enabling people to enter it from the deck without using a ladder or simply jumping in. The slope of the entry gradually increases until the water reaches a depth of about 2½ feet.

The new entry makes it easier for people with mobility problems — even those in wheelchairs — to use the pool, Cooke said.

It also makes it easier for parents with multiple children, who may individually like to splash around in different depths of water, to keep them together, she said.

Other new features include the “silly arms” gushing water as they revolve atop a pole, as well as other spigots that fill buckets overhead with water. When the buckets get full, they tip over and dump the water onto swimmers’ heads.

At the deep end of the pool, where there’s about 12 feet of water, a new diving board has been installed.

The renovations are the first major ones made to the pool since it was built in 1983.

Cooke said the pool has continued to be extremely busy in July. Sometimes it’s been so busy, she said, there’s been long waiting lines to get in. To keep it from getting too crowded for lifeguards to handle, whenever people left, more would be let in.

She expects the increased admission and revenue figures will continue through the remainder of the summer, she added.

“We’ve been very blessed with good weather this year,” said Cooke. “We’ve had very few days we’ve had to clear the pool because of bad weather” such as sudden storms.

The pool will remain open daily through Labor Day. More information about the pool is online at