Kingsport Aquatic Center Opening Day

It’s official—water park season is on the way. The Kingsport Aquatic Center will open the Outdoor Water Park on Monday, May 10, and season passes for the 2021 summer season are on sale now.

“The KAC is so excited to welcome back our members and guests to the Outdoor Water Park this summer,” KAC Director Kari Matheney said. “We hope our guests are happy to get back to swimming and sunbathing too.”

As the KAC works with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department to evaluate guest safety, the Outdoor Water Park will operate at a reduced capacity of 750 guests at any time to allow for social distancing. The KAC will continue to monitor the effects of COVID-19 in the local area in conjunction with SCRHD, and will evaluate operations as the summer progresses.

“We strongly encourage guests to buy season passes to help us minimize crowding at entry points during the busy first weekends of summer,” Matheney said.

This year, season pass holders and KAC members will have early access to the park 30 minutes before regular opening. All season pass holders and KAC members will receive cards for their duration of their membership or 2021 season, and will receive wrist bands upon entry of the facility for the day for compliance capacity. All pass holders ages 3 and up will have their photo taken for internal authentication.

2021 Outdoor Water Park Hours

· Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

· Wednesday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

· Sunday: noon – 6 p.m.

Season passes are valid for entry beginning May 1 to the new outdoor lap pool, and beginning May 10 for the water park. The water park will be open every day through Labor Day, weather permitting, then weekends only through the end of September.

The new outdoor lap pool will be open every day, weather permitting, through the end of October. This pool is currently open, and hours will expand as the weather gets warmer. The current operational schedule is:

Monday – Friday
Lap swim by reservation 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Open swim at 50% capacity 4 – 7 p.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday
Water aerobics on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings
Saturday
Open swim at 50% capacity 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

At this time, KAC’s indoor facilities are still available for lap swim by reservation.

Season passes and memberships can be purchased on swimkingsport.com or in person at the KAC front desk. To learn more about season pass and membership benefits, call 423-343-9758 or visit swimkingsport.com.

About Kingsport Aquatic Center

The Kingsport Aquatic Center is the region’s most comprehensive indoor-outdoor public aquatic and recreation facility. Located in Kingsport’s Meadowview district at the base of iconic Bays Mountain, the center provides area residents and visitors with the best in health, fitness and recreation features in a safety-focused environment. The Kingsport Aquatic Center features the area’s only indoor Olympic-sized pool, the HMG Competition pool, plus year-round swim courses and American Red Cross-certified water safety and lifeguard training. A seasonal outdoor water park offers recreational activities from mid-May to early September. Seasonal, annual and daily rates are available. For more information, visit www.swimkingsport.com.

About the City of Kingsport

Founded in 1917, the City of Kingsport (pop. 53,000) is located on the Tennessee-Virginia border at the crossroads of I-81 and I-26 near the geographic center of the eastern U.S. The city is widely known as a planned community, designed by renowned city planner John Nolen and wrapping around the foot of Bays Mountain – a 3,500-acre park, nature preserve, planetarium and observatory. Kingsport is recognized as an International Safe Community by the National Safety Council, a Healthier Tennessee community, and won the 2009 Harvard Innovations in American Government Award for its higher education initiatives. While many city names are duplicated throughout the U.S., there’s only one Kingsport – a fact that invokes community pride, known locally as the “Kingsport Spirit.”

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