Lincoln Aquatic Center Offers 2 Swim Sessions A Day: Manatee County

PALMETTO, FL — To allow more people to access the swim-and-splash amenities at the Lincoln Aquatic Center in Palmetto, the new facility will offer two separate swim sessions daily.

The first open swim session will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day, according to a news release from the Manatee County. The staff will close and clear the pool, and then reopen for a second open swim session from 2 to 4 p.m.

Originally, the aquatic center was scheduled to be open for swimming noon to 4 p.m. daily. These newly announced hours will be in effect — along with free admission — every day through Aug. 6, though the aquatic center will be closed Friday.

The pool and water park complex celebrated its soft opening over the Memorial Day weekend. The facility hit its maximum capacity over the holiday weekend and opened for regular hours Tuesday.

Fifth-grader Julian Dominguez was the first person to jump in the competition pool and go down one of the “swirly slides” over the holiday weekend, the county shared on its Facebook page.

During Friday night’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility, Commissioner Reggie Bellamy said, “It’s been a long time coming.”

The project, a collaboration between Manatee County and the city of Palmetto, cost about $7.4 million to build, ABC 7 reported.

“We’ve put over two million dollars into it and also we’ve provided acreage there as well,” Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant said. “So, it’s been a very strong relationship between the two governmental entities, to work together and bring it forward.”

The resort-style swim center has both an open and enclosed slide, splash pad area with a bucket that dumps 350 gallons of water every five minutes, and competition pool, the county said.

“We are really proud of this facility,” said Charlie Hunsicker, director of parks and natural resources. “We can’t wait to see the smiles on the faces of the kids and families having fun here.”