The Grimes Brief
No. Grimes doesn't have a city pool, and its public water feature is the free splash pad at Waterworks Park. For actual swimming you drive a town over: Clive and Dallas Center both run outdoor pools in summer, and Johnston has an indoor pool open year-round.
A correction to older lists, this page included: the Urbandale city pool on Aurora Ave is gone. Urbandale says it no longer has that pool and sends residents to Clive.
It runs daily from Memorial Day weekend into early September, turning on at 10 a.m. and off at 8 p.m. on its own. The 2026 season ran May 25 to September 8, so it is off for the winter now. The city says it will reopen on Memorial Day 2027, or sooner if it posts otherwise.
The splash pad opened in summer 2024 as the centerpiece of the 8.5-acre Waterworks Park. It runs on recycled water and sits beside a playground and natural play areas. The restrooms are attached to an open-air shelter and have baby and adult-sized changing tables. Shelter 1, facing the splash pad, is free and first come. Shelter 2 on the back side rents for $25 for four hours through the city's CivicRec system.
For an outdoor pool day, it's Clive Aquatic Center or the Dallas Center Community Pool. For laps or lessons in January, it's Summit Pool in Johnston.
1801 NW 114th St, Clive. Closed for the season on August 24, 2026. In 2026 open swim ran 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The pool opens only when it's at least 70 degrees, and kids 8 and under need a caregiver 16 or older with them.
Grimes families pay the non-resident pass rate. The pass doubles as a Tri-Pass, covering open swim at West Des Moines' Holiday Park and Valley View aquatic centers too. Clive dropped family and nanny passes for 2026 and gave 10% off through March 31. It also cut pass prices in half starting July 13, 2026, per Urbandale's reimbursement page. Phone (515) 440-0599 in season, or Clive Parks and Recreation at (515) 223-5246.
Dallas Center, the other half of DCG, opened a new outdoor pool on June 23, 2023, and added slides afterward. The city sells season passes through an online application posted each spring on its 2026 Swimming Pool Information page. Check it for hours and day rates.
An 8-lane, 25-yard pool at Summit Middle School, 9500 Windsor Pkwy, Johnston (enter Door #20). Johnston Community Education runs lap swim and aqua aerobics on monthly calendars (October and November 2026 are posted), plus private swim lessons year-round. Open swim is summer only. Call the pool office at 515-986-0951 or Community Education at 515-278-0552.
Not in Grimes itself. We went through both 2026 Grimes Parks and Recreation program guides and found no swim lessons. The closest options are private lessons at Summit Pool in Johnston, offered year-round, and summer lessons at Clive Aquatic Center, which posts dates on its Swim Lessons page in spring.
No, Grimes does not have a municipal swimming pool. Its public water amenity is the free splash pad at Waterworks Park, 100 N James St. The nearest public pools are Clive Aquatic Center and the Dallas Center Community Pool outdoors, and the indoor Summit Pool in Johnston.
The Waterworks Park splash pad turns on at 10 a.m. and off at 8 p.m. daily in season. The 2026 season ran May 25 to September 8, and the city says it will reopen on Memorial Day 2027. It is free.
In 2026 daily admission was $9 for ages 3 to 54, $7 for ages 55 and up or with a military ID, and $2 for ages 2 and under, with a $15 family night Monday to Thursday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. A non-resident season pass, which Grimes families buy, was $100 per person and also covers open swim at the two West Des Moines aquatic centers.
Yes. Summit Pool, an 8-lane indoor pool at Summit Middle School, 9500 Windsor Pkwy in Johnston, runs lap swim, aqua aerobics, and private swim lessons year-round through Johnston Community Education. Open swim there is summer only.
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