Tipton City Pool recorded a single-day attendance of 924 this season and is averaging about 350 visitors per day, Stephen Thompson, manager of the Tipton City Pool, said on the Tippin' Thrive podcast.

Thompson said the pool, which celebrated its 87th anniversary this year, has seen steady growth since a renovation and the addition of a splash pad in 2019–20 that boosted capacity and year-to-year attendance.

The rise matters to Tipton because the pool serves as a low-cost regional amenity and neighborhood gathering place, Thompson said. ‘‘We were in a position in 2019 where we had a lot of systems failing,’’ he said, describing the three-phase rehabilitation that stabilized mechanical systems, added a splash pad and left a proposed phase to modernize the bathhouse. ‘‘There are some really smart investments made back in 2019 to make the pool sustainable for the next 20 years, 20, 30 years.’’

Thompson and podcast host Mayor Eric King discussed attendance trends and operations. Thompson said annual attendance rose from about 12,000 in 2019 to roughly 19,000 in 2023, with about 18,000 the following year; daily averages moved from roughly 120 per day in 2019 to about 270 last year and about 350 this season. He also noted a record single-day figure of 663 in 2023 and the 924 figure this year.

The expansion that included a splash pad, completed in 2020, was designed to add an amenity that could be used outside pool hours and that would not further tax staffing, Thompson said. He described the splash pad as ‘‘an amenity that attracts more people without taxing the current staff.’’

Staff training and retention were central themes. Thompson described efforts to create leadership tiers—head lifeguards and delegated responsibilities for assistant managers—to give returning staff upward mobility and to ‘‘regenerate’’ lifeguards from local high school and community pathways. He said the pool shifted some night-swim hours into additional staff training and holds regular Saturday in-service sessions.

‘‘I say you have the most important job in the city of Tipton from May through August,’’ Thompson said of his lifeguards, noting the facility typically serves 18,000–20,000 people in a season and emphasizing safety and patron experience.

Programmatic demand has also grown: Thompson said about 80 children enrolled in swim lessons this year and the swim‑lesson registration filled to capacity within a week. The pool is exploring evening special events such as dive‑in movies, dedicated sessions for patrons with disabilities and father‑daughter events as ways to manage demand and diversify offerings.

Thompson noted constraints remain. The bathhouse dates to the facility’s original construction and presents flow and Americans with Disabilities Act limitations; he said a phase‑three renovation for that space is a prospective project. He also said capacity on busy days is effectively limited by how many trained lifeguards are on duty.

On pricing, Thompson said the pool has raised prices twice during his management but remains one of the more affordable options in the area; current general admission is $3. He attributed part of the pool’s popularity to that price point and to consistent operational hours (generally noon–7 p.m.).

King and Thompson credited community ties and local school pathways for much of the staffing pipeline. Thompson said the Tipton Community School Corporation and earlier swim-team links helped build a supply of trained lifeguards and that good interactions—such as a Boys & Girls Club member meeting staff—can lead youths to pursue lifeguarding.

Looking ahead, Thompson said the city will likely consider bathhouse improvements and program changes that ‘‘allow for more individuals’’ in swim lessons and other activities, but he emphasized maintaining the facility’s community character and safety standards.

Thompson closed by thanking staff and patrons for behavior during very large crowds; he recalled one busy day where despite several hundred people arriving within the first 30 minutes, the facility ‘‘self‑regulated’’ and the staff managed the day without major incidents.