Culpeper community pool draws nearly 4,000 visitors in first 10 days, officials say

Mayor Frank Reeves and county leaders said the new Culpeper community pool — part of the Culpeper Sports Complex campus — opened to heavy demand, recording 3,913 visits between May 28 and June 7, Andrew Hardy, parks and recreation director, said during a local podcast on site.

The pool’s launch capped a multi-year effort by town and county officials and community organizations to expand recreation options. "The Afro Americans had nowhere to go unless you went to the river," Mayor Frank Reeves said, recalling how private pools and segregation limited public access in earlier decades. Reeves and Gary Deal of the Board of Supervisors said persistent advocacy, campaign promises and coordinated town–county work pushed the project forward.

Why it matters: local leaders said the pool addresses long-standing gaps in affordable, public recreation and complements the field house and other new amenities. "Fifty thousand people came through the field house last year," Gary Deal said, pointing to strong community demand that factored into decision-making.

Hardy provided operational and usage details: the ribbon-cutting originally scheduled for May 23 was moved indoors because of weather, and public operations began May 28. "We pulled the numbers from May 28 pretty much through June 7. And during that time, we had over 3,900 individuals that had come through those doors — 3,913 to be specific," Hardy said. He also reported that 167 people had registered for the facility’s swim lessons and described a managed wait-list system run by Tabitha Riley to minimize family wait times.

Hardy said the facility is striving for inclusive programming. He described plans for sensory-friendly swim times in collaboration with community partners and said the department is working with organizations such as Kids Central and Community Stars to expand access. "The philosophy of our parks and rec department is recreation for everyone," Hardy said.

Leaders discussed the politics and logistics behind the project: county and town officials said they had to build alliances across elected boards, navigate procurement and contract phases, and rely on grant funding to avoid large tax increases. "You have to become allies with your counterparts ... because you're always gonna need a majority," Gary Deal said, describing the multi-year process of securing support.

Looking ahead, officials listed proposed additions including pickleball courts, a second water feature, and possible soccer fields. Hardy said some elements are contingent on grants and projected revenue increases over the next three to five years and noted ongoing plans for phased expansion through 2027.

The department published short wait-time metrics to the hosts: average wait times for a family of one to three were about 13 minutes, families of four to six averaged 13 minutes, and families of seven or more averaged 17 minutes during the May 28–June 7 period, Hardy said. Concession pricing and program fees were described as intentionally modest, and Hardy said fee-assistance applications are available for families who cannot afford standard prices.

The podcast closed with a request for community engagement and contact information: listeners were directed to culpeperrecreation.com and a local phone number for program details and upcoming sessions.

Next steps: officials said they will continue to expand programming, pursue grants to support additional amenities, and monitor usage and wait times to adjust operations.