About
The Shillito Aquatic Center, situated within Shillito Park in Lexington, KY, is a popular outdoor public water park. It offers a 50-meter lap pool, a diving well with both 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards, and two exciting water slides (a flume slide and a speed slide). Younger guests can enjoy a zero-depth entry pool and an interactive children's play area. The facility also includes a concession stand for refreshments.
Specific, published pool temperatures for the Shillito Aquatic Center are not readily available. As an outdoor facility, the pools are typically maintained at a comfortable temperature suitable for seasonal swimming, largely influenced by ambient weather conditions.
What are people saying (AI review summary)? The aquatic center receives mixed reviews, predominantly negative, highlighting issues with rude and inconsistent staff and management. Patrons report arbitrary rule enforcement concerning outside food (with conflicting accounts on its permissibility), pool closing times, and senior breaks. Several long-term visitors note a decline in service and management's perceived indifference. There is significant frustration with outdated online information regarding admission prices, operating hours, and advertised amenities like a rock climbing wall or "Olympic size" pool. While some appreciate the pool's size and diving board, negative experiences include the facility showing its age, a general lack of amenities, and unsanitary conditions in the women's restrooms. One reviewer also noted a strange taste in a concession slushie, possibly due to cleaning residue.
Location
Gallery
Amenities
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Good for Children
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Accepts Credit Cards
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Accessible Entrance
Reviews
Listing Reviews
July 30th, 2025John Williams
Pool experience has gone down hill. Lifeguards and management are rude. They let some people come in with Chick-fil-A and others aren’t allowed with any type of snack food. They make up rules on what time they close,and , make up rules to force seniors to get out of the pool during break. When they are closing, they rush people out when it isn’t even necessary and act Obnoxious in the process. Been coming here for 30 years. In the last 3 years gone down hill. Great pool, but, bratty people in charge who are in a bad mood , and, act like their job is more difficult than it is. Didn’t want to leave a review, but feel like I should. Ive witnessed Lot of good people are not treated nicely. Greedy pool doesn’t care about the people who pay for it.
June 16th, 2025Amber Deleon
I've never left a review for anything I am today because I can't believe my treatment. I'm a single working mother who happened to have to bring my daughter to work with me today because I had no other option. I had the idea on my lunch break to let her swim while I eat( which I haven't been able to eat all day due to having a hectic job) the young man with bushy eyebrows and an eyebrow ring said they have a Policy for no outside food I explained my situation and the fact that it was my lunch break before having to return to work. He still said no I said I could eat outside of the fence because I could easily see her from there he said no to that too. My daughter is a skilled swimmer and has been since the age of four I would never just put her in danger. I had to pay a fee to go in and watch my daughter swim for an hour and sit there hungry for that hour while my sushi sits in my car in ninety degree weather I'm glad the kids take this stupid job so serious that he couldn't just let me sit at a table and eat my food while she swam. We won't be back. I get a business is trying to sell what the call passable for food but I've already spent money on a lunch that will now be discusting by the time I get to eat it. I was trying to be a good mom and let my kid have fun in-between having to spend hours at work with me and not complaining. I feel he could've made a judgment call and just let me sit there and eat. The business already had my money and it wouldn't have hurt him or the business. He also seemed to enjoy his small amount of power in saying no. Any decent human being would've heard me out and just let me eat.
July 18th, 2025Jonathan Kays
Can't dive in deep end unless you're on the diving board.... Kind of lame, but them's the rules...... Otherwise a nice full size pool, not many amenities and definitely showing it's age, but it works.
June 23rd, 2025Lenea Amick
Shillito Aquatic Center's information on here is very out of day or flat out a lie. The admission prices are not correct ($7/adult is the currate price, but think the kids are still $4). Their hours are incorrect. I went on a Monday with hours being 11am-8pm...not 8-8 as advertised. There is no rock climbing wall and the staff had little knowledge with speaking with them if the pool was even "Olympic size" (which is 50 meters) as they advertise. As an avid, lifetime swimmer, this facility's information is disappointing. I pointed that out to the staff when they informed me "management" has been told that multiple times and done nothing. Sad.
July 25th, 2023Shainey Marcus
I like the diving board in the rock wall in the lap lane. Big Olympic size pool. The concession stand was nice. They had good snacks. But the slushie tasted funny because it tasted like when the machine was cleaned it may not have gotten rinsed well and there may have been cleaner in it. They do let you bring your own snacks in as well. Is not very crowded pool except when the camps get there. I would have given the pool a five-star but the women's restroom was very dirty and the trash cans needed to be changed and there was some stalls with no toilet paper. Follow us from work. Great reviews ™
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Opening Hours
| Sunday | 12:00 – 6:00 PM |
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| Monday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Friday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
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