Centennial Beach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Centennial Beach |
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| Type | Public aquatic park |
| Location | 500 W. Jackson Avenue Naperville, Illinois, United States |
| Area | 6 acres (24,000 m2) |
| Elevation | 217 m (712 ft) |
| Operated by | Naperville Park District |
| Open | Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend |
Centennial Beach is a fun public water park in Naperville, Illinois. It's built inside an old rock quarry next to the DuPage River. The park covers about 6 acres, with 2 acres of water. That's like 6.2 million gallons of water! This water comes from Lake Michigan. It is always tested, cleaned, and treated to keep it safe for swimming.
The beach has a sandy area near the shallow end. You can walk right into the water, just like at a real beach. In the shallow area, there are two big water features. They pour water from about 10 feet (3.0 m) high. There are also water spouts that shoot up for kids to play in. The shallow end goes from 0 feet (0 m) to 4 feet (1.2 m) deep.
In the 4 feet (1.2 m) deep area, there are three lanes for lap swimming. This is where Centennial Beach's swim team, The Mudrats, practices. They swim here every weekday morning. A cool slide was added to the shallow end in 2008. There's also a special "channel" area. This part is next to the deep end and the diving boards. It has a lift to help people get into the pool easily.
The deep end of the beach has two floating rafts. Swimmers can swim out to them and relax. There are also four piers along the sides of the deep end. These are great spots to sit and chill out. The deep end also has an awesome diving area. It has two one-meter springboards and one three-meter board. These are approved for big competitions!
Centennial Beach is open on all non-school days. This is from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend. You can usually swim from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, it closes a bit earlier, at 6:00 pm. Sometimes, the beach opens early for "Adult Float" on weekends. This is when adults can bring their own floats. Lifeguards also train early on Saturday mornings. They do drills for two hours before the beach opens.
The beach might close early if the weather is bad. This also happens if there are not enough people or staff. In mid-August, the beach starts closing earlier. This is because it gets dark sooner. On a warm summer day, about 2,500 people visit Centennial Beach. About 155,000 people visit throughout the whole year. The beach also hosts many sports events. Its lifeguard team is known for being very good.
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Skatepark Fun
Centennial Beach has a cool skatepark right next to it. It opens at 9:00 am and closes when it gets dark. This skatepark has lots of fun stuff for skaters. You'll find half-pipes, quarter pipes, fun boxes, and rails. It's free to use for skateboards, in-line skates, and scooters. You can only use bikes during special bike hours at some other parks. Always skate safely and at your own risk!
Baseball Field
Centennial Beach also has a baseball field. The Naperville Little League uses this field. Boys and girls aged 7 to 12 play on teams here. The league a child plays in depends on their school district. This baseball complex was built in 2005. It was made possible by donations from the community. Recently, new bleachers and fences were added. There are also many parking spots for parents. Near the fields, there's a park with areas for both younger and older kids.
Deep-Water Test
Centennial Beach has a special swimming rule for the deep end. This area is marked off by a safety rope. If you are not yet in high school, you must pass a deep-water test every year. This test lets you swim in the deep end and use the diving boards. To pass, you need to swim 100 yards without stopping. If you pass, you get a special wristband. This shows lifeguards you are allowed in the deep water.
Adult Float Time
Every weekend, there's a special "Adult Float" time. Adults aged 18 and older can relax on inner tubes. They can also just swim around. This happens on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It's from 9 am to 10:55 am. No one under 18 can enter the beach until 11 am. This gives adults a quiet time to swim and relax.
Amazing Lifeguards
Safety is super important at Centennial Beach. The lifeguards are highly trained. They know CPR, First Aid, and Ellis Lifeguarding skills. Many guards even have a SCUBA certification. Centennial Beach lifeguards are known for their excellent safety skills. They often win awards for being among the best.
New lifeguards start training in May. The water is still chilly then! Training is very tough and takes a lot of time. Experienced guards also have to do pre-season training. This starts in early May too. During this time, head-guards teach new guards important skills. They learn CPR, lifeguarding, and first-aid. Training happens six days a week for all of May. It might continue into June. If a new guard isn't ready, they won't get the job. It's very hard to become a lifeguard here. More than 70% of applicants don't make it through training.
The Grill
The Grill was added to Centennial Beach in 2011. You can spot the employees in the kitchen by their bright shirts. It's a full kitchen with grills and fryers. The menu has classic beach foods like burgers and chicken fingers. But it also has healthy choices, like grilled chicken and wraps. You can pay with a card or cash. If you have a membership card, you get a discount! There are two main cash registers. On busy days, they open a third hidden one. This helps the lines move faster.
The Grill is open:
- Monday-Saturday: 11 am – 7 pm
- Sunday: 11 am – 6 pm
They even have a secret menu! Only regular visitors know about it. (Ask for the "beach soda"!) On busy days, lines can get very long. But every order is made fresh for you.
Bathhouse Basics
The bathhouse was built way back in 1934. It was made using stones from an old bridge. Inside, you'll find the front office. Here, you can pay for visits or memberships. There's also a manager's office. You'll find showers, lockers, restrooms, and changing rooms. There are four family restrooms near the entrance. The men's restroom is on the far left. The women's restroom is a bit to the right. Inside, you'll see drinking fountains, changing stalls, and showers. Below the bathhouse is the guard house. This is where lifeguards relax when they are not on duty. If you live in Naperville, you get a discount on your ticket!
Meet the Mudrats!
Centennial Beach has its own swim team for kids up to age 18. Their mascot is the Mudrats! The swim team helps swimmers get better at their strokes. They also work on conditioning, starts, and turns. The Mudrats practice every weekday morning in the lap lanes. If the weather is bad, they practice at Naperville Central High School. This high school pool is deeper. It lets them practice dives and turns more easily.
Swimmers must attend at least three out of five practices each week. This lets them swim in the meets. Swim caps and goggles are a must for every practice. Parents help a lot to make the swim meets happen. There are many chances for parents to volunteer. Coaches and parents always encourage the Mudrats to do their best!
Beach History
Centennial Beach was bought in 1931. A group of 33 people each paid $500 to buy the land. It was an old limestone quarry. They wanted to create a swimming pool as a memorial. This was for Naperville's 100th Anniversary in 1932.
In the early days, Naperville residents swam for free. People from out of town paid a small fee. Kids paid 10 cents, and adults paid 35 cents. On Sundays and holidays, it cost 50 cents. In its first year, the beach made $6,000! The money from the beach helped pay for other city projects.
The stone bathhouses were finished in 1935. To celebrate, the beach held its first water show. More water shows happened in the 1940s and 1950s. These shows featured swimming, water ballet, and diving.
In 1955, Centennial Beach held its first Aquathon. This event had water skiing, high-dive shows, and synchronized swimming. The money raised went to the new Edward Hospital. Another similar event in 1956 helped raise money for a new fire station.
The Naperville Park District took over the beach in 1969. In 1970, a group called the "Save the Beach Committee" formed. They helped keep the pool from closing down. The diving area was redone in 1976. A new water cleaning system was added the next year.
In 1981, the Aquathon returned for the beach's 50th anniversary. It had similar fun activities. The Aquathon happened again on July 8, 2006. This was for the beach's 75th anniversary! It was an all-day event. There were sandcastle contests, races, games, and live music. There were also kayak shows, scavenger hunts, and water polo. It was a huge celebration for all ages.
In 1996, there was a big flood. Over 17 inches of rain caused the water to rise very high. It even reached the top of the high dive! The beach had to be emptied, cleaned, and refilled. This took over two weeks.
From 2002 to 2004, the beach had over $2 million in renovations. They added new concrete decks and a new water system. New lights and sound systems were also installed. New staircases and water play features were added too.
On April 22, 2006, Centennial Beach had a special party. It was called the "Bottom-Feeder Ball." This was a birthday party for the beach's 75th anniversary. The dinner was held at the bottom of the empty quarry! The money from this event helped buy the new slide for the shallow end. The party had posters, T-shirts, and live music. Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner. They also got to see the bottom of the beach when it was empty.
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