Why would the pool at 2701 Bradford Drive close at 4 p.m. on an ordinary Thursday in December? The City's Fall 2026 calendar for Mercer Park Aquatic Center lists the early closing on Thursday, Dec. 10, without giving a reason. On Iowa City High's boys' swim schedule, the same date shows the Little Hawks hosting Waterloo West at 6 p.m. at Mercer Park Aquatic Center and Scanlon Gym.
Mercer is the home pool for City High's swim program, and the Daily Iowan reported this month that the team practices there. Every meet-date closing this season has appeared on the team's schedule weeks in advance, so swimmers can plan around most of Mercer's odd hours by reading the two calendars together.
The Fall Closures Already Matched the Meets
The pattern held all fall. The City's Mercer calendar had 4 p.m. closings on Tuesday, Sept. 1, Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Tuesday, Sept. 29. City High's girls' varsity schedule lists home meets at Mercer on those same three dates.
The full-day Saturday closures fell on the dates of the bigger events. The pool was closed Saturday, Sept. 19, the day of the girls' Little Hawk Invite. It was closed again Saturday, Oct. 24, the day Mercer hosted the MVC Championship Swimming Meet at noon.
So far this season, the pattern is easy to read. A weeknight home meet has meant a 4 p.m. closing. A Saturday invitational or conference meet has meant the pool is closed all day. The girls' schedule ended with the state meet on Nov. 12 and 13, and the boys' season has started, so the dates to watch for the rest of the year are on the boys' schedule.
What's Left on the Calendar Through New Year's
On Saturday, Dec. 19, the boys host their own Little Hawk Invite at Mercer at 11 a.m., and the City has the pool closed that day. Add the holidays and the rest of the year looks like this, set against Robert A. Lee Pool, the City's other indoor pool at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center downtown.
| Date | Mercer Park Aquatic Center | Robert A. Lee Pool | Also that day at Mercer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Closed | Closed | Thanksgiving |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 5 to 8 p.m. $3 open swim | Holiday hours |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Closes at 4 p.m. | Regular Thursday hours | City High vs. Waterloo West, 6 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Closed | Regular Saturday hours, 6:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Boys' Little Hawk Invite, 11 a.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 24 | Closed | Closed | Holiday |
| Fri., Dec. 25 | Closed | Closed | Holiday |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Holiday hours |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Closes at 4 p.m. | Regular Thursday hours | New Year's Eve |
Robert A. Lee also closes Friday, Jan. 1. Dec. 19 is the date that matters most for east side swimmers. Mercer is closed all day, but Robert A. Lee's Fall 2026 schedule lists no change for that Saturday. A morning swim is still possible if you make the drive to 220 S. Gilbert St.
After the holidays, City High's boys' schedule shows a home meet against Iowa City West at Mercer on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. This fall, every weeknight home meet date also had a 4 p.m. closing, so check that date once the winter pool schedule is posted.
Which Part of the Pool You Lose, and When
The meet calendar matters partly because of how Mercer's water is laid out. The City describes three sections.
- East deep section: 25 yards long, 4 feet 6 inches to 12 feet deep, with two one-meter diving boards.
- Middle section: 25 yards long, 4 feet 2 inches to 4 feet 6 inches deep.
- West shallow section: about 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet deep, plus an outdoor wading pool area where children need adult supervision.
The facility also has a 12-person spa limited to adults and to children directly supervised by someone 16 or older. The water runs about 81 degrees, depending on air temperature, humidity and sunlight.
On a normal week, Mercer is open for open swim from 6:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Lap lanes are available during open swim hours. Two weekly windows are worth knowing:
- $3 Swim, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m.
- Diving board and deep open swim area, Sundays from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
The Sunday diving window is the narrowest slot on the schedule, and no meet on City High's December calendar falls on a Sunday. A 4 p.m. weeknight closing mostly affects after-work lap swimmers. The 6:15 a.m. lanes and the $3 morning swims run as usual on those days.
Daytime programs fall outside meet hours too. Tot Time for children 6 and under runs at Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Scanlon Gymnasium on weekdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Sept. 14 through Dec. 18, except Nov. 26 and 27. Water fitness classes are offered at both Mercer and Robert A. Lee. A single class is $6, and a 10-class punch pass is $50 for Iowa City residents or $55 for non-residents. The pass does not expire and works for any water fitness class.
Gym time on the Scanlon side depends on programming and reservations. The City asks people to call 319-356-5100 for that day's gym schedule.
Why Mercer's Lanes Are Worth Planning Around This Year
Mercer's lanes are in higher demand this year than the meet schedule alone shows. Iowa City's outdoor pool is out of the picture for now: the City's aquatics page says the new City Park Pool is expected to open in summer 2027. That leaves Mercer and Robert A. Lee as the City's two pools, and Mercer is the only one with a diving well.
The competition-pool picture across the Corridor is changing too. The Daily Iowan reported that the Iowa City Community School District board voted Oct. 27 not to take Coralville's lease offer for a competition pool in Coralville's planned recreation center. The offer was $1.1 million a year for 19 years, or $20.9 million in total. According to the same report, Coralville will now build only the recreation pool, which has no lanes and is shallower than a competition pool. The current Coralville Recreation Center pool, where West and Liberty practice, will be torn down once the new center is built. The paper also reported that the district's financial oversight committee discussed other pools, such as the one at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, as options for the combined West and Liberty team.
Where that team practices is up to the district. The City also lists the Iowa City Eels Swim Club as a youth affiliate offering competitive swimming.
For day-of changes, the City says to watch for signage, emails and RainOut Line updates, and warns that more closures and schedule changes are possible. The full fall schedule for both pools is on the City's aquatics page, and details about the pool sections, spa and gym are on the Mercer Park Aquatic Center & Scanlon Gym facility page.
Being able to walk or bike to a year-round pool with a diving well is part of what an east side home offers, and it belongs in the description when that home is listed. If you live near Mercer Park and want to know how that kind of access affects your home's value this winter, Adam Pretorius and his team can put a number on it. Request Your Home Valuation.
