GOSHEN, Ind. – For more than 54 years, Shanklin Pool was a staple of summer in Goshen. Generations of residents learned to swim there, cooled off after ballgames and forged lasting friendships splashing in the cool water.
Beginning Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, the City of Goshen will begin demolishing Shanklin Pool, marking the end of a facility that has served the community since 1970. The decision follows years of planning to replace the aging pool with a modern aquatic center before state funding reforms forced the City to reconsider the project.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision because we know what Shanklin Pool has meant to generations of Goshen families,” Mayor Gina Leichty said. “Our goal was never to close the pool. Our goal was to replace it with a facility that would serve our community for generations to come. We spent years planning for that future. But when the state’s financial priorities changed, so did the choices available to us. This is not the outcome we wanted, but it is the reality we face.”
A Difficult Decision After Years of Planning
City leaders began discussing the future of Shanklin Pool in 2022 after the facility exceeded its projected lifespan by more than a decade.
In early 2024, a City task force worked with HWC Engineering to evaluate the site’s future. After reviewing several options, the group recommended demolishing the existing pool and constructing a modern municipal aquatic center. DJ Construction estimated the project at $12.3 million.
The proposed facility included a beach-entry pool, water slides, a basketball bowl, expanded toddler play areas, shade structures, cabanas and a new bathhouse with individual showers. HWC Engineering completed design renderings, and the City began establishing a bond issue of approximately $14 million to finance construction while also pursuing supplemental community funding options.
Construction was expected to begin in 2025 with the new pool opening in summer 2026.
That timeline changed in March 2025.
Following the Indiana General Assembly’s introduction of Senate Enrolled Act 1 and the uncertainty surrounding its long-term impact on municipal revenues, the City paused the Shanklin Pool reconstruction project, along with a planned South Side Fire Station and renovations to several City facilities, to evaluate the City’s financial outlook.
Following that review and eventual passage of SEA-1, City officials determined they could not responsibly proceed with the reconstruction while maintaining the City’s long-term financial stability. As the vacant facility continued to deteriorate, the City determined demolition was the most responsible course of action while continuing to evaluate future options for a new aquatic facility.
A Legacy That Began in 1970
Located in Shanklin Park, Shanklin Pool opened in 1970 after the Goshen Rotary Club raised nearly $170,000 as its Golden Anniversary project the previous year.
That campaign — spearheaded by Charles W. Ainley, chairman of the Golden Anniversary Committee and supported by then-Goshen Mayor Ralph B. Shenk — was dubbed “Project SWIM” and included more than 100 volunteer canvassers.
To help promote the campaign, The Goshen News sponsored an essay contest for local sixth graders titled “Why Goshen Needs a Pool.” Each essay was published in the newspaper, and Sue Stahl of Chandler Elementary School was declared the winner.
Since opening in 1970, the Goshen Parks & Recreation Department operated the facility, which eventually included three pools, a diving and slide area, bathhouses and a concession stand. The pool accommodated up to 625 swimmers and regularly welcomed between 300 and 500 visitors each day during the summer months.
A rite of passage
For many residents, Shanklin Pool was a rite of passage growing up in The Maple City. Children learned to swim there while teenagers worked their first summer jobs as lifeguards and concession workers.
Countless summer afternoons ended with a trip to the pool after Cadet and Junior Park League baseball games on the adjacent diamonds. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, elementary- and junior high-aged players routinely made their way from the ballfields to the pool, where annual season pass patches hand sewn onto swimsuits became a familiar symbol of summer in Goshen.
Adults also used the pool for designated lap swimming, water aerobics and community gatherings.
In 1989, a second capital campaign raised nearly $200,000 for upgrades and renovations to the pool. Fresh off leading Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship, football coach Lou Holtz spoke at Rotary’s Victory Dinner celebrating the campaign’s success.
The City added water slides in 2005, helping keep Shanklin Pool a favorite summer destination for local families.
Now, after more than half a century of service to the community, the current Shanklin Pool facility is entering its final chapter.
Shanklin Pool Demolition Begins Aug. 3
Contractors will begin demolition Monday, Aug. 3. Work is expected to conclude by the end of September.
Crews will remove all buildings, pools, hardscape, fencing and sidewalks before restoring the area to a grassy knoll.
The City will make every effort to recycle, reclaim or repurpose materials removed during demolition whenever practical.
Other amenities within Shanklin Park, including the three ball diamonds, Schrock Pavilion, Elkhart River access and Tommy’s Kid Castle, will remain open throughout demolition.
Although there is no timeline for constructing a new municipal pool, the City will continue exploring the feasibility of a community fundraising campaign to help make a future aquatic facility possible.
The City will also continue partnering with Goshen Community Schools to offer summer swimming lessons at the GCS Aquatic Center on the Goshen Junior High School campus.
“This marks the end of an important chapter in Goshen’s history, but it doesn’t change our commitment to providing quality parks and recreation opportunities for our residents,” Mayor Leichty said. “We will continue looking for responsible ways to make a new aquatic facility possible, and we remain hopeful that one day Goshen families will once again gather around our community pool.”