Sliding into the Splash!
Ribbon-cutting officially opens new aquatic center
Photo by Deb Gau Riders of the new FlyTyme slide at The Splash, Marshall's new aquatic center, caught plenty of air time before splashing down into the center's deep-water pool.
Photo by Deb Gau Area children were invited up to help Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes cut the ribbon for The Splash, Marshall's new aquatic center. Construction of The Splash! started in spring 2025, after years of planning and a public referendum.
Photo by Deb Gau Riders of the new FlyTyme slide at The Splash, Marshall's new aquatic center, caught plenty of air time before splashing down into the center's deep-water pool.
Photo by Deb Gau Area children were invited up to help Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes cut the ribbon for The Splash, Marshall's new aquatic center. Construction of The Splash! started in spring 2025, after years of planning and a public referendum.
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MARSHALL -- It's been a long wait. But Marshall's new city aquatic center is now open and making a splash.
"We're very, very pleased that we're at this point," Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said, before cutting the ribbon at the new facility, called The Splash! "Today is really the celebration of the end of the construction," Byrnes said.
The Splash! is replacing Marshall's former aquatic center near Legion Field Park. The new pool and other facilities opened Tuesday at West College Drive and Saratoga Street.
Area residents turned out for the ribbon-cutting and opening. Some children and families waited 20 minutes or more to be among the first through the gates on Tuesday afternoon. Visitors headed for features like the zero-depth entry pool and play area, leisure river, and water slides.
Andrew Nuy was among the kids who lined up to try the FlyTyme slide, which launches riders into the air before they splash down in the deep-water pool.
"It was fun. I thought I was going to do a back flop," Nuy said of the experience.
Betsy Goode said her family were excited to finally use the new aquatic center. "They've had their eyes on it for a while," she said.
The Splash! is about 50% larger than the old aquatic center, said landscape architect David Locke, with Stockwell Engineers. Features like a splash pad and zero-depth pool would offer something for visitors of different ages and abilities. Pool manager Deanna Suby said the different pools would still have plenty of room for community services like swimming lessons.
Local sales taxes will provide $18.3 million in funds for construction of The Splash! Additional features for the facility were funded with the help of around $800,000 in contributions from community members and organizations, said Marshall Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud.
Making The Splash! into a reality was something that took years of group effort, Byrnes said.
"I was thinking about that this morning, that this seems to be a long process," he told the crowd at the ribbon-cutting. "We spent about a decade in planning, but really it started for this community 90 years ago, in 1937. The community, after years of debate, made the decision to build the current swimming pool that is now going to be decommissioned. So that was 90 years ago, and it really has served the city well."
Over the original Aquatic Center's lifespan, the city of Marshall had periodic debates and struggles to maintain the pool facilities. A 1968 referendum to update the bathhouse and pool was voted down. The Minnesota Department of Health later required the city to make updates for health and safety reasons.
In 1987 and 2008, the city passed successful referendums to update the pool gutters and deck, and to make repairs to the facility. However, a 2018 study of the Aquatic Center found deficiencies including cracking and leaks. Around 12,000 to 15,000 gallons of water a day were being lost from the pool, the study said.
The process that led to The Splash! being built included gathering feedback from community surveys, and legislative action to allow Marshall to vote on whether to extend its 0.5% local sales tax to pay for a new aquatic center. In November 2023, the referendum passed with around 66% of voters saying 'yes' to the sales tax extension.
"This is another one of those examples where it takes a lot of work between the community people and the state, and different organizations need to come together to make these things happen," said Minnesota state Sen. Gary Dahms. Dahms said his view on the proposed referendum was that rural communities needed to be able to decide what was best for them.
"The decisions made on a local basis are usually the best decisions. Here is another example - this is going to be a very useful piece of property here. The kids are going to certainly enjoy it. There's going to be a lot of people that come here," Dahms said.
"First and foremost, I want to thank all the voters that supported this project. Without the vote of approval, we wouldn't be here today to enjoy this great facility," Stensrud said.
Larry Filippi, of construction managers Contegrity Group, said local contractors like R and G Construction, Southwest Glass Center, Doom & Cuypers Construction, Bisbee Plumbing and Heating, Meier Electric and Marshall Machine all played important roles in building The Splash!
Suby said The Splash! Is partnering with Southwest Minnesota State University for some special events later this month. A full grand opening and donor recognition event for The Splash! is planned for May 2027.