Sarah Light, staff writer

With school out for the summer and temperatures soaring in the area this week, the Albert Lea Aquatic Center has become one busy place.

Originally built in 1977, the city pool was renovated in 1998, when the water slide, family bath and several other features were added.

In addition to the big blue slide the facility is known for, the pool offers two diving boards, a swimming pool ranging in depth from zero entry to 13-foot depth, a second pool for younger swimmers and plenty of space for sunbathers to soak up the sun.

&8220;It&8217;s a nice, clean, family-orientated facility,&8221; said Jenny Davis, recreation coordinator with the Albert Lea Parks & Recreation Department. &8220;It&8217;s a good place to go to cool off and hang out with friends and family.&8221;

And it&8217;s also very cost-friendly, Davis pointed out.

For people ages 3 and older, a day-pass is $3, and for children ages 3 and under a day pass is $1.

If people want to buy passes for multiple days, there are packages of 30 passes available for $60 plus tax, 60 passes available for $105 plus tax and 90 passes available for $135 plus tax.

During open hours the pool has eight lifeguards on duty with three more in reserve.

For mothers like Melissa Paczkowski, with four children, the pool offers a chance for each member of her family to keep busy while having fun.

Included in the assets of the Albert Lea Aquatic Center, Paczkowski said, are the large pool, the fun water slide, the clean atmosphere, responsible lifeguards and easy accessibility for people like herself who come into Albert Lea from surrounding cities to attend the pool.

Ten-year-old Monisha Bentley said her favorite part about the pool is the diving board because she gets to try out a lot of new tricks on it. Bentley was out having fun Tuesday with her sister Monique and her friend Kelsi Dybedahl.

Shortly after arriving, Monique successfully attempted her first flip off the diving board.

&8220;I acted like it was a trampoline,&8221; she said proudly, adding that her favorite things to do at the pool were going down the slide, jumping off the diving board and swimming in the 5-foot deep section of the pool.

Those favorites were the same for 11-year-old Marissa Lenze, who was at the pool with her sisters Annabell, 11, and Melody, 10.

&8220;We like to come for the slide, the board and the water,&8221; Marissa said. &8220;Hot weather also brings us to the pool.&8221;

Nicole Solberg, co-manager at the pool, said almost 600 people came Monday.

The pool is at its busiest during hot weather and on the weekends, Solberg said.

Some of the activities taking place at the pool Tuesday included people enjoying games of Marco Polo, doing handstands in the water, swimming with goggles and tanning in reclining chairs.