Decatur’s Aquadome recreation center will close its doors Sunday after nearly six decades of serving the community with swimming, fitness and recreation programs.
A longtime part of Decatur recreation
The Aquadome became known for its distinctive dome-shaped roof covering the facility’s swimming pool. Over the years, it hosted swimming competitions and lessons along with basketball games, fitness classes and other community activities.
The Decatur Parks and Recreation Department said the facility dates back to the 1960s, when Mayor Gilmer Blackburn envisioned a modern approach to recreation for the growing city.
Since then, the Aquadome has become a familiar part of life in Decatur. Generations of residents have learned to swim, exercised, competed and spent time with their community there.
A new recreation center is taking its place
The closure comes just days before Decatur is set to open a new recreation center at Wilson Morgan Park near Beltline Road.
The $52 million facility will offer significantly more space and updated amenities. The two-story building covers about 100,000 square feet and will include four basketball courts and a 10-lane natatorium.
The new center represents the next chapter in Decatur’s investment in recreational facilities while the Aquadome marks the end of an era.
A closing chapter tied to the community’s history
The Aquadome sits near the former Brookhaven Middle School site, which was purchased by 3M after the school closed in 2018. The surrounding property had a history tied to a former landfill, where chemicals associated with 3M’s manufacturing operations had been disposed of.
The city’s new recreation center was funded through proceeds from its settlement with 3M.
As the Aquadome prepares to close, its legacy will remain connected to the many Decatur residents who spent years inside its distinctive walls. The new facility now offers the city a chance to build on that history with a much larger space for recreation and community activities.
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