EASTHAMPTON — Nonotuck Pool has been a prominent facet of Easthampton summer fun for over 60 years, and now it’s better than ever.

Children splashed about in the blue water and community members applauded as Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and Andrew Hunter of the Parks and Recreation Commission welcomed the new and improved pool to the park on Monday evening, snipping its silky ribbon with comically large scissors.

“This pool is generational,” said John Mason, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “The new generation and the old generation that’s been around really appreciate what the pool means to the community.”

The appreciation was palpable at the ceremony, as community members splashed, floated, and cannon-balled to the sounds of 2000’s-era pop songs. After the ceremony, a small neighborhood dog even tried to join in on the fun, striding confidently through the pool’s entrance like he had a season pass. But this furry friend was scooped up and led to safety before he could make a splash.

The $1.4 million pool improvement project featured Americans with Disabilities-accessible access points and connections to bathrooms, a new filtration system, new concrete and new shade fixtures that add a pop of color to the pool deck. Funding was made available through state park improvement grants and Community Preservation Act funding, with the mayor’s office filling in the remaining monetary gaps.

“Everything is brand new for this pool,” Mason said during his speech. “We wanted to make sure we did it right.”

Park improvements coming

The pool is just the beginning of some other major changes and improvements Nonotuck Park will see in the coming years.

“We celebrate for a moment and then we move on to the next thing,” said Mason.

Along with pedestrian improvements such as new crosswalks being added throughout the park, several new projects are waiting in the wings. The first will be improvements to the park’s 25-year-old spray park, which has long served as a fun way to cool down and an official cooling center during major heat waves like the one that hit the region last week. The spray park will require a one-year design and planning period, and a one-year construction period, according to Mason.

There are also tentative plans being discussed for a new dog park, a new skate park, and an improved playground, among other possible expansions and improvements. Currently, Mason is applying for grants to upgrade the spray park, while looking for every opportunity to make Nonotuck Park even more safe, inclusive, and vibrant in the future.

“The park is the jewel of the city,” he told the Gazette.

Pool information

The community pool will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Senior swim hours will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The pool is closed on Mondays.

Daily pool entrance fees are $5 per adult (ages 17-59) resident and $6 per adult non-resident. For children (ages 6-16), the daily entrance fee is $3 for residents and $4 for non-residents. Seniors over 60 years of age and children under 5 years of age swim for free, and disabled persons also get free entry upon presentation of a placard.

Additionally, season passes are available for residents and non-residents. For residents, adult season passes are $70, child season passes are $50, and family season passes are $130. For non-residents, adult season passes are $110, child season passes are $85, and family season passes are $180.

To receive a resident rate, one must present proof of Easthampton residency such as a driver’s license.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.