Yo ho ho! A new pirate ship is about to cruise into the pool at Woodland Park.
The pirate ship at Woodland Aquatic Center was declared no longer seaworthy and removed, but a new ship will set sail at the pool next summer.
“A couple of years ago we had to take the pirate ship out of Woodland pool because of safety concerns,” Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said in a news release Friday. “Now we’re commissioning a new ship, and it’s first-rate!”
The water feature is expected to cost about $500,000 and will be paid for with federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“Next summer, pirates will be able to slide, climb, get sprayed and more in Woodland pool,” Gorton said. “It is really going to be a chance to have fun.”
Designs for the attraction were unveiled Friday and will be displayed at the Woodland Art Fair this weekend.
The city said input for the play area was gathered from the community at last summer’s art fair.
“We are thrilled to have the crown jewel of Woodland Pool back and ready to sail out next season,” councilmember Hannah LeGris, who represents the Woodland Park area, said in the news release.
The old pirate ship was removed in 2021 after extensive corrosion was found during an inspection. The U.S.S. Woodland had been a popular attraction at the Woodland pool for more than 20 years.
This story was originally published August 19, 2022 at 6:43 PM.
