Category:Dorney Park Swimming Pool

The Dorney Park Swimming Pool opened to the public in the summer of 1901. When it opened, it was the largest inland swimming pool in the United States.

The pool, basically, was a large pit that was dug out next to Cedar Creek, which flowed through the park. It was lined with sand in its early years, and water was diverted from the creek to fill it. After World War II, the PA State Health Department initiated bacteria count and chlorine measures to insure swimmers safety. The pool led the way in cleanness and water purity.

Over the years, thousands of people learned to swim there, as free swimming instructions were provided.

However the development of the land and the construction of new highways changed the watershed that fed Cedar Creek. In 1961, the Dorney Park pool was ordered to be renovated to meet Commonwealth health standards. The costs to do so were considered exorbitant. Subsequently, the pool was closed after Labor Day, 1961.

The location of the pool later became Zoorama, a zoo exhibit. The old bathhouse was transformed into enclosures for exotic animals at Dorney's Zoorama. Half the pool became a home for sea lions and the other half housed motorized whale boats.

In 1985, in the midst of national water shortage, Dorney voluntarily closed the 650,000 gallon pool and emptied the water back into the Cedar Creek. This was not the end of swimming at Dorney Park however. In 1985, Wild Water Kingdom was opened, providing a far more expansive swimming experience for visitors. The site of the old swimming pool has been filled in and is no longer recognizable.