Lansing Is Restoring One of Its Greatest Historic Treasures

When Michigan cranks up the summer temperature setting to "hot, wet sock" levels, finding a place to cool off becomes a full-time job. For generations of Lansing families, that place was Moores Park Pool.

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And finally, one of Lansing's most iconic landmarks is getting the attention it deserves, and hopefully, Moores Park as a whole will get some much-needed attention.

A Pool That Put Lansing on the Map

A NOTICE CONSTRUCTION SITE NO TRESPASSING sign is seen in front of a fence blocking the construction renovation site of Moores Park Pool.

Built in 1922 and opened in 1923, the J.H. Moores Memorial Natatorium wasn't just another city pool. It was cutting-edge for its time. Its unique design became the blueprint for pools across the country.

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Back then, Moores Park wasn't just an ordinary park. You can still see its former glory when looking through the overgrown brush and past the broken signs. Moores Park was once where Lansing gathered. Families picnicked, kids spent entire summers in the water, and nobody was staring at a phone because they were corded and attached to walls.

More Than Just Fixing a Pool

Looking through the wire fence surrounding the Moores Park Pool and its crumbling rock wall.

The $6 million-plus renovation includes a new pool liner, updated plumbing and electrical systems, accessibility improvements, and other infrastructure upgrades designed to keep the historic pool around for future generations.

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But while we're fixing the pool, can we talk about the rest of the park? A little trimming of overgrown areas that are blocking gorgeous stone masonry work, replacing rotting boardwalk boards, picking up litter and grass clippings, and tackling some long-neglected maintenance would go a long way toward bringing back the charm that made Moores Park one of Lansing's and Michigan's crown jewels.

Restoring a Lansing Treasure

A look at a graffitied River Walk sign in Lansing, Michigan's Moores Park.

The renovated pool is expected to reopen in 2027, giving Mid-Michigan another place to escape those 90-degree days when even your air conditioner starts negotiating its resignation.

The pool restoration is fantastic news. Now imagine pairing it with a park restoration. Lansing wouldn't just be preserving history. It would be bringing one of its most beautiful public spaces back to life.

A no swimming sign outside the buoyed area surrounding the power plant on the opposite shore of Lansing, Michigan's Moores Park.

One of the main entrances to Moores Park in Lansing, Michigan.

A bench slowly being swallowed by overgrown grass at Moores Park in Lansing, Michigan.

A staircase leading to Moores Park Pool is overgrown with grass and waste.

The Moores Park Pool in Lansing, Michigan's Moores Park.