ParkTalk Podcast - Naperville's Unique Centennial Beach

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Learn what makes Naperville's Centennial Beach a favorite summer destination. Two staff members familiar with Beach operations explain how it is unique and why people love it.

Guests: Andrea Coates, Director of Recreation and Facilities - Naperville Park District

Brett Sprague, Aquatics Manager - Naperville Park District

Quotes from the episode:

"Centennial Beach is just a very special place. It's one of the few quarry beaches in Illinois; there is another one in Batavia but ours is much larger. We fill it annually with fresh water. It has a sandy beach, large swimming area and diving area. But what's really odd about it is that it's not really a pool and not really a beach. It's kind of in between. You have the beauty of a pool, where it's chlorinated water, so it looks fresh and clean...and then you have the sandy beach. It also has a lot of history with the community. The people are very passionate. There have been different ideas, looking for a water park, but everybody always says, 'oh, the Beach, the Beach' it's always the Beach. It is a unique experience. It also has 15 feet in depth, which you can't really find at other pools in such a large area. And there are piers and rafts which you can swim up to, so that makes it unique." - Andrea Coates

"It does take a very large team of people to put this together. When fully staffed, we range up to 150-175 people. That's everyone from guest services, to our grill staff, our swim instructors, swim coaches, and our fitness instructors as well as our infamous lifeguard group. I think everybody recognizes them. They do go through an extensive training beginning around the first of May, training 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. They're certified under Ellis and Associates, which covers CPR and how to use an AED, but it's so much more than that. They get involved with the in-water rescues, and are able to help anyone in any situation, whether in or out of the water, and being able to go down to the bottom. They spend hours practicing diving so that everyone can stay safe. ...The lifeguards at Centennial Beach are the best of the best." - Brett Sprague