The City of Lawrence will start charging fees for adults to use three of its recreation centers effective Monday, Jan. 5, but people who have already qualified for certain benefits can now apply for free access.
The city has never charged Lawrence and Douglas County residents to enter recreation centers, but that is changing as part of plans to eliminate a multimillion-dollar city budget deficit.
People ages 18 and up will have to pay to access Sports Pavilion Lawrence and the East Lawrence and Holcom Park recreation centers starting next month. Kids younger than 18 will still be admitted to the rec centers for free.
Under the fee structure, the city will charge adult residents of Lawrence $12 per month or $120 per year to access SPL and the other two rec centers. There are also rates for households, seniors and Douglas County residents. Read more details about the fees in this article.
However, the city planned to implement the fees with the caveat that people who could not afford to pay would not lose access to the community facilities. There is now an application available for people to apply to be qualified residents who will receive free, renewable one-year rec center memberships.
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There is a submittable online form available at this link, and there is a PDF form available at this link.
The application requires a copy of a KanCare insurance card, a letter from the school district showing that a family qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches, or documentation that shows the applicant receives state or federal benefits, such as documents from the housing authority or the Kansas Department for Children and Families. The documentation should be submitted with the application form.
People can fill out the PDF form and email it to scholarships@lawrenceks.gov, or fill it out in person between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., or at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane.
People may also apply by appointment only at Holcom Park and East Lawrence rec centers as well as Prairie Park Nature Center and the Indoor Aquatic Center. Those facilities’ phone numbers are provided on the PDF form.
The form states that applications will be reviewed and responded to within two business days. Applicants must reapply on an annual basis from the date of application.
City staff originally planned to close the Community Building to the public except for participants who had registered for activities or paid to rent out the building. However, Lawrence city commissioners on Dec. 16 voted to keep the building open on a trial basis, so it will continue to offer free access for everyone for the first three months of 2026.
Lindsay Hart, interim director of Parks, Recreation and Culture for the city, told city commissioners earlier this month that 320 people had signed up for paid rec center memberships. The website to sign up for a paid membership is at this link.
The 2026 budget also includes charging $5-per-person spectator day passes for tournaments held at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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