Location: Great Falls, MT

Project Size: 50,000 SF

Completed: 2024

The Scheels Aim High Big Sky Aquatic and Recreation Center was built to give Great Falls a true multi-generational hub, replacing the city's only indoor pool, which had closed in 2018 due to structural failure. Beyond serving families, friends, and future generations, the facility fulfills a dual mission: its eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool doubles as a water rescue and survival training site for pilots and service members at nearby Malmstrom Air Force Base. As Scheels store leader Tim Kubetz put it at the ribbon-cutting, "this is a project dedicated to families being active, being out together."

​

The 50,000-square-foot facility pairs that competition pool — complete with an underwater speaker system and a waterslide — with a zero-depth-entry recreational pool featuring a current channel and interactive water features, plus an outdoor splash pad and a sauna with universal changing rooms. Beyond the water, it offers a full-court gymnasium, an elevated indoor walking track, fitness training areas, locker rooms, a lounge, offices, and a child watch area, along with a full slate of community enrichment classes and group fitness programs.