Nine-year-old Mason Lester lofts up a shot while his brother Owen, 6, both of Lawrence, watches as the two try out the basketball courts at the new Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Sunday afternoon during its official grand opening.

More than one thousand Lawrencians flooded into the new Sports Pavilion Lawrence at Rock Chalk Park for the city’s grand opening celebration of the facility Sunday afternoon.

Cheers of excitement filled the air following a dedication ceremony at 2 p.m. as the center’s doors parted. Though the rec center quietly opened two weeks ago, it was the first time to see the new facility for most of the crowd.

“My favorite part of Rock Chalk Park is the fact that it’s finally open,” Lawrence resident Bartil Wamelik said. “This is going to be great for Lawrence.”

Visitors participated in staff-led tours of the 181,000-square-foot recreation center, which features eight full-court gyms that can be converted into 16 volleyball courts, an eighth-mile walking/jogging track, an indoor turf area, gymnastics area, fitness rooms and other amenities.

Throughout the day, recreation staff members hosted fitness demonstrations from yoga to gymnastics. HyVee, which runs the complex’s concession stand, gave out samples of smoothies, bagels, hummus and other healthy snacks to visitors.

Additionally, visitors were encouraged to borrow sports equipment and play a pick-up game of basketball, volleyball, soccer or tennis inside the facility.

Lawrence resident Brian Proctor brought his family to the grand opening to check out what all the fuss was about. After walking through the facility’s glass doors and taking one look at the massive basketball courts and amenities, Proctor said Sports Pavillion Lawrence has everything he needs.

“This is awesome,” Proctor said. “You can get food and watch sports on TV while watching your kids play basketball. What more could you want?”

Outside, grand opening attendees viewed the outdoor facilities, including eight lighted tennis courts and about 5 miles of trails that surround the center.

The recreation center is part of the larger Rock Chalk Park sports complex that includes facilities for softball, soccer and track and field for Kansas University. The city is paying $22.5 million for the recreation center and shared infrastructure that supports both the center and the adjacent facilities.

The festivities will continue this week as parks and recreation officials host demonstration classes at the center Monday through Oct. 12. Residents can stop by and participate in a class for free. For a list of classes that are a part of the demonstration program, visit http://bit.ly/YXGV4T.