Kendrick, Hillside Recreation Centers Pool Opening Dates Announced

ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA — Summer is nearly here and that means pool days are just ahead of us.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell Friday announced that the City will open 50 pools this summer, representing 80 percent of the 63 operating outdoor pools available for use.

Opening this summer are the Kendrick and Hillside recreation center pools.

The city’s outdoor pools will open on a rolling basis beginning Tuesday.

The Kendrick Recreation Center pool is opening Thursday, June 30, while the Hillside Recreation Center Pool is opening the week of July 4.

With an identified workforce of approximately 500 pool staff, including lifeguards and pool maintenance attendants, the city is able to safely open 50 outdoor pools this summer against the backdrop of a nationwide lifeguard shortage compounded by seasonal hiring challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

All public pools offer free swimming lessons. Residents can find details about swimming lessons by visiting the pool or searching the Parks & Rec Finder App.

Twenty-six public pools are scheduled to open by July 4.

The 24 remaining pools will open on a rolling basis between July 4 through July 15.

Seventy percent of the pools open this summer are in communities where the average household income is less than $45,000 a year.

A detailed pool opening schedule will be regularly updated at online here.

The 2022 pool schedule was developed based on equity and to maximize residents' access to pools in every part of the city.

Pools were selected to open based on available staffing, geography, past pool usage data, and neighborhood need.

Pool schedules will vary based on available staffing. In neighborhoods with multiple pools, the largest, or most visited pool may open, or nearby pools may operate on a split schedule to maximize community access.

"Our public pools are a beloved part of summer in the City, and a great way to cool down, have fun, and stay active," Ott said. "Like every municipality, seaside town, and private pool in the country, Philadelphia faces a dire lifeguard shortage. With the support of so many civic-minded Philadelphians, we are proud to be able to open 80% of the available pools this summer, a critical step to providing free swim lessons and building Philadelphia’s pipeline of future lifeguards."