These public Columbus pools are reopening soon with COVID restrictions. What to know
Two outdoor swimming pools operated by the Columbus Consolidated Government will reopen next week with certain COVID-19 precautions in effect.
Double Churches Pool, 2300 Double Churches Road, and Rigdon Park Pool, 1600 Howe Avenue, will have occupancy limits, timed swimming periods and cleaning procedures in place when they open May 26, Parks and Recreation Director Holli Browder told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Patrons will be required to sign a COVID-19 waiver during their first visit before entering the pool. Swim lessons and birthday party rentals will not be offered. The locker rooms will be open for showers and changing clothes, but the lockers will not be available for use.
The pools will have rotational swim periods lasting one hour and 45 minutes. Swimmers will be given color-coded wristbands for their rotational group. The facility will close briefly between groups for employees to clean and sanitize the property. Masks will not be required at the outdoor pools, Browder said.
At Double Churches, the maximum capacity is 60 patrons. The maximum capacity at Rigdon Park will be 40 patrons.
Admission fees for the Double Churches and Rigdon Park pools will be $2 per person. Pool hours will be:
- Wednesday-Friday, noon - 6 p.m.
- Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
- Closed on Monday and Tuesday.
The city’s other two outdoor pools — Psalmond Road Pool and Shirley Winston Pool — will remain closed, Browder said. The pools were closed in 2018 and 2019 after the Columbus Council didn’t fund the necessary repairs. All four pools were closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The indoor Columbus Aquatic Center reopened in late September and offers another option for swimming this summer. Current admission price is $2 for a 50-minute swim period, and you need to make an appointment for the center’s smaller pool. An appointment isn’t necessary to use the lap pool before 3 p.m. Masks are required in the building. Current hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The department’s Summer Fun Pass will not be offered this year as many of the partner museums and businesses remain closed due to COVID-19, Browder said.