11 Philly public pools open this week; here's when all city pools will open

Parks & Recreation will offer free swim lessons, which are mandatory for all summer campers to take

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will open all 61 of its available pools this summer. This week, 11 pools will open, including Mill Creek in West Philly, Hunting Park and Samuel in Port Richmond, all of which opened Wednesday.
ELLEN C. MILLER/PHILADELPHIA PARKS AND RECREATION VIA FLICKR

Philadelphia will open all of its available public pools this summer, a big jump from last year amid lifeguard staffing shortages.

Coinciding with the last day of school, the city opened Fletcher (Mill Creek) Pool in West Philly, Hunting Park Pool and Samuel Pool in Port Richmond on Wednesday. This week, 11 pools across Philly will open. The remaining 50 pools will open on a rolling basis in the coming weeks.


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There will be an estimated 750 pool staffers, including 350 lifeguards despite a national shortage. Philadelphia offered up to $1,000 to recruit lifeguards, using funds from February's Philly Phreezewhere registered participants pledged money and dove into the freezing water at Kelly Pool.

"Thanks to hundreds of dedicated residents who stepped up and answered our call to work as lifeguards, we are bucking the national trend and on track to open 100% of available public pools this summer," Mayor Jim Kenney said. "Our public pools are a sanctuary for residents on hot summer days and an important place for communities to come together, relax, and recreate."


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"We are opening pools earlier than ever and offering six weeks of swim lessons to thousands of summer campers, so there is a lot to be excited about on the public pool deck this year," Bill Salvatore of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation said. "None of it would be possible without the dedicated support of our incredible city lifeguards and pool maintenance attendants."

The city will require all 6,000 summer campers to take mandatory swim lessons. 

Below is a list of Philly pools and the dates they are scheduled to open. An online tool also allows people to search for pools and other recreation facilities.

June 15

Marian Anderson Pool

June 16

Jacobs Pool

Kelly Pool

June 17

Feltonville Pool

Ford Pool

Morris Estate Pool

June 18

Houseman Pool

Lackman Pool

June 19

Lawncrest Pool

Pleasant Pool

June 20

Bridesburg Pool

Mander Pool

Mitchell Pool

June 21

Johnny Sample (Cobbs Creek) Pool

Northern Liberties Pool

Scanlon Pool

June 22

American Legion Pool

June 23

Jardel Pool

Kendrick Pool

June 24

Francisville Pool

Christy Pool

June 25

O'Connor Pool

Piccoli Pool

Sacks Pool

June 26

Athletic Pool

Lederer (Fishtown) Pool

Waterloo Pool

June 27

Cecil B. Moore Pool

Ridgway Pool

Vogt Pool

June 28

Chew Pool

East Popular Pool

Shepard Pool

June 29

Finnegan Pool

Lonnie Young Pool

June 30

Cione Pool

Simpson Pool

July 1

Awbury Pool

F.J. Myers Pool

Hancock Pool

July 2

Barry Pool

Cherashore Pool

July 3

Fox Chase Pool

Lee Pool

Lincoln Pool

July 4

Butch Ellis Pool

M.L.K. Jr. Pool

Murphy Pool

July 5

Heitzman Pool