Health

Chicago Park District Will Keep 20 Pools Open Through Labor Day

To help people keep their cool in the waning days of summer, the Chicago Park District is extending the outdoor pool season at select locations across the city.

On Monday, the Park District announced that 20 neighborhood pools would remain open through Labor Day, along with all 23 swimming beaches. More than 200 water spray features will continue operating through Sept. 30.

In choosing which pools to keep open, the Park District took into account Chicago’s updated Heat Vulnerability Index, which identifies neighborhoods where residents face the greatest health risks during extreme heat.

“As Chicago experiences more frequent and intense periods of extreme heat, access to public pools is more than recreation — it’s an important public health resource,” Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, general superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, said in a statement.

Other factors in the decision included geographic distribution across the city, pool capacity, community usage, ADA accessibility, access to public transportation, and operational and maintenance needs.

With many of the district’s lifeguards heading back to college or high school in the coming weeks, the available workforce shrinks. To accommodate that transition, the city’s 77 indoor and outdoor pools will end their summer season on a staggered schedule.

Here are key dates, with complete pool schedules available online.

— Aug. 14: 15 indoor and outdoor pools will close.

— Aug. 21: 39 additional indoor and outdoor pools will close for maintenance and to prepare for fall programming.

— Sept. 7: Last call for the remaining 20 pools and 23 beaches.

— Sept. 8: Indoor pools reopen for open swim and lap swim.

— Sept. 21: Fall aquatics programming begins.

— Sept. 30: Final day for water spray features.

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]

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