On Saturday, Riverside Park Pool, along with Cherry Hill Splash Park and the four other Baltimore City Recreation & Parks’ ‘Park Pools,’ will open for extended summer hours and programming. The remaining 13 public neighborhood pools; splash pads, including Solo Gibbs Park; and wading pools will open for the first time this year on Saturday.
The Park Pools are open:
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday: 12:00-3:30 pm & 4-7 pm
Sundays and Holidays: 1-3 pm & 3:30-6 pm
Weekday Schedule:
Monday – Friday: 12:30-3:30 pm & 4-7 pm
Admission is $2 per two-hour swim session or $30 for a summer pass (passes can be purchased onsite or online)
Additional programs at Riverside Park Pool include Masters Swim and Baby Country Club, both of which begin on Saturday:
Masters Swim: $55 (includes general admission)
— Masters Swim is Monday-Thursday from 7-8 pm and Saturday from 10-11:45 am
Baby Country Club: $55 per kid, adults are free
— Baby Country Club is Thursday and Friday from 10 am – 2 pm in the baby pool only. Saturday from 10-11:45 am and Sunday from 11 am -12:45 pm. It is for kids birth to 8 years old.
The Splash Pads are open:
Monday – Saturday: 12-2:30 pm & 3-5 pm
Sunday/Holidays: Closed
Admission is free for everyone
Neighbor Pools are open:
Monday – Saturday: 12-5 pm
Sundays and Holidays: Closed
Admission is free for everyone
The swim season is already off to a much different start for Riverside Park Pool this year. Last year, due to a gate valve failure that led to electrical damage, the pool didn’t open until August 11th. This year the pool opened almost three months earlier and visitors noticed several new improvements thanks to a $49,500 grant from the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP) and a volunteer effort from Riverside Neighborhood Association and residents in the South Baltimore community. The initiative is being called “Splash City Riverside Pool” and will be a multi-year project following this first round of improvements.
The Splash City project is headed up by the planning team of Nicole Buchholz, Rebecca Celotto, Rebecca Charlton, and Jackson Fisher.
Improvements this year included power washing the pool deck to remove the chipping green paint, new paint in the lobby, and new murals on the pool deck and bottom of the baby pool. Murals include colorful circles in the deep end for kids to jump from, kids games painted on the concrete surface in a kids’ area, and splash graphics on the surface of the concrete near the shallow end. A mermaid mural was completed in the baby pool area by neighborhood resident Danielle Ritthaler.
The majority of the budget was spent on new pool furniture which arrived yesterday. New furniture includes 30 chaise lounges, eight adirondack chairs, 45 outdoor chairs, 10 side tables, eight round picnic tables, two trash cans, 15 umbrellas, and 15 umbrella stands. Additional new items include kids games (hopscotch, four square, bean bag toss, caterpillar tunnel), lap lane equipment (large pace clock, new backstroke flags and supports, arriving next week), cornhole, colorful pool flags, and furniture for the staff.
Upcoming events at Riverside Park Pool include Teen Night on July 13th, Twilight Swim on July 26th, and Friend and Family Day on July 28th.
Photos courtesy of the Splash City Riverside Pool
