Richmond’s free public pools are a way to stave off summertime heat
With thermometers in the red and swimsuits on shelves, it’s time for Richmonders to dive into pool season using a free facility close to their home.
The city currently has nine open public pools, with one closed for renovations. This count includes three indoor pools, with the rest being outdoors. Once all facilities are open, there will be one pool per 75,337 residents. According to a parks and recreation spokesperson, this exceeds the national average.
These pools are free and provide swimming lessons for all ages at no charge. The facilities are located on GRTC bus lines, which are also free.
The city says it takes an equity-centered approach when planning pools — a mindset adopted after membership-based pools began to discriminate against which individuals it granted entry to.
The recently acquired Calhoun Resource Center — the facility currently being renovated — is located near underserved communities, and money from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) has been used to restore the building and pool.
For those who would rather be partially submerged, two splash pads are located at the Battery Park and Fairmount pools. The Ann Hardy Community Center in North Highland Park has a splash pad, but not a pool.
Those with physical limitations can also enjoy the summer — pools are outfitted with chair lifts and ramps.
“While these chairs were not required by ADA standards, the department did not want to have any potential barriers to access for our participants,” the spokesperson wrote.
While pools nationwide struggle to maintain lifeguards, Richmond credits $20-an-hour wages as what maintains its seven to nine lifeguards per location.
Nathan Silveria, an Oakwood resident who frequents Richmond’s pools, said he brings his two children to the pool. He’s done this three to four times a week each summer for his kids’ lifetimes.
Silveria’s eldest, a 9-year-old, learned how to swim through the pools’ free lessons, and he’ll alternate which pools he takes his children to since some of the offerings vary across the facilities. On Tuesday, his family went to Fairmount Pool for its splash pad.
“Any part of Richmond you go to, there’s a pool,” Silveria said. “The kids love it, and this really makes for a fun day.”
Contact Reporting Intern Eleanor Shaw at eshaw@richmonder.org
