Cleveland Pools Open This Weekend, With Rules Driven by a Lifeguard Shortage

Get ready for 45-minute swim sessions and closures on Mondays and Tuesdays

By Maria Elena Scott on Fri, Jun 9, 2023 at 2:39 pm

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Maria Elena Scott

Lincoln Park Pool

As Cleveland enters summer, city pools will officially open this Saturday, June 10 at noon, with the annual opening celebration and safety event at Neff Park (19298 Bella Drive).

However, another summer of lifeguard shortages has affected pool operations.

“Consistent with last year, the city saw a decrease in applicants for seasonal lifeguarding positions,” the city said in a statement. “This has greatly impacted day-to-day operations and requires creative scheduling to ensure all Clevelanders can enjoy their local pool…Please note that any daily changes to staffing levels may alter pool schedules.”

Normal hours for all pools will run from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., close for an hour and reopen from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Pools will operate in 45-minute sessions, after which users will be required to exit the pool and line up to reenter the pool on a first-come-first-serve basis until the pool reaches capacity for the session. Additionally, all the deep ends will be closed for user safety.

Cleveland’s 20 outdoor pools will be open Wednesday through Sunday, remaining closed on Mondays and Tuesdays regardless of outdoor temperatures.

These outdoor pools aren't currently scheduled to be open due to repairs, but may open after June 10:

Mercedes Cotner/Sunrise
Lonnie Burten

Currently, outdoor pools are scheduled to remain open from Saturday, June 10 through Sunday, August 6. However, if there are sufficient seasonal lifeguards able to stay on longer, some or all outdoor pool operations may be extended until Sunday, August 20.

Indoor pools will be open three days a week beginning Monday, June 12, 2023, through Friday, August 18, 2023. However, days of operation will vary pool-to-pool.

These indoor pools will be open three days a week:

Collinwood NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Cudell NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Estabrook NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays
Stella Walsh NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Michael Zone NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays
Thurgood Marshall NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Glenville NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Earle B. Turner NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays
Kovacic NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays
Hamilton NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Cory NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Frederick Douglass NRRC – Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays

These indoor pools will be closed but will have adjacent outdoor pools open:

Lonnie Burten NRRC
Woodland NRRC

These indoor pools will be closed due to building renovations:

Clark NRRC
Central NRRC
Gunning NRRC
Sterling NRRC
Fairfax NRRC

After the summer season, indoor pools will resume normal operations Monday through Friday from 11:30am–8pm and Saturdays from 9:30am–6pm, starting Monday, August 21.

A complete list of pools and spray parks can be found here.