As temperatures start to climb, Baltimore residents looking to cool off at local swimming pools will need to navigate a series of changes announced by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks for the summer of 2025. Starting this Saturday, city pools including Druid Hill, Lake Clifton, Middle Branch, Patterson, Riverside, and Roosevelt will open for the weekend crowds, operating hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 4 to 8 p.m., WBALTV reported.
Swimmers will encounter new operational tweaks, such as the introduction of a weekly cleaning and maintenance closure day for each pool, which means that some staples like Druid Hill, Riverside, and Clifton will be closed on Mondays while Patterson, Roosevelt, and Cherry Hill pools will take a break on Tuesdays, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has said there shouldn't be any issues with the pool openings despite the cooler morning temperatures expected this weekend but residents have voiced their concerns about the need for such closures, with local Paul Newsom expressing disappointment in his interview with WMAR 2 News, citing other counties operate their splash parks seven days a week without a designated maintenance day, his skepticism underscored by a belief that there might be more to the story.
According to Manny Gonzalez from Rec and Parks, in addition to the altered schedule, swimmers will also have to familiarize themselves with 20 pool rules and sign up for a civic rec account before visiting. Additionally, this year, swimmers will no longer have to pay for lockers, although they will need to bring their locks to the Druid Hill Park Pool, while other pools will offer combination lockers.
