Syracuse opens seven outdoor pools for free summer swimming
Seven Syracuse pools opened for free summer swim, with Wilson Park still closed and lap swim, lessons and youth aquathons added to the schedule.
Seven city pools opened to summer swimmers in Syracuse on Monday, giving families across Onondaga County a free place to cool off as heat builds. The City of Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs opened Thornden Park, Upper Onondaga Park, Schiller Park, Lincoln Park, Kirk Park, McKinley Park and Burnet Park, while Wilson Park remained closed for routine maintenance.
Free open swim runs Monday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The city said the outdoor pools are generally in operation from mid-June to mid-August, weather permitting, and that the early part of the season uses a modified weekday schedule while Syracuse schools are still in session. For parents making same-day plans, the timing matters: the pools are one of the city’s clearest low-cost cooling options, and the schedule is built around school calendars as well as summer heat.
The city also put the broader aquatics lineup on the table. A designated lap lane is available at all outdoor pools during open swim hours, and Morning Lap Swim is offered daily at Burnet, Schiller and Thornden pools from 6:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. for $3 per session. Swim lessons are 30-minute morning classes held Monday through Friday for two weeks, while pre-competitive swim teams serve youth ages 8 to 15 and lead into the All City Swim Meet in August. Aquathon events are free for children ages 3 to 15 and combine swimming and running at five city parks.
The pool rollout also highlights where access is strongest. Burnet Park Pool, a 50-meter, eight-lane outdoor pool in Tipperary Hill, gives the west side one of the city’s biggest swimming venues. Thornden Park, a 76-acre Eastside Syracuse park with an outdoor pool, rose garden and lily pond, anchors another major neighborhood cooling spot. Wilson Park, by contrast, is just over 2 acres and includes an outdoor pool, playground, community center and water feature, but it stayed shut for maintenance, leaving one neighborhood site still off limits as the season opened. The city said it welcomes thousands of patrons to its indoor and outdoor pools each year, and this summer’s schedule is now in place for families looking for an immediate, no-cost way to beat the heat.
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