NYC Parks Kicks Off Outdoor Pool Season and Celebrates Reopening of Iconic Astoria Pool

Photo: NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

Outdoor public pools are open citywide today until Sunday, September 8 

City’s largest outdoor pool reopens after $18.9 million renovation to bring the nearly 100-year-oldfacility up to latest standards

Today, NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, NYC Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, representatives from Queens Community Board 1, and members of the community to celebrate the start of the outdoor pool season at Astoria Pool in Queens. After remarks, Commissioner Donoghue jumped in the pool with kids to celebrate the first splash of the summer. The season kickoff celebration featured local children participating in a brief swim education demonstration, plus live music by Brass Queens andrefreshments. 

The event also celebrated the reopening of Astoria Pool following a major $18.9 million investment, upgrading the nearly century-old facility to the latest standards. Parks recently announced a total investment of $1 billion over five years to expand the city’s public pool network, one of many signature investments Parks plans as part of the new Vital Parks framework. 

“Our free outdoor pools are incredible amenities for New Yorkers seeking to cool off, have fun, practice swim skills, and get some exercise,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We’re thrilled to reopen the iconic Astoria Pool after an $18.9 million reconstruction project, and we’recontinuing to make our city’s pool infrastructure even better through a recently announced capital investment of more than $1 billion over five years. We look forward to seeing New Yorkers make a splash this summer at our pools citywide!” 

NYC Parks’ outdoor pools are open beginning today through Sunday, September 8. Daily hours are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Operations will be adjusted as needed based on daily lifeguard coverage to keep swimmers safe. 

Parks operates 53 outdoor pools throughout the five boroughs. Visit Parks’ Outdoor Pools page for more information, and check out the Cool It! NYC map for cooling features in every neighborhood – including pools, spray showers, drinking fountains, and more. 

This summer, Parks is again offering free Learn to Swim programming at outdoor pools throughout the city, including Astoria Pool. These popular free classes help New Yorkers develop critical water safety skills. The registration lottery will be available on the Parks website at nyc.gov/parks.  

New Yorkers can be notified about the status of their local pools and beaches with “Know Before You Go,” a free service available in 13 languages through New York City Emergency Management’s Notify NYC system, which has been updated this year to include more holistic information on beach closures. To sign up for the new notifications, visit NYC.Gov/notifynyc. Select which pools and beaches you are interested in, and you will be notified by text and/or email of significant closures. 

Parks recently announced the Vital Parks plan, a new framework for investing in New York City’s open spaces and empowering everyday New Yorkers to both celebrate and advocate for them. As part of the plan, Parks has committed a total investment of over $1 billion in New York City’s public pool infrastructure, including the completed work at Astoria Pool, marking the city’s highest period of investment in swimming infrastructure since the 1970s. With this Let’s Swim NYC initiative, the city is bringing needed funding to 39 pools, including building two brand new indoor pools and fully renovating three additional pools. The historic investment will expand safe water access throughout the five boroughs, promoting public safety and helping more New Yorkers learn life-saving water safety skills. 

More information about the Vital Parks framework and its strategic initiatives, including the Let’s Swim NYC initiative, is available here: www.nycgovparks.org/about/vital-parks 

About Astoria Pool 

Astoria Pool is reopening after NYC Parks completed $18.948 million in renovations. These comprehensive improvements included bringing pool and related systems up to contemporary standards and codes, upgrading pool operations, and ensuring the aged facility environment is safe for users. 

First opened in 1936, Astoria Pool is the city’s largest and oldest public pool. The iconic facility is distinguished by its streamlined and simple forms, decorative glass block, deco-style steel railings, and Art Moderne style ticket booth, and was designated an official New York City landmark in 2006.Astoria Pool is consistently one of the most visited public pools in New York City, with over 100,000 visitors in the summer of 2022, when the facility was last open.