Why do many pools close before Labor Day? Lifeguards.

If you still want to cool off in an outdoor public pool or municipal water park over Labor Day weekend, your options are limited.

And if you want to swim in the sunshine after Labor Day? You are pretty much out of luck when it comes to outdoor public pools in the Twin Cities.

Why is that?

“Guess what happens the first two weeks into August?” asks David Albornoz, aquatics facility supervisor for the city of St. Paul. “High school kids get back into sports practice.”

Those high school kids are your lifeguards. Soon after, college students who work as lifeguards return to school. Combine the lifeguard issue with crowds that shift from public pools to the Minnesota State Fair, it all adds up to the draining of our chlorinated water play.

This doesn’t seem to be a problem for many seasonal swimmers.

“We get a few questions that ask why we close before Labor Day, but people generally understand,” says Mark Vaughan, aquatics manager for the city of Eagan, in an email response to the Pioneer Press. “Most people get that summers are short in Minnesota and that the end of August is really a transition week to the school year.”

Outdoor pools: What’s still open?

In South St. Paul, the Splash Pool at Lorraine Park closed for the season on Aug. 13 — but folks in the Dakota County suburb still had another way to cool off.

“We were fortunate enough to keep one of our pools open a week longer than we normally do,” said Mercedes Miklya, South St. Paul’s recreation supervisor for special events, youth programs and aquatic programs, in an email reply to the Pioneer Press’ inquiry. “Northview Pool closed Aug 20th this year.”

Nearby, West St. Paul kept its city pool open a week longer, through Sunday — but with reduced hours (1 to 5 p.m.) during that final week.

Bigger pools in bigger cities aren’t necessarily open longer. The metro’s municipal water parks, including Cascade Bay in Eagan as well as facilities in Edina, Coon Rapids and St. Louis Park, are all now closed for the season. So is Ramsey County’s Battle Creek Waterworks in Maplewood, which ended its season on Aug. 20.

The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have more options to get immersed.

Across the river, both the Jim Lupient Water Park in Northeast Minneapolis and the North Commons Water Park in North Minneapolis are open through the holiday on Monday. So is the city’s Webber Natural Swimming Pool, as well as (now unguarded) beaches, wading pools and splash pads.

“We brag that we have more water sources than any urban center in the U.S.,” says Dawn Sommers, a spokesperson for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Get details at minneapolisparks.org/activities-events/water-activities.

St. Paul’s outdoor pools are also still open this week — with a catch.

Due to decreased demand caused by parking and traffic congestion from the nearby Minnesota State Fair, Como Regional Park Pool has shut down open swim with its zip lines and other water play options.

Two lifeguards watch over a pool with slides, steps and crowds of swimmers.
Lifeguards watch over guests at the Como Park Regional Pool on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

As of Saturday, with a projected high temperature of between 90 and 95 degrees, Como will be closed for the season.

However, more than five miles away from the Fair traffic, the Highland Park Aquatic Center at 1840 Edgcumbe Road remains open through Labor Day on Monday.

It’s been a popular place this week as the temperatures heat up again.

“We do notice an increase in traffic the last week at Highland,” Albornoz says. “Nothing like the peak of summer, though.”

Next Post

Amanda Holden's go-to home organisers, Style Sisters, on decluttering, interior design and more

Sat Sep 16 , 2023
Organisational queens, the Style Sisters have amassed over 285,000 followers on Instagram and have a whole host of celebrity clients including, Jamie and Jools Oliver, Rochelle Humes, Amanda Holden and Vogue Williams. The tidy duo is made up of Gemma Lilly and Charlotte Reddington, who are school friends turned business […]
Amanda Holden’s go-to home organisers, Style Sisters, on decluttering, interior design and more

You May Like