Memphis public pools opening for summer this Saturday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Most Memphis city pools opening over the holiday weekend, as temperatures rise in to the 90s.

Nine public pools are opening Saturday for Memorial Day weekend in Memphis:

• Westwood
• Pine Hill
• Tom Lee
• Ed Rice
• Raleigh
• Douglass
• Gaisman
• Lester
• Willow

These pools will be open noon-6 p.m. on Saturday, 1-6 p.m. on Sunday, and noon-6 p.m. on Monday. Beginning Tuesday, regular hours will be Tuesdays-Saturdays, 1-6 p.m. Pool cards obtained from the Memphis library or since 2016 from the parks system will still be valid.

“It gives kids something to do,” said Tanisha Jones, who was out with her son and nephew Thursday. “There’s not too much in the city for them to do so public pools, by them opening, giving them a chance to stay out this heat and trouble, I think that’s very important”

But that’s a still a challenge nationwide and in Memphis. According to a study done in part by the University of Memphis in 2017, 64 percent of African American children have no or low swimming ability, compared with 40 percent of white children.

Still, according to the study, nearly 90 percent of those kids planned to visit a pool that summer.

The city offers lessons for kids and adults. They run for eight days over two weeks, just an hour a day.

Aquatics manager Jonathan Bearden says they cost $25 dollars and they also have scholarships. He says city lifeguards also all pass background checks.

Pool Cards can be obtained at the following centers:

Hickory Hill Bickford Orange Mound Skinner(when pool reopens) Westwood Riverview Pine hill Katie Sexton Ed Rice Raleigh Douglass Gaisman Lester Marion Hale In order to go to a city swimming pool, you have to get a pool card. You can sign up online, and then pick the card up at any pool location. To learn more about taking swimming lessons,  you can click here.