There may be a new baby pool at North Park Pool this summer, but the popular swimming site has a long and rich history.
The original pool at North Park was built for the 1936 Olympic swimming trials but was not finished in time, according to Abigail Gardner, spokesperson for Allegheny County.“The pool in North Park was once considered the largest in the United States and second-largest in the entire world when it opened on July 5, 1937,” she said.
 |
In fact, three Olympic-sized pools can fit in the North Park Pool. It holds 2.225 million gallons of water and takes about nine days to fill.
On average, about 35,000 to 40,000 people visit every season, Gardner said.
Along with the North Park site, a South Park pool was created, and the two pools, the only major swimming facilities in the county, attracted some 300,000 to 500,000 people per season during their first two decades, according to the Allegheny County website.
This year, Allegheny County pools will open June 1 and are set to close Labor Day weekend. The South Park Wave Pool will open July 4th. There are also wave pools atBoyce Park in Monroeville and Settlers Cabin in Robinson.
For swimmers visiting North Park, they can enjoy a new baby pool area. It will feature new deck sprays, a play table with an umbrella, a fish kiddie slide, pop jet sprays, relocated umbrellas, shade sails, a shade pavilion, access starts with ADA rails, a flower shower and a family slide, according to an Allegheny County spokesperson last June.
 |
The renovations were completed within the same pool-area footprint at approximately 6,000 square feet. The previous pool had a single water-play feature and deteriorated due to aging infrastructure and decades of use.
Total cost for the new baby pool area is approximately $4.2 million, according to Gardner.
And there will be enough lifeguards to keep watch.
“We currently have the highest total number of lifeguards for the past 10 years at North Park Pool, 215 lifeguards hired compared to about 180 last year,” Gardner said.
North Park has a full staff but will take names for a waiting list Lifeguards make $16 per hour.
Allegheny County pools are open daily 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., depending on the weather. Cost is $6 for residents and $8 for nonresidents, ages 18 to 59. Seniors citizen prices are $3 for residents and $4 for nonresidents. Swimmers ages 6 to 17 are $5 for residents and $6 for nonresidents, and children 5 and younger are $1.
For more information, visit www.alleghenycounty.us.
