News flash • Mayor Brown announces five municipal outdoor swimming pools

Buffalo, NY – Mayor Byron W. Brown announced that five outdoor swimming pools will open for the summer in Buffalo on Monday, July 1, 2024, a positive outcome directly related to a very active recruitment and training campaign that lasted several years for rescuers. Plus, swimmers can cool off in two of the city’s indoor pools. Cazenovia-Connors, Kait, Harrity Memorial Pool and Lovejoy Pools are open free and offer lap swimming Monday through Friday, as posted, year-round.

Mayor Brown said: “We are very pleased that more pools are opening, thanks to the city’s young people who have been training to become municipal lifeguards this season. I want to thank our lifeguard staff, old and new, for stepping up, as well as the Parks and Recreation Division and the Police Athletic League of Buffalo, for their commitment to our robust lifeguard recruiting and training program. This is a great opportunity for our young people to earn money as a lifeguard, while ensuring children and their families have a safe place to cool off and swim.

Like many cities across the country since the global COVID-19 pandemic, Buffalo has faced a shortage of lifeguards in previous years, leading to the launch of an aggressive lifeguard recruitment and training program. Last year, Kensington, Riverside and Centennial pools were the only outdoor pools to open. This summer, Houghton and JFK Pools will join that list. The Cazenovia and Lovejoy indoor swimming pools will also be open again this season with extended hours. The city of Buffalo has recruited enough lifeguards for the summer to return to more normal operation with the pools.

Below is the list of outdoor swimming pools scheduled to open on Monday July 1, 2024.

• Centennial Outdoor Pool
• Houghton Outdoor Pool
• JFK Outdoor Pool
• Kensington Outdoor Pool
• Outdoor pool by the river

Plus, swimmers can cool off in two of the city’s indoor pools. Cazenovia-Connors, Kait, Harrity Memorial Pool and Lovejoy Pools are open free and offer lap swimming Monday through Friday, as posted, year-round.

Currently, ten water features in the city are open daily from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of the school year, weather permitting. When the Buffalo Public School year ends on June 25, the splash pads will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day. The city’s paddling pools are open at the following locations.

• Ralph Wilson Park – at the foot of Porter Avenue.
• Allison Park – Reese Street, adjacent to the Asarese-Matters Community Center
• MLK Jr. Park Basin – Best St. and Fillmore Ave.
• Lanigan Park – South Park Ave., west of Louisiana St.
• Lincoln Park – at the foot of Quincy St.
• Cazenovia Park – behind the park casino
• Houghton Park – foot of Spahn St.
• Schiller Park – Sprenger Street side of the park
• Roosevelt Park – at the foot of Roosevelt Ave.
• Kensington Swimming Pool and Paddling Pool – 665 Kensington Ave

In Buffalo, lifeguards make $20 per hour and supervising lifeguards make $22 per hour.