NEW YORK—Astoria Pool, the city’s largest outdoor pool and nearly 100-year-old, is now ready for visitors to enjoy. The Pool opened on June 27 after a $18.9 million renovation to bring the facility and related systems up to the latest standards and codes and ensure the pool’s safety for users.
At an event to celebrate the start of the outdoor pool season and the pool’s reopening, NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said she was “thrilled to reopen the iconic Astoria Pool.” She added, “Our free outdoor pools are incredible amenities for New Yorkers seeking to cool off, have fun, practice swim skills, and get some exercise, The city has a capital investment of more than $1 billion over five years to continue the city’s pool infrastructure even better.”
“Our free outdoor pools are incredible amenities for New Yorkers seeking to cool off, have fun, practice swim skills, and get some exercise,” Donoghue added.
Mayor Eric Adams called the pool the city’s “luxury vacation.” The pool is located on 19th Street in Astoria.
Joining her during the re-opening were 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.
After remarks, 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, live music by Brass Queens, and refreshments.
This summer, Parks again offers 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.
NYC Parks’ outdoor pools are open beginning June 27 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 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.
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 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 investment period in swimming infrastructure since the 1970s.
With the Let’s Swim NYC initiative, the city is funding 39 pools, including building two new indoor pools and fully renovating three additional ones. 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.
First opened in 1936, Astoria Pool is the city’s largest and oldest public pool. The iconic facility is distinguished by its streamlined and straightforward forms, decorative glass block, deco-style steel railings, and Art Moderne-style ticket booth. It 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.
