Update, July 14 – Repairs on Recreation Park’s pool are complete. It will open for the summer at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 15. The pool’s hours of operation are 12-6 p.m. on Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. on Sunday.
Update, July 10: Due to labor challenges, work to open Recreation Park’s pool has taken longer than anticipated. Following initial work by a contractor, Asheville Parks & Recreation crews are completing bonding repairs, allowing for inspection of the pool during the week of July 17.
Update, June 30: Work is progressing on Recreation Park Pool. These items need to be completed before the pool can be opened to the public:
- Final stages of steel reinforcement of the pool.
- Electrical inspection.
- Fill the pool with water and then allow 24-36 hours to balance water chemistry.
- Health Department Inspection for permit to open.
Parks & Recreation staff along with the contractor anticipate these items can be completed the week of July 3.
Update, June 12: The City of Asheville signed a contract with Mastin Aquatic Group on June 9 with plans to begin Recreation Park pool repairs today. As work progresses, Asheville Parks & Recreation will have a better idea of the pool’s opening date and share that information with our community.
Update, June 8: Over the past two weeks, Asheville Parks & Recreation has worked with multiple pool construction firms to assess Recreation Park’s pool for repairs. A structural engineer is currently reviewing construction repair plans. Once those are approved by Buncombe County health inspectors, repairs can proceed.
We’re hosting free water-based events in Recreation, Kenilworth, Murphy-Oakley, and Jake Rusher parks. Splash into Summer brings family-friendly foam parties, inflatable water slides, and other activities to welcome summer’s arrivals. These will continue until the pool is open.
The City of Asheville has important information to share regarding the community’s two public swimming pools. Malvern Hills Park’s pool will open on Saturday, May 27, as previously announced.
During initial inspections, Buncombe County Environmental Health discovered potential safety issues at Recreation Park pool and requested additional actions before it will open for the season. Asheville Parks & Recreation crews immediately started working with specialists to perform repairs and safely open this pool as quickly as possible. Detailed information is below.
Asheville Parks & Recreation will continue to share community updates as information is received at www.ashevillenc.gov/service/find-a-pool-or-splasheville-information.
Malvern Hills Park Park
- Malvern Hills Park is located at 75 Rumbough Place. Due to increased vehicular traffic, Rumbough Place becomes a one-way thoroughfare from Sulphur Spring Road to Harris Avenue from May 26-August 6.
- During Memorial Day weekend, the pool is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on May 27, 1-6 p.m. on May 28, and 12-6 p.m. on May 29.
- Cost to swim is $3.00 per day. Season passes may be purchased for $100 per individual or $150 for a family of up to four individuals.
Recreation Park Pool
- Issue: The gutter system for the pool separated from the pool, exposing a significant gap between the gutter and the pool wall.
- Actions Performed: A professional engineer evaluated the structural condition of the pool wall and deck to determine if repair is an option. The evaluation recommended the pool not be occupied until permanent repairs can be made. This significantly delays opening the pool.
- Next Steps: Asheville Parks & Recreation staff are exploring short- and long-term solutions to repair the gutter system and pool wall. In the interim, staff are looking for ways to program Recreation Park with water-related activities and games.
- More Information: Recreation Park pool opened in 1970 and is located on 65 Gashes Creek Road. A previous pool in Recreation Park opened in 1925 and operated until 1956.
Related Facilities
Splasheville, a no-charge interactive splash pad operated by Asheville Parks & Recreation in Pack Square Park, reopened earlier this month for a season that runs through September. A neighborhood pool under construction at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center is anticipated to open this summer.
Buncombe County Parks & Recreation’s five pools and Black Mountain Parks & Recreation’s pool are scheduled to open on May 27.
Asheville Parks & Recreation
With its oldest parks dating to the 1890s, Asheville Parks & Recreation manages a unique collection of more than 65 public parks, playgrounds, and open spaces throughout the city in a system that also includes full-complex recreation centers, swimming pools, Riverside Cemetery, sports fields and courts, and community centers that offer a variety of wellness-, education-, and culture-related programs for Ashevillians of all ages. With 10 miles of paved greenways and numerous natural surface trails, its complete portfolio acts as the foundation of a vibrant hub for the people of Asheville to connect with their neighbors and explore the natural beauty of a livable and walkable city.
Driven by the promise that Asheville is a better and safer place when everyone from infants to retirees has the opportunity to be supported, healthy, and successful, Asheville Parks & Recreation was the first nationally-accredited municipal recreation department in the United States. For latest updates, sign up for Asheville Parks & Recreation’s monthly newsletter, follow the department on Facebook @aprca and Instagram @ashevilleparksandrecreation, or visit www.ashevillenc.gov/parks.