The Department of Human Service Programs' Recreation Division manages the operation of City-owned pools. Recreation also offers year-round swimming instruction for children and adults through the War Memorial Recreation Center and provides swimming lessons at Gold Star Pool for children in local summer camps.
War Memorial Recreation Center Pools (1640 Cambridge St.)
- Three ADA-compliant indoor pools open to Cambridge residents year-round: 3.5 ft. Circular pool, a 6-lane Lap Pool, and a diving tank.
- Staffed by Red Cross-certified lifeguards.
- Open to the public for Family Swim and Adult Lap Swim during the week. (View Pool Schedule)
- Offers a variety of instructional swim programming for children and adults.
- Swim programs are offered 4 times a year. For registration information, visit the War Memorial Recreation Center's webpage.
- Home to Cambridge's competitive swimming teams:
- Cambridge Synchro offers synchronized swimming instruction to beginners and novices.
- Cambridge Sea Dawgs is a competitive swim team open to Cambridge residents age 5-18.
Gold Star Pool (123 Berkshire St.)
- Two ADA-compliant outdoor pools open to Cambridge residents from late June through Labor Day weekend.
- Staffed by Red Cross-certified lifeguards.
- Open to the public for public free swim 7 days a week during afternoon and evening hours. See website for details.
- Offers swim instruction to local summer camps during morning hours, Monday - Friday.
FAQs
Are there other pools in Cambridge?
There are two pools in Cambridge that are operated by the state's Department of Conversation and Recreation (DCR). The Pools are open during the summer season and free to Massachusetts residents:
- Veterans Memorial Pool,located at 719 Memorial Drive.
- McCrehan Memorial Pool, located at 359 Rindge Ave.
View DCR's website to search for DCR-operated swimming pools, waiting pools, and spray decks throughout Massachusetts.
If you are looking for other ways to cool down and have fun, the City operates more than 20 waterplay features (splash pads, spouts, and sprinkers!) at parks across Cambridge. View waterplay locations. .
How does the City support swim safety?
The War Memorial Recreation pools and Gold Star Mothers Pool are staffed by Red Cross-certified lifeguards.
In addition to offering year-round swim instruction for children and adults through the War Memorial Recreation Center, Recreation's aquatics staff provide swimming lessons to local summer camps every weekday at Gold Star Pool during the summer. This includes instruction to the Department of Human Service Programs' summer camps and programs, which serve more than 50% low-income families and more than 67% young people of color. On average, more than 750 Cambridge children receive swim instruction from Recreation staff each summer.
Gold Star Pool also hosts the following programs during the summer:
- Adaptive Physical Education Program offers swim instruction and aquatic orientation for more than 50 students with disabilities, ages 5-18.
- Safety Where it Matters (S.W.I.M) is a Work and Learning Site offered annually through the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP). S.W.I.M. Cambridge teens, ages 14-18, who enter the program with a range of swimming levels and abilities, to become lifeguard-certified.
- Swim Recovery Program, a collaboration with Cambridge Public Schools, targets young people in Cambridge who missed swimming lessons lessons during the pandemic in strengthening their swimming skills. This program prioritizes youth from low-income households.
The Cambridge Public Health Department shares additional resources and tips to promote summer swim safety. Read more here.