Edmonton’s outdoor pools and spray parks are opening the taps for the 2026 season.
The first of Edmonton’s outdoor aquatic facilities will open starting on Friday, the city said in a Wednesday news release.
The city will stagger the openings, starting with all district spray parks, such as Jackie Parker and Castle Downs, opening on Friday. The other spray parks will open on June 5. A map of all 78 spray parks across the city is being updated on their operating status and hours.
“Our city’s five outdoor pools have always opened in sequence, rather than all at once,” said Christina Chu with the City of Edmonton. “This is to help operations set up and for staff allocations.
The first of the city’s outdoor swimming pools to open will be the Wîhkwêntôwin Outdoor Pool on May 20, followed by Mill Creek Outdoor Swimming Pool on May 23, then the Queen Elizabeth Outdoor Pool on May 30.
Fred Broadstock and the Borden Natural Swimming Pool will open on June 6 and June 20, respectively.
“We’ve always tried to open at least one outdoor pool in time for May long weekend, but there is a delay in opening outdoor pools this year due to the late snowfall we had in late April,” Chu said.
Reservations and concessions changes
While it’s not required, Chu recommends making reservations with any outdoor pools, especially during the warmer days of the spring and summer. That way, patrons can avoid lines and guarantee access to public swimming at their desired time.
The city has made a slight change to the reservation process in 2026, now requiring payment one day before the reservation time, with a deadline of 11:59 p.m.
“Having advance payment helps staff understand our capacity so we can let in drop-in participants into the pools earlier,” Chu said.
“In previous years, some people would make the reservation but didn’t show up. Patrons can pay in advance to hold the spot and still request a refund up to one minute before their time slot if they need to cancel.”
The city has also decided to remove concession stands from outdoor pool sites, asking patrons instead to bring their own food and empty water bottles. Chu said the decision came after the city noticed decreasing interest in concessions from patrons.
“Having said that, the city does want to ensure we’re delivering a quality service, so we are looking at procuring vending machines with a variety of options for the public,” Chu said. “We are also inviting food vendors, such as food trucks, to set up in the parking lots, which they may do on hot and busy days.”
Chu said the operating hours and availability of outdoor pools and spray parks are dependent on the weather. To learn if a facility is affected by weather, check the city’s facility notifications page.
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