Shuttered since the pandemic began in March 2020, Pittsburghers can plunge into the indoor pool when the historic Oliver Bath House on the South Side reopens this Saturday.
The long-awaited reopening of the city’s sole public indoor pool comes after years of renovations to the building, which received historic landmark status by the city in 2017. That year, a city report found the building to be in critical condition.
Construction to upgrade and stabilize the bath house began in 2023 with an initial budget of $8.7 million through a mix of city and state funds. The work included replacing the building’s steel base, putting on a new roof, reglazing windows, making sure it is ADA-compliant. Renovations also involved updating the building’s electrical systems and cleaning the facade.
Work was expected to wrap up in 2024, but the project experienced delays. The opening stalled for reasons including, most recently, repainting the pool bottom and tiling the area around the pool, according to a Public Works meeting in November.
On opening day, the pool will be set up for an open swim from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. After Saturday, it’ll be open every day of the week with specific blocks of time for open swim and adult lap time. The schedule is posted on the city website.
Daily passes for non-residents under 15 are $3 and $5 for people over 16. Yearly pool tags will be available for purchase at Oliver Bath House and will last through May 2027 if purchased this spring.
The Oliver Bath House was built in 1915 with plans by Henry Oliver from around 1903 as a public bath house.