It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy – but in Columbus, it’s also hot. Summer is a great time to be in Ohio’s capital, with plenty of weekend festivals, outdoor concerts, sunny hikes, patio dining and late sunsets that make visitors understand why everyone says #yesColumbus. And from May through September, the city’s many pools, splash pads, play fountains and water parks reopen for the season. So what are you waiting for? Apply that sunscreen, throw on your favorite bathing suit and cool off at one of these Columbus hotspots.
The rooftop pool at Renaissance Columbus Downtown. Source: Jim Kruger Images.
Swim in style at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel
The Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel has an outdoor pool on its fourth-floor rooftop, and you don’t have to be a guest to use it. Buy a day pass from ResortPass for $25 and you’ll get access to the heated pool, hot tub, lounge chairs (they’re first come, first served), poolside food and drink service, WiFi, towels and endless views of the Downtown Columbus skyline. Take a friend and choose the $50 Oasis Pad to get all of the above plus a cooler, bottled water, reserved beach chairs and frozen grapes for two people. This pool is open from May to September.
Or, hit up one of eight outdoor community pools
While Columbus pools typically open on Memorial Day Weekend, this year’s seasonally low temperatures have delayed that opening to Saturday, June 7, 2025. Catering to swimmers of all ages, Columbus Recreation and Parks has eight outdoor pools across Franklin County:
Dodge Pool
645 Sullivant Avenue
Columbus, OH 43215
Driving Park Pool
1100 Rhoads Avenue
Columbus, OH 43206
Glenwood Pool
1888 Fairmont Avenue
Columbus, OH 43223
Tuttle Pool
240 W. Oakland Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201
Lincoln Pool
570 Woodrow Avenue
Columbus, OH 43207
Marion Franklin Pool
2699 Lockbourne Road
Columbus, OH 43207
Maryland Pool
1380 Atcheson Street
Columbus, OH 43203
Windsor Pool
1300 Windsor Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211
All pools are first-come, first-served and will close to additional visitors once they reach capacity. Operating hours for summer 2025 are Monday through Friday, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 6 p.m. Entry to community pools costs $1 per day. Check the Columbus Recreation and Parks website for updates and special closings.
Columbus Aquatics Center. Source: Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
Swim (almost) year-round at the Columbus Aquatics Center
The indoor Columbus Aquatics Center has everything a water-lover needs, including a pool with six 25-yard competition lanes, an open area for recreational swimming, a separate pool for babies and both a one-meter and three-meter diving board. Sign up for adaptive or regular swim lessons, try a water aerobics class, or just splash around in the baby pool with your little one. Columbus Aquatics Center is open 11 months of the year, closing for up to 30 days in August for annual maintenance. Walk-ins are welcome to participate in open swim, lap swim and water aerobics classes as space allows. Entry to the Columbus Aquatics Center starts at $1 per day. Get specific information about admission fees, closings, class times and cancellations here.
Zoombezi Bay water slides. Source: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
Slip and slide at Ohio’s largest waterpark
Located next to Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay has 19 water attractions, from body and splash drop slides, two lazy rivers and a wave pool to the adults-only Cocktail Creek and Sandbar, “sea tube” slides and The Cyclone – a group raft ride with the the largest enclosed, reducing-radius tunnel in the world. Find out more about pricing, hours and special events here.
Scioto Mile Fountain. Source: Downtown Columbus Inc. via Infinite Impact
Make it a sprayground or interactive fountain day
Spraygrounds, or outdoor “water playgrounds,” are a great and safe way for your little ones to cool off during the hot summer months. Ohio’s capital has four spraygrounds at Barnett, Blackburn, Linden and Scioto Southland, with opening dates and times for summer 2025 viewable here. The city’s three interactive fountains are located at Dorrian Green, Scioto Mile and North Bank, and are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Don’t forget your Leisure Card!
Before you go, make sure all visitors over the age of three apply for a free Leisure Card online, at any Columbus community center, or at the Columbus Aquatics Center. A Leisure Card is required for entry to all community pools and the Columbus Aquatic Center. You can preload your Leisure Card with money to cover admission fees or choose to use other contactless payment methods like credit or debit cards and tap-to-pay.
Visit Columbus over the summer and enjoy all of the outdoor activities, culture, food and adventure this year-round destination has to offer. When you check out the city’s pools, water parks, splash pads or fountains, share a photo using the hashtag #yesColumbus so we can follow along.
