Bloomington’s Mills Pool won’t be opening on May 23 for the 2026 summer season as planned.
Earlier in May while filling both Mills and Bryan Park pools, a leak was detected at the Mills Pool, according to Julie Ramey, community relations manager with Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. The leak, Ramey said, is “significant,” and the pool can’t be filled past about 85%.
So, on May 23, Bryan Park Pool will open for the 2026 summer season with the opening of Mills Pool delayed. Specialized leak detection equipment will be brought in to determine the exact location and extent of the leak, which is believed to be under at least 6 feet of concrete, Ramey said.
Mills Pool, at 1100 W. 14th St., is older than Bryan Park Pool. It opened in 1967. For the latest on when Mills Pool will open, check the parks website at bloomington.in.gov/parks, follow the parks department’s Facebook page or call the hotline at 812-349-3741. Once Mills Pool opens for the season it will remain open until Aug. 3.
Opening of Bryan Park Pool
Bryan Park Pool, at 1020 S. Woodland Ave., will open on Saturday, May 23. The pool hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, weather permitting.
Daily admission is $7 per person with children age 4 and younger admitted free of charge. All children younger than age 14 must be supervised by an adult age 18 or older at all times.
Youth scholarships are available for swim lessons, from the Bloomington Parks Foundation. More information and online application is available at bton.in/schol. Pool fee waivers are available for any students who receive free and reduced school lunches or adults who are legally classified as children for public benefit purposes. The waivers apply for only people who reside within the Bloomington city limits.
Both Bryan Park and Mills pools close for thunder, lightning and extremely cold temperatures but will open in the rain.
Bryan Park Pool will be open daily through Aug. 3 and then open weekends only Aug. 8 through Sept. 7. The pool will be open Monday, Sept. 7, which is Labor Day. Admission to both pools on July 4 will be free of charge.
Morning lap swimming, at Bryan Park Pool, will be 10-11 a.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday for $5 per person. Lap swimmers must pay normal admission price with the full pool opens at 11 a.m.
Season pass is $90 per person and is good at both pools. An economy 20-punch pass is $100 and is good for both pools.
No Stay Cool Days offered this season
For the 2024 and 2025 swimming seasons a grant paid for Stay Cool Days, which allowed people to swim for free if the temperature was above 90 degrees. The parks department offered the program through a partnership with Economic and Sustainability Development Department, Ramey explained.
The funding was intended to mitigate effects of extreme heat, she said, and was one of several city programs. The funding has ended, and so has the program.
In 2025 the Stay Cool Days program was well used, Ramey said, with 11,000 admissions at Bryan Park Pool, and another 3,899 admissions elsewhere. A total of $105,539 was spent on the Stay Cool Days program, Ramey said, adding that finding that amount of funding to reopen the program with new partners “would be fantastic.”
Spray pad opens
The spray pad in Switchyard Park also opens for the season on May 23 and will be open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. The hours will change, with hours from Aug. 6 to Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
Then from Sept. 8-30, the spray pad will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Mills Pool won’t open for the season on May 23, Bryan Park Pool will
Reporting by Carol Kugler, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
