Barton Springs Pool is officially reopened after nearly 3 months of being closed.
The City of Austin closed the pool on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Austin reopened Barton Springs Pool on Tuesday after closing it in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coincidentally, Tuesday was the hottest day of the year so far in Austin.
Taking a dip at the pool will look a little bit different for the foreseeable future.
Instead of walking through the entrance west of the bathrooms, you’ll need to stand in line by the entrance east of the bathrooms. That’s where a staff member will take your temperature and ask you some screening questions, like whether you’ve traveled abroad recently.
RELATED: A staff member will then ask you whether you’ve made a reservation online before giving you a wristband and allowing you in.
There are 450 slots available every two hours. The pool is also accepting walk-ins as long as there are still available slots in a specific two-hour period.
If you didn’t make a reservation online, and they have spots available, they’ll ask you for your name and number to contact you if a guest tests positive for COVID-19 and you were exposed.
The City is requiring people to keep their masks on when they’re not swimming. The staff is also cleaning the facility before the end of each two-hour reservation window.
These are small but important changes to give Austinites some sense of normalcy during a time that’s anything but normal.
Barton Springs Pool is currently closed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. It’s free to get in, and you can make your reservation here.
