The Minneapolis Park and Recreation (MPRB) began to open wading pools across Minneapolis in early July. The locations focus on areas of the city without lakes or other water bodies – which includes the Northside.
Northside wading pools are open at the following locations: Bethune Park, 1304 10th Ave.; Bohanon Park, 4917 Bryant Ave.; Folwell Park, 1615 Dowling Ave.; Jordan Park, 2927 Irving Ave.; and North Commons, 1801 James Ave.
The wading pools are open seven days a week from noon to 6:30 p.m. All wading pool areas will have a limited capacity to ensure that social/physical distancing practices can be followed. Wading pool capacity numbers vary by location and MPRB staff will be on site to help monitor capacity.
Public restrooms will be open for use during the wading pools’ open hours. Drinking fountains will not be available, so plan to bring your own water in a non-breakable container. There is a limited number of children and adults who can be in the wading pool area at one time, so be a good neighbor and limit your time to two hours to allow others to use the wading pools.
All park visitors should follow the Minnesota Department of Health and Center for Disease Control guidelines for social distancing in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
• Do not use parks if you feel sick or have symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath or runny nose.
• Wash your hands immediately before and after visiting a park or trail.
• Maintain at least six feet of distance between you and other people. Masks should be worn if physical distancing is not possible.
Occasionally, pools may be temporarily closed for maintenance or repair. Visit http://bit.ly/MPRBpools-status to find the status of wading pools.
The wading pool project at North Mississippi Regional Park is in process for a new mechanical building and installation of new mechanical equipment. The project includes construction of a new pump house and the rerouting of supply, discharge and water lines. The project is necessary to resume safe and consistent operations at the pool, which was closed most of 2018 and 2019 due to recurring mechanical and safety hazards. The project is planned to be completed this year, with testing before the pool re-opens for the 2021 season.
Also note that the Webber pool will continue to be closed for the rest of 2020.