Pool Hours For Memorial Day Swimming In Edison-Metuchen

EDISON, NJ — Memorial Day doesn’t just mark the unofficial start of summer, it’s also the weekend most outdoor pools and aquatic centers open their doors for summer swimming and other warm-weather fun.

Last year, summer looked a lot different for Edison-Metuchen families as many area pools remained closed for the season to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus — a pandemic that, at the time, was just two months old.

But this Memorial Day — with more than 120 million Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and weekly COVID-19-related deaths at a 14-month low — many pools will once again open this summer.

If you’re planning to soak up some sun this Memorial Day weekend, here are the pools and aquatic centers that will be open in Edison-Metuchen:

Metuchen Municipal Pool, Metuchen
Memorial Day weekend hours: Friday, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m., and Monday, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
After being closed last year due to the coronavirus, the popular pool in Metuchen opened on Monday for the 2021 season. Pool officials are following COVID-19 rules. Everyone’s temperature will be taken upon entering the premises. When physical distancing is not possible, people are expected to wear masks. Use of the changing rooms will be limited to one family at a time. Read more here.

Crystal Spring Family Waterpark, Dunhams Corner Road, East Brunswick
Memorial Day weekend hours: Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Central Jersey's famous family waterpark opens for the season on Saturday. Tickets go on sale the day before at 4 p.m. The waterpark is operating under COVID-19 guidelines. Daily tickets will be limited to 500 patrons per day and will be available online only. All chairs and picnic tables will be removed from the park and guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. You can read their guidelines here.

Oakcrest Community Pool, Inman Avenue, Edison
Memorial Day weekend hours: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Monday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The pool opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend. Find their COVID-19 guidelines and other information here.

There is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 can spread to others through water in pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds or other treated aquatic venues, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

While no data exists on how COVID-19 responds to chlorine, the chemical has been known to inactivate similar viruses.

But going to a public pool involves more than swimming, and that’s where the risk can be found.

Assessing that out-of-water risk involves looking at several variables, according to MIT Medical, which suggest people should avoid the “three C’s” — closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with many people nearby, and close-contact settings, such as close-range conversation.

Fortunately, being outdoors and in spaces with good ventilation also reduces the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, according to the CDC.