Here is a response you can use when people ask about the indoor center for this Summer.
We know many residents are feeling the impact of rising costs, and the City is facing those same challenges.
In 2026, our overall budget is smaller than it was in 2025, even as Columbus continues to grow and we take on the added costs of maintaining new facilities, more parkland, expanded air conditioning, shelter houses, new pickleball courts, additional lighting and a growing tree canopy.
Before making any changes that affect residents, we looked internally first. We reduced discretionary spending, delayed equipment purchases and held some positions vacant to help manage costs.
Even with those efforts, some small fee and operational changes are needed to continue providing safe, clean and high-quality programs and spaces for the community. For Aquatics, those changes include:
The Columbus Aquatics Center will offer water fitness on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only for the summer session.
Each outdoor pool will close one day per week, based on the lowest attendance days. Closure days will rotate so some pools remain open every day.
Outdoor pool admission will increase from $1 to $3. Even with this adjustment, our prices remain among the most affordable in the region.
We understand any increase can be difficult, especially for families already balancing higher everyday costs. We’ve worked to keep changes as small as possible and spread them across many areas so no one group carries the full burden.
AQ Center Closed starting May 16th-September 8th
