PARA's pool and splash pad open Memorial Day weekend; paraKids day camp ran June 1 to Aug. 7 in 2026. Hours, fees, sports camps and Lake Lurleen's beach.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. The 2027 season had not been announced as of Oct. 17, 2026, so the hours, fees and dates below are from the 2026 season and are marked that way. Facts come from the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority’s summer quick links, camp and aquatics pages and Alabama State Parks.
Tuscaloosa’s summer runs on PARA. The Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority runs the outdoor pool, the splash pad and the biggest day camp, and opens the water season on Memorial Day weekend (Monday, May 31, 2027). In 2026, Bowers Park Pool and the Harrison Taylor Splash Pad opened Saturday, May 23, went to weekends only in August and closed after Labor Day.
What this means for you
- Pool: Bowers Park Pool, 2101 Bowers Park Drive, 205-633-1411.
- Splash pad: Harrison Taylor Splash Pad, Palmore Park, 3701 Fosters Ferry Road.
- Camp: paraKids Summer Day Camp, grades K-5; register early; children must be enrolled before drop-off.
- PARA main office: 205-562-3220, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Pools and splash pads: 2026 hours and fees
| Place | 2026 hours | 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Bowers Park Pool, 2101 Bowers Park Drive | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; weekends only from August; last day Labor Day | $12 a person, ages 2 and up |
| Harrison Taylor Splash Pad, Palmore Park, 3701 Fosters Ferry Road | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; weekends only from August; last day Labor Day | $6 a person; under 2 free; free for PARA All-Inclusive and PARApro members |
| Freeman Pool, 3001 Dragons Lane | Free open swim 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; weekday mornings reserved for the Swim to the Top lesson program | Free on Saturdays |
Pool rules: children under 15 must be with an adult at Bowers Park Pool, and under 14 at the splash pad. The pool closes when lightning or thunder is near, for 20 minutes after the last thunder, and when rain hides the bottom of the pool. Groups of 10 or more must reserve the splash pad. In 2026, PARA took pool and splash pad party reservations from April 15. A summer pool pass is part of PARA’s membership.
The city’s Riverwalk along the Black Warrior River also has a splash pad; it is open from 6 a.m. until one hour after sunset.
Indoor pools. PARA runs indoor pools at the Faucett Brothers, Bobby Miller and Jerry Tingle activity centers, with swim lessons for children and adults through the year; see the aquatics page.
Day camp: paraKids Summer Day Camp
PARA’s paraKids Summer Day Camp is for students entering kindergarten to fifth grade, with indoor and outdoor playgrounds, trails, arts, sports and optional field trips and swim days. In 2026:
- Dates: June 1 to Aug. 7 at the Miller, Phelps and Tingle centers; June 1 to July 31 at the Belk and Faucett centers.
- Hours: 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Late pickup costs $10 for every 15 minutes.
- Cost: $40 registration fee, which covers a camp T-shirt, plus $175 a week, or $125 a week for PARA All-Inclusive members; $10 off the second child and $20 off each additional child; $30 to $40 a day when space allows.
- Bring: a lunch, two snacks and three drinks or a refillable water bottle each day.
- Field trips in 2026 included the Bama Theatre, McWane Science Center in Birmingham, the Montgomery Zoo, and the Alabama Museum of Natural History and Bryant Museum on campus.
Registration takes two steps: an online information form and the registration fee. Payment is by credit card only, and every child must be enrolled before being dropped off.
Sports and specialty camps
PARA’s summer quick links list its other summer programs:
- Sanderson Academy Basketball Camp (basketball)
- Barry Spitzer Soccer Camps, with Tuscaloosa United (soccer camps)
- PARA Volleyball Camp (youth volleyball)
- Nancie Blewitt Summer Swim lessons (aquatics)
- Tennis camp at the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center (junior clinics)
- Tuscaloosa Junior Golf Academy (junior golf)
A lake beach: Lake Lurleen State Park
Lake Lurleen State Park, 13226 Lake Lurleen Road in Coker, about nine miles northwest of Tuscaloosa and Northport, has a sandy beach with an enclosed swimming area on its 250-acre lake. There are no lifeguards, and alcohol and pets are not allowed on the beach. The park is open 7 a.m. to sunset. Day use is $5 for adults, $2 for children 4 to 11 and seniors 62 and older, and free for children 3 and under and for veterans and military personnel. Call 205-339-1558.
Summer events
In 2026 the city’s free Live at the Plaza concerts ran every Friday in May and June, 6 to 9 p.m., on Government Plaza, and Celebration on the River brought fireworks to the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater on July 4. See our Fourth of July fireworks page and things to do this month.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
When do pools open in Tuscaloosa?
PARA’s outdoor Bowers Park Pool and the Harrison Taylor Splash Pad open Memorial Day weekend; in 2026 that was Saturday, May 23. Both went to weekends only in August and closed after Labor Day.
How much is Bowers Park Pool?
In 2026 a daily pass was $12 a person for ages 2 and up, and children under 15 had to come with an adult. PARA also sells summer pool pass memberships.
How much is PARA summer camp in Tuscaloosa?
In 2026 the paraKids Summer Day Camp, for students entering kindergarten to fifth grade, cost a $40 registration fee plus $175 a week, or $125 for PARA All-Inclusive members, with sibling discounts. It ran 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays.
Is there a free splash pad in Tuscaloosa?
The Harrison Taylor Splash Pad at Palmore Park charged $6 a person in 2026, free for children under 2 and PARA All-Inclusive and PARApro members. The city’s Riverwalk also has a splash pad.
Where can you swim in a lake near Tuscaloosa?
Lake Lurleen State Park, about nine miles northwest, has a sandy beach with an enclosed swimming area and no lifeguards. Day use is $5 for adults and $2 for children 4 to 11.
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