Pools Admissions

A Senior Swim Pass* is now available for purchase.
The pass may be used to gain access to the pools at Columbia Athletic Club and Columbia Gym. Cost: $25 for 10 passes. You may purchase the passes at the Customer and Member Service Center, Columbia Athletic Club or Columbia Gym.
*Note: You must have an existing PLAY membership and be 65 years of age or older to be eligible to purchase the Senior Swim Pass.

Everyone entering the facility must check-in with a membership card, use a guest pass, or pay to use the pool area.

Guest policy — 

• Members and Columbia Cardholders must be at least 16 years old to bring a guest. 
• A member who is 15 or younger may bring a supervisor who is 21 or older as a guest.
• Guests purchasing daily admission must present photo identification.

Parental Supervision of Children Policy — 

• Columbia Association lifeguards are on duty to enforce rules and regulations and respond to emergencies. A parent/caregiver is ultimately responsible for the safety of his or her child. There is no substitution for close, active supervision.
• Supervisors are responsible for watching the children that they bring in
  • Supervisors can watch no more than 10 children, including no more than 4 children ages 9 and younger
• Non-swimming children must be accompanied in the main pool on a one-to-one ratio
• Members, ages 10 and older, may participate in fitness classes so long as a parent/guardian is participating in the class as well

Unsupervised children’s policy — 

• All children ages 9 or younger must be accompanied by a supervisor. 
• Children ages 10 to 13 years who are CA members or Columbia Cardholders may be admitted to the facility without a supervisor if the child passes Safety First. Anyone who has not passed Safety First must be accompanied by a supervisor.
• Members ages 13 and older, who have passed Safety First, may supervise other members/Columbia Cardholders who have not passed Safety First. They cannot use their guest passes to bring in children they are supervising.
• Supervisors who are CA members or Columbia Cardholders must be at least 13 years old. Supervisors who are non-members — whether they are using a guest pass or paying the daily admission fee — must be at least 21 years old. 
• Supervisors must follow this policy: You are visiting only to watch the children. You may watch no more than 10 children, including no more than four children ages 9 or younger.
• Non-swimming children must be accompanied in the main pool on a one-to-one ratio.

Children’s rest periods (Adult Swim) — 

• 15-minute rest periods are called at a quarter of each hour (including the last hour). Children 15 and younger are required to take a break. 
• Adults may take one child age 6 or younger into the main pool.

Non-swimmers — 

• Non-swimmers should never go into the water further than chest-deep and are not permitted to use the diving board or deep water slides. 
• Parents of non-swimmers are not permitted in the diving well to “catch” their non-swimmer children. 
• For your safety, only United States Coast Guard-approved personal floatation devices (life jackets) may be used in the pool. Non-swimming children must be within arm’s reach of a responsible supervisor unless they are wearing a properly fitted Coast Guard-approved life jacket.

Drug and alcohol policy  — 

• Illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages, or persons under the influence will not be permitted in the pool or on its grounds.

Camps, day cares, youth programs and private rentals — 

• All Columbia Association Aquatics facilities comply with state and county requirements for operating a swimming pool and comply with state requirements for camps. 
• The facilities have been inspected, certified and approved by the Howard County Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. All CA lifeguards are trained in the Jeff Ellis International Pool and Waterpark Lifeguard Training Program and meet all the requirements set forth in their comprehensive risk management program.

Your organization must provide certain staffing to comply with state requirements. These include but are not limited to:

• On-deck director (must be at least 21 years old), plus
• One staff for every 10 swimmers and one staff for every four non-swimmers, plus
• One staff watcher for every 25 swimmers will be located in the approved areas for supervision of your swimmers the entire time the program participants are in the water.
• All program participants will have a swimming assessment prior to entering the water.
• A copy of your State of Maryland Day Care or Youth Program Certification plus a Certificate of Liability must be on file with CA before your group will be allowed access to the facility. Please contact Columbia Association’s Aquatics office at 410-312-6332 to register and supply all necessary documentation.

Normal operations — Sunny summer days. Pools open as usual.

Limited operations — When it’s cold and dreary with light rain or thundershowers predicted, the following pools remain open: Dorsey Hall, Hopewell*, Kendall Ridge, River Hill, Stevens Forest, and Swansfield*.

Inclement operations — Rainy, inclement days, Stevens Forest and Swansfield* remain open (unless very severe). All other pools are closed.

Check the outdoor pool status page for the latest weather updates