Bud Kearns pool (City of San Diego)
Balboa Park

Did You Know…

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

…that the Bud Kearns Memorial Pool in Balboa Park’s Morley Field area is the oldest municipal swimming pool in San Diego? It opened in 1933 under the advocacy of former city recreation director William (Bud) A. Kearns.

After closing at the start of the pandemic in 2020, the city moved ahead to upgrade the pool and bring it up to code. Some of the work included implementing a new water recirculating system and making the pool more accessible to people with disabilities. The renovations totaled more than $2.6 million, and they were recently celebrated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilmember Stephen Whitburn in attendance.

The pool offers depths ranging from 3 to 9 feet, and the water is kept at a comfy 80-plus degrees. It’s open from 6:30 AM to 6 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturdays. Admission is $2 for kids and seniors, and $4 for adults.