As sweltering heat blankets the Capital Region, brand-new public pools are coming to the cities of Albany and Troy to keep their communities cool for the summer.
Troy park project complete
After years of delays, Troy city officials cut the ribbon Thursday on a new aquatic center in Knickerbacker Park.
The new Knickerbacker Aquatic Center includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, three splash pads, lounge chairs and a pool house, and was designed to be accessible. It replaces an earlier pool that was closed in 2016 due to structural deficiencies and demolished in 2023.
Mayor Carmella Mantello — who said the old Knickerbacker pool was her “go-to” as a kid — made opening the pool a priority for her administration. She said the project was necessary to stop crowding at the pre-existing South Troy Pool, which reopened in 2020 after closing in 2016.
“We’re just beyond excited,” said Mantello, who celebrated the pool’s grand opening by jumping in fully clothed. “This is going to last for generations. It’s a generational project, a transformational project.”
The Knickerbacker Aquatic Center and the South Troy Pool will be open daily from 1 to 6 p.m. Admission is free for Troy residents.
Albany gets fourth public pool
Four public pools — including the brand-new Albany West Pool — will be open in Albany starting Saturday, city officials announced Thursday.
The new outdoor pool is located in the West Hill neighborhood at the Albany West Community Center, which opened at the end of 2025.
“The opening of the Albany West Community Center Pool represents more than the completion of a construction project,” said city Recreation Commissioner Jahmel Robinson. “It represents a continued investment in our neighborhoods, our young people, and the quality of life for Albany families.”
The city’s aquatics program for the summer was paid for by state funds and corporate donations. That funding comes on the heels of a city budget passed with several austerity measures, even after the city received about $44 million in state funding.
“Their commitment reflects exactly the kind of cohesive network of city champions my administration is working to build,” Applyrs said of the organizations that helped fund the aquatics program. “Government cannot do this work alone.”
The pools will be open 1 to 7 p.m. daily. The city also operates multiple splash pads.
The city is encouraging residents to sign up for rec passes on its website.
