Garden Hills Pool Rules

The Garden Hill Pool is operated by the Garden Hills Pool & Park Association under lease from the City of Atlanta. As a public pool, we adhere to all City of Atlanta Aquatics regulations and procedures and are bound by Fulton County Health Department requirements. The Officers and Board of Directors of the Garden Hills Pool & Park Association and the pool managers also have established rules for the safe and effective operation of the Pool.

All pool members and their guests are expected and required to follow the pool’s safety and operating rules. Individuals who refuse to do so may be asked to leave the pool for the remainder of the day; repeated or severe violations may result in longer suspensions of pool privileges.

*** While at the pool, all children TWELVE (12) YEARS OLD AND UNDER, must be accompanied by a chaperone 16 years old or older. ***

POOL RULES

Swimming-specific suit required to enter pool water.

Children under 3 years old must wear a swim diaper and plastic swim pants.

Diaper changing permitted only in bath house restrooms.

Keep food and drinks 5 feet away from the water.

No running or rough play.

Clear floats only, permitted in shallow end only.

No flotation devices permitted in the deep end.

No diving in the shallow end.

No water cannons permitted within the pool facility.

Do not throw heavy or hard objects.

No glass permitted in pool facility.

Only one person on the diving board at a time. One bounce.

Children wearing flotation devices such as lifejackets or water wings may not jump off the diving board.

Lifeguards and Management reserve final call on behavior issues.

Details on these Rules and Policies are described below.

POOL FLOATS, BALLS & WATER CANNON POLICY

No large floats permitted in the pool at any time. Small, translucent ring floats are acceptable, and must stay in the shallow end of the pool only.

Only small, cloth-sided or soft-foam balls and inflatable beach balls are permitted in the pool.

Courtesy should be exercised when using floats and balls in the pool, most especially when the pool is crowded. Lifeguards have the authority to pull these items from the pool if misconduct is noted, or it is deemed unsafe for crowded conditions.

High-powered water shooters are not permitted in the pool.

THUNDER & LIGHTNING POLICIES

When the lifeguards on duty hear thunder, a whistle is blown and swimmers are asked to exit the water and remain five feet back from the water for 30 minutes from the last sound of thunder.

When lightning is sighted by the lifeguards, an announcement will be made that everyone must EXIT THE POOL and CLEAR OFF THE ENTIRE POOL AND ALL DECK AREAS for 30 minutes from the last visible lightning strike. When lightning is in the area, the National Weather Service recommends that you go to a safe building or vehicle. Do not shelter under trees. You are not safe anywhere outside during a lightning storm.

We appreciate everyone’s understanding and cooperation during summer storms. Our ultimate goal is to keep everyone safe and happy throughout the swimming season.

PAID ADMISSIONS

General Entry Fee for non-members and member guests is $5. All City of Atlanta Public Pools are mandated to charge a consistent entry fee. This fee is set by the City of Atlanta Parks Department each season, and applies to all persons over the age of 2 who enter the pool area, whether the intent is to swim or not.

The exceptions to this rule are Home Swim Meets, and Free Swim Hours, during which times admissions fees are waived. Please consult the calendar on the Calendar & Entry Fees page for the current summer schedule.

For annual members, a membership keytag will be issued for each household member 13yrs old and up. Membership keytags should be scanned by the pool staff every time you enter the pool. Please cooperate with our staff if they ask to see other identification.

MEMBER GUEST POLICY

Members may bring guests at any time! It is required that a GHP Member be present with their guest(s) during Paid Admissions and Members Only Hours, and pay the entry fee of $5/person for persons over the age of 2. During Free Swim Hours (Mondays-Fridays 10:00 am- 1:00 pm), non-member guests are considered members of the general public and do not need to be registered with a member.

Members may not allow house guests or those who may be renting their house to use their key tag without accompanying these guests to the pool. Homeowners may not transfer their pool membership to the buyer should they sell their house after purchase of a seasonal membership.

PARTIES/GROUPS OF CHILDREN

Groups larger than 10 people, and groups consisting predominantly of children under 12 years old, should make a party rental reservation. This serves two purposes- it allows for proper scheduling of lifeguards, and ensures that groups have a designated area to gather and celebrate! There are two areas on the pool deck which are available for rent, as well as the Special Events room in the pool house. In addition to the rental fees, party hosts will pay entry fees for all non-member guests over the age of 2, including themselves and any family members present, if they are not GHP Members ($5/person).

MEMBER-HOSTED GROUPS
Garden Hills Pool Members may bring up to 10 people in a group, that group consisting of the GHP Member host, any family members on their membership account who are present in the group, and non-member guests, without requiring a party rental. For member-hosted groups larger than 10 people, a party rental should be made, for the reasons listed above. In addition to the party rental fees, Member hosts will pay entry fees for all non-member guests over the age of 2 ($5/person).

Rental spaces are available daily from 11:00 am- 5:00 pm during the summer season, unless otherwise noted on the Daily Calendar on the Calendar & Entry Fees page. Please visit the Facility Rentals tab for rates and instructions on how to make a party reservation.

No party rentals are allowed during Members Only Hours, which begin daily at 5:00 PM.

CAMPS

Camps are welcome to attend Garden Hills Pool! A camp is defined as any unit consisting of 10 or more campers which plans to attend Garden Hills Pool on a recurring basis. Camps must schedule their attendance with GHPPA Board Member Kirsten Neufeld at execdir@gardenhillspool.com a minimum of one week before their first planned visit. The safety of the campers is our top priority, and this cushion allows for us to staff accordingly for all camp visits.

Camps may frequent Garden Hills Pool up to two weekdays per week, for a maximum of three hours per visit, during public swim hours.

One swimming adult chaperone (16+) must be available for every five swimming capable children and for every two non-swimmers. Chaperones are required to closely supervise the campers when they are in the water.

Campers desiring the use of the deep end and diving well must pass a swim test as administered by management.

Admission rates will be consistent with general pool admissions policies. Camps interested in visiting GHP are advised to check the master calendar on our Calendar & Entry Fees page to see the activities already scheduled on their desired dates.

LAP SWIMMING

Two lanes in the pool are reserved for lap swimming and lessons only, except at certain times during swim team practices. Lap swimmers are to share a lane in the instance that more than two patrons wish to swim, either by circle-swimming or splitting the lane.

Patrons not actively swimming laps are not permitted in the lap lanes when lap swimmers are present. Swimmers may not swim through or jump over the lap swimming lane to get into or out of the pool.

Please check our master calendar on the Calendar & Entry Fees page to check the schedule on the day you plan to swim laps!

POOL HOURS

Please click here to see detailed information about Pool Hours. We will make every effort to have the pool open during the hours shown in our operating schedule.

At the end of the swimming day, all swimmers must immediately exit the water. Within fifteen minutes after the closing time of the pool, everyone must have vacated the pool grounds.

Before or after normal operating hours, the pool may be used for swim team practice, staff meetings, or other purposes. During these functions, the pool is closed to all individuals not involved in those activities.

RESERVING THE POOL FACILITIES

The North & South areas of the pool deck, as well as the Dan Martin Pool House Conference Room, are available on a reservation basis for birthday parties and other similar group functions. The North & South pool decks may be rented during the summer only, after Memorial Day. Availability of these areas throughout the summer are subject to change based on staffing and internal uses. Reservations may be made online.

The pool is not available for private use outside of normally scheduled operating hours, nor may the entire facility be rented to any party, regardless of membership. Please click here for details.