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Label:
Swim pool (outdoor)
Sellwood Outdoor Pool is closed for the season and is scheduled to re-open in June 2027.
Register for Swim Lessons
Portland Parks & Recreation offers swim lessons for all ages and all abilities. Swim lesson classes are 30 minutes long. Please note that swim lesson classes are limited and vary by pool. Not all levels are offered at all times. Private and semi-private lessons are not available.
Swim lessons are progressive, beginning at the preschool level (ages 3-5). The instructor will tell you which lesson to sign up for next. If the participant has not had swimming lessons for more than three months, they should repeat the last level they took as a refresher.
Learn more about swim lesson levels.
Swimming Information
View PP&R swimming information, including activity descriptions, pool rules and policies, admission fees, and more.
- During drop-in swimming times, everyone must pay admission, even if they are not getting in the water. Pool capacities are limited. Not all activities or amenities are available at all times.
- All children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult or responsible person over the age of 16 in the facility at all times.
- Infants, toddlers, weak swimmers and children under 48" in height must always be supervised in the water by a person aged 16 years or older who remains within arm's reach at all times.
- Non-swimmers and children under 48 inches tall must always have a caregiver aged 16 or older in the water within arm's reach.
- Life jackets are available to use while swimming.
- During play swims, all swimmers wishing to swim in the deep end or lap pool will be required to pass a swim test and wear a wristband indicating they are approved to be in the deep end. Lifejackets are not allowed in these areas. Non-swimmers and those without a wristband will be asked to move to shallow areas.
- All non-toilet trained swimmers are required to wear swim diapers in the pool. Approved swim diapers include reusable diapers designed specifically for the water and have tight binding around the waist and legs. Disposable swim diapers are allowed but must be worn under a reusable plastic cover which includes binding around waist and legs. Disposable swim diapers and reusable plastic cover will be available for purchase at all pools.
Map
Year acquired
1929
Size in acres
0.00
History
This pool was built in 1910 as a replacement for the municipal bathhouse which had been at the foot of Jefferson Street. The Jefferson Street bathhouse had once been a floating structure with a slat bottom. It was closed due to increased pollution in the Willamette River. The Sellwood pool was the first structure of its kind in the city. It was a large wooden edifice with a ten-foot board fence around it to provide privacy: girls used the pool one day, boys the next. The pool has been in continuous use since 1910.
The Sellwood Natatorium (or Bathhouse), an arts and crafts style building, opened to the public in 1929 and still serves pool visitors today. In 1996, funds from the General Obligation Bond Initiative (GOBI) were used to reconstruct the pool and renovate the bathhouse. The bathhouse's lobby, restrooms, dressing areas, and showers received improvements. In 2016, the original 87-year old cedar shingle roof on the bathhouse was replaced with funding from the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond. Other improvements included new paint, seismic improvements, and brick repairs to allow this facility to serve pool users for decades to come.
Accessibility notes
All-User Changing Rooms
Sellwood Outdoor Pool facilities feature two all-user changing rooms.
Zero Depth Entry
Sellwood Outdoor Pool has a zero depth entry (sloped entrance from land to water).
Pool-accessible wheelchair available for access to full pool.