City of Iowa City Offers Suggestions for Staying Cool During Present Heat Wave

Media Release

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat advisory for the area through 10 p.m. Tuesday. With temperatures reaching into the mid-90s, combined with humidity levels, heat index values are likely to reach 100 during the afternoon hours. 

Several City of Iowa City facilities are available if residents need a place to cool off: 

• The Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert Street, and Scanlon Gymnasium/Mercer Park Aquatic Center, 2701 Bradford Drive, offer air conditioning as well as a variety of indoor recreational opportunities. Weekday hours are6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, and 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Scanlon/Mercer. The gym and racquetball court at Robert A. Lee will be closed until the morning of Sept. 3 for resurfacing, but there are plenty of other activities available. 

• The City's pools and splash pads also provide opportunities to cool down. Open swim hours during the week are as follows: 

Robert A. Lee Pool: Open all week from 1 to 4:30 p.m., with an additional swim time of 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday.

City Park Pool: Open all week from 1 to 5 p.m., with Twilight Swim (reduced fee of $2) from 5 to 8 p.m. 

Mercer Park Pool: Currently closed for routine maintenance and cleaning, but the rest of Scanlon Gymnasium/Mercer Park Aquatic Center is still open and air conditioned. 

• Splash pads: The splash pads in Wetherby Park, 2400 Taylor Drive, and Fairmeadows Park, 2500 Miami Drive, offer a cool respite. They're open daily until 8 p.m. for no fee. 

• The Public Library, 123 S. Linn Street, is also a great place to cool off. Residents can get started on a terrific book or check out the variety of other materials available. Library hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. 

• The Senior Center, 28 S. Linn Street, is open to the general public between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visitors can learn about the many programs available for seniors, read a magazine or grab a book from the book exchange, watch a free movie on Friday afternoon, or enjoy lunch prepared by Elder Services from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost for lunch is $4 for people over 60, and $5 for those under 60.