The long-awaited opening of the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center in downtown Silver Spring has finally come. At noon on Saturday, the 120,000-square-foot facility – which boasts several swimming pools, a gymnasium, activity rooms, a culinary arts kitchen and a café – will open to the public.
Visitors who plan to check out the new center should leave their swimsuits at home, however, according to Monika Hammer, Montgomery County Recreation’s public information officer. On the day of the grand opening, the swimming pools won’t be open. But the public can make a splash and enjoy the pools starting at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
On Saturday, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. with County Executive Marc Elrich (D), County Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1), Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4), and councilmembers Gabe Albornoz (D-At-large) and Evan Glass (D-At-large). The public grand opening – held from noon until 4 p.m. – includes facility tours and activities.
The new center at 1319 Apple Ave. will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
In addition to being the home for recreational activities, the new center will also house the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame features a sculpture of Dominique Dawes, a three-time Olympian from Silver Spring and a member of the gold medal-winning “Magnificent Seven” team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Dawes now runs a gymnastics and ninja academy in Rockville and Clarksburg.
Construction on the $72 million facility began in 2019 and was initially expected to be completed in 2023.
Take a sneak peek of the new facility below:
Swimming pools at the center cater to a variety of water activities such as general swimming, training and exercise, low-level diving, aquatic play and high school competitions.
The facility also includes movement and dance studios, a basketball court, exercise and weight rooms and social meeting spaces, and will offer senior fitness programs with Holy Cross Hospital.
