With summer looming, Walden Pond bathhouse hits homestretch
State swimming areas are scheduled to formally open tomorrow. Daily lifeguard service starts in mid-June.
Construction workers were in their final sprint as of last week to get a new Walden Pond bathhouse ready for this year’s summer crush.
The building represents the first phase of a state-run beachfront overhaul. Officials closed Walden’s Main Beach last year due to construction.
The project hit some delays, but a state Department of Conservation and Recreation spokesperson told The Acton Bridge last week that the bathhouse should be open in time for Memorial Day weekend, pending issuance of an occupancy permit.
“It will be a good upgrade,” swimmer Trish Babb told The Acton Bridge moments after she finished a marathon open-water trip.
State swimming areas are scheduled to formally open May 23. Daily lifeguard service starts in mid-June.
The previous Walden bathhouse dated to 1947 and wasn’t accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Its replacement will help address erosion and pollution at a beach that hundreds of thousands visit each year, state officials say.
Construction workers braved rain last Wednesday morning to put the finishing touches on their building.
‘Best place to swim’
Babb is excited but also hopes the new building won’t attract even more crowds to an already busy spot.
Walden is “the best place to swim,” she said, and “I want my sanctuary kept as a sanctuary.”
Gitanjali Rege said her family visits Walden only in the offseason because “it’s such a zoo” in the summer.
Swimmers leery of Walden throngs can try West Acton’s White Pond, where anyone can buy day or season passes to swim.
White Pond will also open this weekend and stay on a weekend schedule until mid-June.
Concordian Jason Andrews swims across 61-acre Walden Pond a few days each week and eyed construction last Wednesday from the rain-soaked beach.
He’s had to take a detour to get to his starting spot since work began. It will be nice to be able to walk straight to the water again, he said, “without having to schlep around.”
He’s not bothered by the crowds and remarked on the mix of languages — from German to French to Chinese — that he hears tourists speaking during the busy season.
Crowds and construction aside, he said Walden’s water level is “really low” as the region slogs through a state-recognized drought.
The second phase of Walden’s beachfront overhaul is scheduled to include a new accessible boardwalk connecting Main Beach to Walden Street. Officials previously said construction would happen “following the bathhouse reconstruction.”
DCR’s spokesperson didn’t answer Bridge questions about the current timeline.
Ken McGagh contributed reporting.
