NYC Beaches Official Memorial Day Opening

New York City’s public beaches opened for swimming on Saturday, May 23, starting the city’s 2026 beach season ahead of Memorial Day, according to NYC Parks. Lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the city said swimming is prohibited outside those hours and in sections marked with red flags or signs. NYC Parks said the beaches will remain open through Sunday, September 13. The city’s Health Department said beach conditions can shift between open, advisory and closed based on water quality, rainfall and other conditions. ### Which beaches are officially open for the season? NYC Parks said the city maintains 14 miles of public beaches across the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The system includes Orchard Beach in the Bronx; Coney Island and Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn; Rockaway Beach in Queens; and Midland Beach, South Beach, Cedar Grove Beach and Wolfe’s Pond Beach on Staten Island. The city’s beach directory says all public beaches are free and open to the public. NYC Parks’ seasonwide beaches page says the public beach season runs from Memorial Day weekend through September 13, 2026. ### What are the swimming hours, and when is it off-limits? NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said in a May 22 release that lifeguards returned for the season on Saturday, May 23, and will staff beaches daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The agency said “swimming is unsafe and strictly prohibited” when lifeguards are not on duty. NYC311 says visitors may still sit, stroll or jog on beaches outside guarded swim hours, but they cannot enter the water in closed sections. NYC Parks and NYC Health both say closed areas are marked with signs or red flags. ### How does the city decide whether a beach is open, under advisory or closed? The New York City Health Department said it monitors and inspects beaches, water quality and facilities during swim season. The agency said each beach is classified as open, advisory or closed. NYC Health said beaches are open when water samples meet state standards for swimming and sanitary surveys do not show signs of pollution. The department said advisories can be issued when samples fail water-quality standards, while closures can follow pollution findings, illness reports, injuries or other health risks. The agency said it posts signs at beaches when an advisory or closure is in effect. ### What stood out at the start of this year’s season? A May 22 NYC Parks release said more than 8 million people visited New York City’s public beaches in 2025. Shimamura said the city is also adding lifeguard beach vehicles this summer. A May 20 City Hall announcement highlighted one of the season’s biggest capital projects: the reopening of the Orchard Beach Pavilion in the Bronx after a $114 million reconstruction. Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Parks Commissioner Shimamura and NYCEDC Interim President and CEO Jeanny Pak said the 140,000-square-foot pavilion reopened for the first time in 17 years. ### What should beachgoers check before they head out? NYC Health said beachgoers can use the city’s beach water quality map to check current conditions before traveling. The department said it collects water samples weekly at most beaches and biweekly at Rockaway and Breezy Point. NYC Parks said people can also sign up for Notify NYC and opt in to beach notifications for real-time opening and closing alerts. The agency said free SPF 30 sunscreen dispensers are again available at all eight city beaches this season. ### What comes next after Memorial Day weekend? September 13, 2026, is the scheduled last day of the city’s beach season, according to NYC Parks. Until then, daily swimming hours remain 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the city said current status updates will continue through NYC Health’s beach pages and Notify NYC alerts.