Main beach at famous Massachusetts pond will be closed all summer over safety concerns
"DCR has determined it cannot safely open the Main Beach to visitors for the 2025 summer season, while construction for the new bathhouse is ongoing," the agency said in a statement.
The $6.1 million project involves demolishing a decades-old two-story bathhouse and replacing it with a new single-story building that is accessible to people with disabilities. Construction is expected to finish in the fall.
The new bathhouse facility will have men's and women's bathrooms with changing areas, three family restrooms, a break room for lifeguards and a first aid station.
Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open, but there will not be any lifeguards on duty. DCR is suggesting alternative swimming spots, including Ashland State Park, Cochituate State Park in Natick, Hopkinton State Park, Charles E. Shannon Jr. Memorial Beach in Winchester and public pools in the area.
About 600,000 people visit Walden Pond State Reservation every year. The pond and surrounding woods famously serve as the setting for Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book, "Walden." Last year, Walden Pond landed on a list of the "11 Most Endangered Historic Places."
Last summer, Walden Beach saw closures due to high bacteria levels, as well as heavy rain that kept parts of the beach underwater.
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