At a glance
- Eureka Aquatic Centre
- Open for the outdoor season, 102 Stawell Street South, Eureka; heated 50m pool
- Adult entry
- $8.00 (concession $7.00, child 5 to 15 years $4.90, family $21.00, under 5 free), as of November 2026
- Splash parks
- Open 9am to 9pm from Saturday 31 October 2026 until early April, at Brown Hill, Midlands Reserve and Sebastopol
- Buninyong pool
- Opens Saturday 28 November 2026
- Phone
- (03) 5329 1617 for the outdoor pools; (03) 5334 2499 for the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre
- Who it’s for
- Families and lap swimmers in Ballarat looking for a summer pool, and people who already hold a BALC membership or visit pass
- What to do now
- The page says Black Hill and Buninyong open only on days of 23 degrees or above, and Eureka opens 6am to 7pm on weekdays when 30 degrees or more is forecast
- Last checked
- Sunday 8 November 2026, against the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre outdoor pools page and home page
- Not yet confirmed
- Black Hill and Buninyong hours for the 2026-27 season (the page still prints “2025-26”), and whether Black Hill shares the 28 November opening date
Ballarat’s outdoor pool season has started: Eureka Aquatic Centre is open, the splash parks have been running since Saturday 31 October 2026, and the Buninyong pool opens on Saturday 28 November 2026. Adult entry at the outdoor pools is $8.00, as of November 2026. This guide is built from the outdoor pools page of the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre (BALC), which lists the City of Ballarat’s summer facilities, checked on Sunday 8 November 2026.
Which outdoor pools can I use in Ballarat?
The BALC outdoor pools page lists three pools and three splash parks. The pools are Eureka, Black Hill and Buninyong. The splash parks are Brown Hill, Midlands Reserve and Sebastopol.
| Facility | Address | What the page lists |
|---|---|---|
| Eureka Aquatic Centre | 102 Stawell Street South, Eureka | Heated 50m pool, learn to swim pool, shaded toddlers pool, outdoor water play park, playground, kiosk and BBQ facilities |
| Black Hill Aquatic Centre | Chisholm Street, Black Hill | Solar heated 25m outdoor pool, toddlers pool, BBQ and picnic facilities |
| Buninyong Aquatic Centre | Forest Street, Buninyong | Solar heated 25m outdoor pool, shaded toddlers pool, BBQ and picnic facilities |
| Brown Hill Splash Park | 371 Humffray Street North, Ballarat East | Button-operated water play |
| Midlands Reserve Splash Park | 705 Landsborough Street, Ballarat North | Button-operated water play |
| Sebastopol Splash Park | 236 Vickers Street, Sebastopol | Button-operated water play |
All three pools share one phone number on the page, (03) 5329 1617.
What time is Eureka Aquatic Centre open?
The page gives Eureka two sets of hours.
| Day | Outside school holidays | During school holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm | 6am to 7pm |
| Saturday | 6am to 6pm | 6am to 6pm |
| Sunday and public holidays | 8am to 6pm | 8am to 6pm |
Two extra rules sit under the table. Eureka opens 6am to 7pm on weekdays on days when the forecast temperature is 30 degrees or above, even outside school holidays. It is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday. The page links to the Victorian school holiday dates but does not repeat them.
How much does it cost to get in?
The page prints the same admission prices for Eureka, Black Hill and Buninyong. At Black Hill and Buninyong the prices are labelled for non-residents.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | $8.00 |
| Concession | $7.00 |
| Child (5 to 15 years) | $4.90 |
| Family | $21.00 |
| Child under 5 | Free |
The page does not say how many people a family ticket covers. It also does not say what price residents pay at Black Hill and Buninyong.
If you already hold a BALC aquatic membership or a visit pass, the page says these can be used at all outdoor pools during the summer season. It links to pages for buying a membership or a visit pass online.
When do Black Hill and Buninyong open?
These two are weather-dependent pools. The page says each opens on days when the temperature will be 23 degrees or above. The hours it prints are:
- Monday to Friday: 4pm to 7pm
- Weekends and public holidays: 1pm to 6pm
There is a catch. The page introduces these hours with “during the 2025-26 summer season”, which is last season’s wording, and it has not been changed for 2026-27. We are therefore not treating the hours as confirmed for this summer. They are the latest the page prints.
For the start date, a note in the Black Hill and Buninyong entries says “Buninyong Outdoor Pool will open from Saturday 28 November 2026”. The same note is repeated under Black Hill, but it names Buninyong, so we cannot say from the page whether Black Hill opens on the same day.
Are the splash parks free and when are they open?
The page says the City of Ballarat splash parks open from 9am to 9pm, starting Saturday 31 October 2026, and close in early April. It lists prices only for the pools, so no admission price is shown for the splash parks. The splash parks work on a button system: each press runs the water for 15 minutes. If a park has a fault, call City of Ballarat Customer Service on 5320 5500.
What about the indoor centre?
The Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre, at 1 Kunuwarra Place, Lake Gardens, runs year round and is the booking point for memberships and swimming lessons. Its footer lists these hours, and says pools close 15 minutes before the centre closes:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 6am to 9pm |
| Saturday | 6am to 6pm |
| Sunday | 8am to 6pm |
| Public holidays | 8am to 4pm |
| Anzac Day | 1pm to 6pm |
It is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday. The phone number is (03) 5334 2499. The home page also mentions centre-wide accessibility upgrades and a link to upcoming closures. Swimming lessons for summer and gymnastics lessons are open for online enrolment, according to the home page.
Which pool suits which swim?
- Laps: Eureka has the 50m heated pool and the longest hours, starting at 6am on every weekday.
- Toddlers: all three pools list a toddlers pool, and the Eureka and Buninyong ones are shaded.
- Picnic and BBQ: all three pools list BBQ facilities, and Black Hill and Buninyong add picnic facilities.
- Water play without a pool ticket: the splash parks, where the page lists no admission price.
What do the weather rules say?
The page ties opening to the weather at three of its facilities, and it prints each rule separately. These are the rules as written, in one place.
| Facility | Weather rule on the page | Hours the page prints |
|---|---|---|
| Eureka Aquatic Centre | Opens 6am to 7pm on weekdays when the forecast temperature is 30 degrees or above | Weekdays outside school holidays: 6am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm; school holidays: 6am to 7pm |
| Black Hill Aquatic Centre | Opens on days when the temperature will be 23 degrees or above | Monday to Friday 4pm to 7pm; weekends and public holidays 1pm to 6pm (printed under “2025-26”) |
| Buninyong Aquatic Centre | Opens on days when the temperature will be 23 degrees or above; opens from Saturday 28 November 2026 | Monday to Friday 4pm to 7pm; weekends and public holidays 1pm to 6pm (printed under “2025-26”) |
| Splash parks | No weather rule is printed; the water runs for 15 minutes each time the button is pressed | 9am to 9pm from Saturday 31 October 2026 until early April |
The page does not say where the temperature is measured, which forecast it refers to, or who decides on the day whether a pool opens, so those details are not confirmed here. Eureka is closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday; the page prints no closure dates for Black Hill or Buninyong.
Sources
- Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre: Outdoor pools and Splash Parks (hours, prices, addresses, opening dates; checked 8 November 2026)
- Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre: home page (Eureka now open, lessons, upgrades; checked 8 November 2026)
Featured image: an outdoor swimming pool at Diamond Creek, Victoria, not a Ballarat pool (photo: Philip Mallis from Melbourne / CC BY-SA 2.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the City of Ballarat or the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre. Prices and times are as printed on the BALC pages on 8 November 2026.