Henrico to open 2 cooling centers July 3-4

Henrico County will open two cooling centers Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, to provide community members with someplace to go to escape the extreme heat.

Libbie Mill Library, at 2100 Libbie Lake East Street, and the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center, at 1440 North Laburnum Avenue, will be open each day from noon to 7 p.m. Access will be restricted to designated areas, with only air conditioning, drinking water and restrooms available to visitors.

Community members are welcome to bring personal devices and entertainment, such as phones, tablets and board games, as well as their own water bottles and snacks. Services typically available at both facilities, including computers, book checkouts and indoor exercise facilities, will be unavailable.

Playgrounds are available at both sites, and the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center also has a splash park, which will be open. 

All other Henrico libraries and recreation centers will be closed Friday and Saturday for the Independence Day holiday. County parks, including splash parks, will be open. The splash park at Dorey Park will close at noon.

Due to the extreme heat, Henrico’s celebrations for America250 will start later in the day than originally planned.

On Friday, the festivities at Dorey Park will begin at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the festivities at Crump Park will start at 6 p.m. Details about the 'A Henrico Fourth' celebrations are on the county’s website.

In addition to the county’s cooling centers, Tuckahoe Family YMCA will open a public cooling station this weekend. The YMCA, at 9211 Patterson Avenue, will open its lobby from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. 

All visitors must check in with YMCA staff and provide a driver’s license or other form of personal identification. Guests will have access to seating, restrooms and water bottle filling stations. Water bottles will not be provided.