Here's where to find cooling centers around Greater Boston this week

With a heat wave in the forecast, many communities are already announcing details on cooling stations for those in need.

Statewide, the Massachusetts Department of Recreation and Conservation plans to open beaches, pools, waterfronts and spray decks for longer hours starting Wednesday: DCR pools will close at 7:45 p.m., beaches and waterfronts will be guarded until 6:45 p.m., wading pools will operate until 7 p.m. and spray decks will run until 9 p.m. DCR anticipates similar extended hours on Thursday and Friday.

“As Massachusetts will experience some of its most intense heat in the coming days, it’s important for people to make a plan to stay safe – including staying hydrated, limiting strenuous activity, and checking in on one another,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “We’ve expanded hours at DCR swimming pools, beaches, waterfronts and spray decks to allow for more opportunities for residents to cool off. We’re grateful to the workers who are putting in the time and effort to support these extended hours. All of us can do our part to help our friends and neighbors beat the heat.”

Here's a look at some local cooling stations that have been announced so far:

Acton

If you do not have a place to escape the heat, consider the following locations in town to seek relief:

Acton Community Building, 30 Sudbury Road

Acton Memorial Library, 482 Main St., 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Acton Public Safety Facility, 371 Main St. (open 24/7)

Belmont

Due to the upcoming period of high heat and humidity, the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech St. and the Belmont Public Library at 336 Concord Avenue will be open as cooling centers this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

The hours will be as follows:

Beech Street Center: Thursday, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Belmont Public Library: Thursday, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Boston

A heat emergency has been declared in Boston from Thursday through Friday. To help residents stay cool, cooling centers will be open at 15 Boston Centers for Youth & Families community centers Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. A full list of centers can be found at boston.gov/heat. Additionally, 64 splash pads will be open at parks and playgrounds throughout the city. Select indoor BCYF pools and the outdoor BCYF Mirabella Pool in the North End are open. Visitors to the BCYF Mirabella Pool can find swim session times here. Registration for times to swim at BCYF’s indoor pools can be found at this link. Boston Public Library locations are also available for residents to seek relief from the heat. 

Brookline

Brookline’s cooling centers include:

• Brookline Public Safety Building Community Room, 350 Washington St., 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester St., Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• The Public Libraries of Brookline
  • Main Branch, 361 Washington St., Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sunday
  • Coolidge Corner Branch, 31 Pleasant St., Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
  • Putterham Branch, 959 West Roxbury Parkway, Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• The Brookline Housing Authority will have air-conditioned community rooms available for residents of 61 Park St., 90 Longwood Ave., 50 Pleasant St., and 190 Harvard St.

Water play areas in parks and playgrounds throughout Brookline are available from dawn to dusk, Memorial Day to early October. The Evelyn Kirrane Aquatics Center, located at 60 Tappan St., is also open. Brookline residents may use the pool free of charge for open swimming only during designated hours while a heat emergency is in effect. Residents can call 617-713-5435 for hours and additional details.

Easton

Fire Chief Justin Alexander and the Easton Fire Department are reminding residents of cooling center information and hot weather safety tips ahead of another stretch of hot weather. You can call Easton Police at 508-230-3322 and press 0 to be put in contact with the cooling center team should you require the assistance of a cooling center at any point during these high temperatures.

Hingham

Residents can seek relief from the heat at the following Town facilities:

Hingham Public Library, at 66 Leavitt St., with operating hours Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. The library is also open on Saturday, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Hingham Senior Center, at 224 Central St., with operating hours Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday, from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Limited transportation to the Senior Center may be available for home bound senior residents who wish to cool off during the Senior Center’s regular business hours. Call 781-741-1458 to arrange transportation.

South Shore Country Club’s Bowling Alley, at 274 South St., open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Bowling Alley is also open on Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Hudson

The Hudson Senior Center, located at 29 Church St., is open Thursday and Friday until 4 p.m. as a cooling center.

Senior residents in need of a ride to the senior center can call the Hudson Senior Center at 978-568-9638 or 978-568-9639 for assistance.

Manchester, NH

There are a variety of locations available to help beat the heat. These locations include:

Manchester Library (Main Branch), 401 Pine St. Hours: Monday, Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

William B. Cashin Senior Activity Center (55+), 151 Douglas St. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Manchester Library (West Branch), 76 Main St. Hours: Monday-Friday, 1-5 p.m.

Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 South Willow St. Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday, 12-6 p.m.

1269 Cafe, 456 Union St. Hours: Monday-Friday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Crystal Lake Public Beach, 679 Bodwell Road. Hours: Sunrise to sunset.

Dupont Splash Pad, 207 Mason St. Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Livingston Pool, 410 Hooksett Road. Hours: 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

Raco-Theodore Pool, 66 Head St. Hours: 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

Sheehan-Basquil Splash Pad, 297 Maple St. Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Maynard

Fire Chief Angela Lawless announces that the Maynard Fire Department will be opening a cooling center, as temperatures are expected to top 90 degrees in the coming days. The Cooling Center is located at the Maynard Fire Department, 30 Sudbury St., and will be open Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Bathrooms and water fountains are available. Residents are encouraged to bring their own water bottle to refill.

Medford

The City will be making cooling centers available at locations around Medford during the forecasted heat wave July 26 through July 28, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn announced. 

Cooling centers will be located at the following locations:

Medford Police Department Community Room, 100 Main St., available 24 hours a day 

Medford Senior Center, 101 Riverside Avenue, from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. 

Medford Public Library, 111 High St., from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday

In addition to visiting cooling centers, residents are encouraged to follow other extreme hot weather safety tips, such as wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, drinking plenty of water, staying indoors as much as possible, and wearing sunscreen with a high SPF. For more information on extreme heat safety, visit www.medfordma.org/for-residents/hot-weather-safety-tips.  With questions about cooling centers or heat wave safety, contact the Board of Health at 781-393-2560. 

Nashua, NH

Nashua will have cooling centers open at the following locations on Thursday:

• Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, 2 Quincy St. -- 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Pheasant Lane Mall, 310 Daniel Webster Highway -- 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. -- 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

On Friday, Nashua will have cooling centers open at these locations:

• Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, 2 Quincy St. -- 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Pheasant Lane Mall, 310 Daniel Webster Highway -- 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

You can ride a Nashua Transit Bus to the cooling centers free on Thursday and Friday only, between 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Just let the driver know you are going to a cooling center.

City pools will also be open at the following locations:

• Centennial Pool, Sargents Avenue (Monday-Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m.)
• Crown Hill Pool, Burke Street (Monday-Saturday from 1-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m.)
• Rotary Pool & Wading Pool, Cleveland Street (Monday-Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. and Sunday from 1-6 p.m.)
• Splash Pad, National Street

Plymouth

For residents looking to find relief from the heat this week, the following locations will be open to community members as cooling centers:

• The Community Room at the Cedarville Fire Station, 2209 State Road, is open to the public Thursday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• The Main Library, 132 South St., is open to the public on the following schedule:
  • Thursday, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
  • Friday, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
  • Closed on Sunday
• The Manomet Branch Library, 12 Strand Avenue, is open to the public on the following schedule:
  • Thursday, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
  • Closed Friday
  • Saturday, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Closed Sunday
• The Center for Active Living is open to the public Thursday and Friday, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Scituate

The Town of Scituate will be providing a Cooling Center at the Scituate Senior Center on Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. If needed, on Saturday the Cooling Center will be located at the Town Library, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The GATRA on Demand Seacoast is available for transportation in the service area by calling 800-698-7676. If a resident needs transport and is unable to use GATRA, you can contact the non-emergency line at the Public Safety Complex 781-545-1212.  If you have a medical emergency please dial 911.

Taunton

City of Taunton officials would like to remind residents that there are several locations throughout the city that are open to those looking for relief from the heat, including:

• St. Thomas Episcopal Church//Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, 111 High St., is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
  • Activities and movies will be provided by the Soup Kitchen Resource Center. Laundry, showers, drinking water, meals, and wet wipes for cooling will be available as well.
  • The Church and Soup Kitchen will be closed on Saturday.
• Taunton Public Library, 12 Pleasant St., is open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursday, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday.
  • The library will be closed Saturday for their summer hours.
• Taunton Council on Aging Senior Center, 30 Olney St., will also be available during regular business hours to anyone in need of shelter from the heat: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday, and 8 a.m.-12 p.m. on Friday.
  • The Senior Center is closed on Saturday.

"At this time, there is no immediate need for a city-wide cooling center to be opened," interm Emergency Management Director/Police Chief Edward Walsh said in a statement. "However, there are several options for City residents in need of respite from the heat during the day, including the soup kitchen, senior center and public library. Should circumstances change, including power outages, we are prepared to provide wider access to cooling centers as needed."

Wareham

The location and hours of the cooling centers are as follows:

Thursday: Wareham Council on Aging, Wareham Free Library, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Friday, Wareham Council on Aging, Wareham Free Library, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturday, Wareham Council on Aging, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Worcester

Due to a forecasted high heat index Thursday and Friday, the Worcester Public Library and Worcester Senior Center will serve as cooling centers for residents. Both facilities will be available as cooling centers during normal operating hours. Expansion of services will be assessed and made available as necessary. The Worcester Public Library, located at 3 Salem Square, is open from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The Worcester Senior Center, located at 128 Providence St., is open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The city continues to engage in negotiations with various community partners regarding space and resources with the goal of establishing additional warming and cooling centers in each City Council district. Both cooling centers are accessible via the Worcester Regional Transit Authority, which continues to provide fare-free service. WRTA bus #6 and #7 stop at the Worcester Public Library. WRTA bus #1 and #11 stop at the Worcester Senior Center. The WRTA also provides curb-to-curb ADA transportation. For information on bus routes, ADA transportation and travel training, please call the WRTA at 508-453-3462.

Would you like to see your town's cooling station included on this list? Email us at boston.web@nbcuni.com.