Riis Park beach 1930's art deco bathhouse re-opening, hosting events

The long-abandoned, sprawling 1930’s art deco bathhouse at Riis Park in the Rockaways is reopening as part of the Riis Park Beach Bazaar. While there is still a lot more renovation work that needs to be done, they’re opening areas of the bathhouse that haven’t been accessible to the public for decades. You can watch a video showcasing the bathhouse below.

The outdoor courtyard and indoor Beach Pavilion will have a soft opening on July 4 with things officially kicking off on July 7. There’s an outdoor beer garden that will host events on weekends, a video arcade, food vendors, pop-ups, beach volleyball and table tennis courts, and camping. Jonathan Toubin will host a weekend of events on July 14 & 15, details TBA. Check out all the announced bathhouse events so far here.

In related news, the city is re-opening a short stretch of Rockaway Beach that had been closed due to erosion concerns. The Parks Department announced it will reopen Beach 96th to Beach 98th street to swimming starting June 30 on a trial basis.

Also opening near Riis Park in July: Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden installation at Fort Tilden.