cooling center

American  

[kool-ing sen-ter] / ˈkul ɪŋ ˌsɛn tər /

Sometimes cooling shelter

noun

1. Also called cooling station.  an air-conditioned or otherwise cooled facility, such as a school, library, or mall, that is open to the public during a period of hot weather in order to provide relief from the heat.

   The Department of Health can assist in arranging transportation to a local cooling center.

---

Etymology

Origin of cooling center

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

A cooling center is considered a library, community center pools and splash pads.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

One was less than 20 minutes from their home, and a local library advertised as a cooling center was just 10 minutes away.

From Scientific American • Aug. 17, 2023

Seattle City Hall will be open as a cooling center for people living outside looking for ways to stay safe and escape the blistering high temperatures this week.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 14, 2023

“I’ve got to try to stay inside and stay cool,” said Christopher Duggan, who was sitting at a cooling center run by the Salvation Army in downtown Tempe on Tuesday afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2023

The Salvation Army has also offered a daytime cooling center in Las Vegas, which saw a daily average of 250 visitors last week.

From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2023