COLUMBIA – Mid-Missouri is under an excessive heat advisory until 10 p.m. Saturday and people are doing whatever it takes to get away from the heat.

Columbia resident Dawn Burnett and her family took advantage of one of Columbia’s cooling centers, the Activity and Recreation Center (ARC).

“My four grandchildren wanted to swim today and we didn’t want to be in the sun," she said. "We didn’t want to be in the heat.”

Burnett said she normally walks outside every day but the heat is stopping her.

“I wish it would go away,” she said.

Families came to the ARC to enjoy the pool, workout facilities, lobbies, drinking fountains, restrooms and simply enjoy the air conditioning.

Columbia resident Harry Weaver said it’s not so much the heat for him, but the humidity.

“The heat here, it really kind of zaps you,” he said.

Weaver stressed the importance of hydrating in this type of weather and said he carries three bottles of water with him every day.

For more information on the hours of operation of cooling centers visit the city's website.