Find a place to cool off and go swimming, diving and sliding with our guide to Chicago's best public pools.
With only a precious few months of summertime in Chicago, the universe is begging you to get outside and enjoy it. Of course, there are countless street festivals and neighborhood parties and dreamy alfresco dining opportunities at Chicago's best waterfront restaurants. But as the temperature and humidity tick up, it's the perfect time to cool off by getting in the water. If heading to the lake and enjoying one of Chicago's best beaches isn't your jam, the Chicago Park District offers dozens of public swimming pools all over the city—free of charge. Whether you want serene lap lanes, kid-friendly water playgrounds and slides or just a place to lounge, you'll find it among the best swimming pools in Chicago. Just be sure to check the pool schedule so you show up at the proper swim times!
RECOMMENDED: Find more things to do in the summer
A green space as grand as Washington Park deserves an exceptional summer attraction. How about a 50-meter heated pool surrounded by an enormous deck, complete with stadium seating? Connected to the main pool is a kidney-shaped side pool with a zero-depth entrance that gradually gets deeper. Plus, there's a water slide for thrillseekers.
Open Tue-Sun 11am-6:45pm
Go for a stroll through nearby Horner Park and then take a dip in this 50-yard, six-lane pool at California Park. Lap swims are a regular occurrence here if you're in search of some serious exercise.
Open Sat-Thu 11am-7pm
Just like the plants in the Garfield Park Conservatory, humans need water to survive the summer. Once you're done admiring the foliage, head toward the gold-domed field house, where you'll find one of the city's most tucked-away spots for a swim.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
Sometimes referred to as Palmer Water Park, this Pullman park has the most serious collection of water slides of any public pool in the city. Best of all, the slides descend into dedicated pools, so you won't have to dodge kids splashing into the water from above.
Open Fri-Wed 11am-7pm
In the shadow of the Kennedy Expressway, this five-lane outdoor pool is easily accessible from the Belmont Blue Line station. A mini spray pool allows little ones to get in on the summer fun.
Open Sun, Tue, Thu + Sat 9am-5pm; Wed + Fri 11am-7pm
After taking a stroll through nearby Bohemian National Cemetery or a bike ride on the North Branch Trail, chill out in the small (but totally refreshing) pool in Gompers Park.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm
This beloved sprawling community park is more than just the (former) location of Riot Fest—among its amenities is a 50-yard, six-lane pool perfect for laps. After a dip, explore the park, which also sports a lily pool and beautiful garden, playgrounds and even an 18-hole mini golf course.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
With few public pools in Logan Square, this Bucktown park is a destination for area residents in need of some cool, chlorinated water to swim in.
Open Tue & Thu 9am-5pm, Wed & Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Fuller Park may look like a private estate, but its facilities are open to the public. That includes the pool, which is located next to the spacious baseball field. The park also boasts an interactive water spray feature for the kids.
Open Mon & Wed-Fri 11am-6:45pm, Sun 9am-4:45pm
Grab a treat from Dat Donut (at 83rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue) and walk to Avalon Park, where you'll find a six-lane pool with one of the rarest of features: an honest-to-God water slide.
Open Tue-Sun 11am-7pm
Portage Park houses an Olympic-size pool so cush it played host to the 1972 Olympic swimming trials. The pool’s best feature is its 25-meter diving well, home to a diving platform so high you’ll have to reposition your swimsuit before you exit the water.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Located within walking distance of the South Western Blue Line station, head to this outdoor five-lane West Side pool to splash around as you watch vehicles driving in and out of the city on the scenic Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway.
Open Mon-Thu 11am-6:45pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4:45pm
Within eyeshot of the home of the Chicago White Sox, the pool at Armour Square Park provides the perfect opportunity to cool down before (or after) an exciting baseball game.
Open Mon & Wed-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
The only thing that trumps a Slip ’N Slide for summertime fun is a real live water slide. Norwood Park's slide might not be as big or fast as a water park's, but it's free to use (and nearly as much fun).
Open Mon-Thu 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
Located near Wicker Park and Bucktown, this 30-meter public pool is a popular destination for kids (and their guardians) during the hot summer months. The water playground next door is great for little ones who haven't graduated from swimming lessons yet.
Open Mon & Wed-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
You might be tempted to take a dip in one of Humboldt Park's sandy lagoons, but you'll miss out on the water slide—the most popular feature of this park's pool.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
Sure, you can catch a show at the Aragon or the Riv, but this Uptown swimming hole offers views of intense matches taking place on the adjacent tennis courts.
Open Mon-Thu 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Want to take a lunchtime dip? Union Park (home to Pitchfork Music Festival) is less than 10 minutes away from the Loop on the Green or Pink Line. Take a long lunch, swim a few laps and come back to the office smelling like chlorine.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4:45pm
The majority of Sherman Park is an island in the middle of the city, surrounded by a manmade river. The park's pool is on the north side of the park—and you won't have to swim across a channel to get to it.
Open Mon 1pm-7pm, Tue-Fri noon-7pm, Sat-Sun 11am-7pm
Head to the West Side's Columbus Park and you'll find a pool that's big enough to accommodate a crowd of swimmers and deep enough (11 feet) for divers.
Open Mon-Wed & Fri 11am-6:45pm, Sat-Sun 9am-4:45pm
Head down Western Avenue from the Western Orange Line station and you'll find yourself in Gage Park, where a 48-yard, six-lane pool awaits. You could easily stop by for a quick swim on your way to or from Midway Airport.
Open Mon-Wed & Fri-Sat 11am-6:45pm
If the pool at Garfield Park is a little too crowded, head farther west to Clark (John) Park, where you'll find this small three- to four-feet deep pool—perfect for a quick summer dip.
Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm
In a section of the city where public pools are scarce, this North Lawndale park provides a body of water large enough for swimming laps or splashing around with the kids on a hot summer day.
Open Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm
A destination for residents in Roscoe Village, Bucktown and Lakeview, the 50-yard pool is one of Hamlin Park's biggest attractions when the mercury rises.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Hop off the Blue Line at the Jefferson Park Transit Center and you're just a block away from this community pool, where you can work up an appetite before a visit to BRGRBELLY or Gale Street Inn.
Open Tues-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Teenagers and adults will enjoy practicing their breaststroke in McKinley Park's 25-meter pool, but parents can also bring their kids to the adjacent water playground.
Open Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
Visitors to this West Town park can take a few laps around the soccer pitch before diving into Smith Park's ample 25-yard pool or cooling off in the water spray feature.
Open Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
When Hamlin Park Pool is too crowded, your best bet nearby (seven minutes driving or eight minutes by bike) is this compact Lincoln Park pool. If you want to work up a sweat before jumping in, take a jog around the athletic track or challenge friends and neighbors to some sand volleyball on the nearby court.
Open Tue & Thu-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
If you're looking for a place on the far Southwest Side to swim, consider this neighborhood pool serving Beverly and Morgan Park. This serene park pool offers six spacious lanes, perfect for getting those morning laps in (just check the schedule!).
Open Wed-Mon 11am-7pm
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the 63rd street corridor and take a dip at Englewood's Ogden Pool nearby. The 60-acre park also offers three playgrounds, a carousel, a boxing gym and courts for a variety of sports.
Open Tue-Sat 11am-6:45pm
Take a dip right in the heart of Noble Square. This indoor pool at the Ida Crown Natatorium in Eckhart Park is great for saving the day from those unpredictable summer storms.
Open Mon-Fri 9:15am-5:15pm, Sat 9am-4:30pm
Cool off here after a serene summer stroll through Caldwell Woods on the far Northwest Side. Unlike the other public pools on this list, Whealan Pool is run by the Cook County Forest Preserves and charges an entry fee ($5 for kids ages 4-12; $7 for 13+), but with that entry fee comes access to water slides, a lap pool, a lounge area and a splash-tastic water playground.
Open Mon-Thu 10:30am-5:30pm, Fri-Sun 10am-6pm
Discover Time Out original video
