Science & Nature
All 77 Chicago Park District Pools Will Open Saturday, Just in Time To Beat the Heat
(Wavebreakmedia / iStock)
Summer in Chicago is arriving with a splash.
The Chicago Park District has announced that for the first time since 2020, all of the district’s 50 outdoor pools will be open seven days a week, beginning Saturday, just as temperatures are expected to soar into the 90s.
Individual pool schedules are posted online, but in general, hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A lap swim membership is required for access to lap swim sessions.
People can also cool off at one of the Park District’s more than 200 water spray features and water playgrounds, which will be turned on by Saturday.
Additionally, the district’s 27 indoor pools will be open six days a week. The spring schedule ends June 20, with special hours posted for Juneteenth.
The city’s 22 lakefront beaches opened to swimmers on Memorial Day weekend; the Humboldt Park inland beach is opening Saturday.
Pools and beaches may experience intermittent closures, either for repair and maintenance, or due to weather or health concerns, the Park District said in a statement.
A shortage of lifeguards in recent years — a result of an abuse and harassment scandal within the Park District’s aquatics division, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic — had led to limited schedules at pools and even the closure of some beaches.
This year, the district said it received 3,000 lifeguard applications, a 55% increase from 2024.
“We’re thankful to all of the strong swimmers that have joined our aquatics team this summer to help reach our goal of opening all outdoor and indoor pools for the start of the 2025 summer pools season,” Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said in a statement.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
