Summer is and Chicagoans now have the perfect way to beat the heat: the Chicago Park District has reopened all 50 of its outdoor swimming pools.
Park District pools bounce back
For the first time since 2020, the Park District is operating all of its outdoor public pools in Chicago seven days a week.
In recent years, pool operations were scaled back due to a lifeguard shortage. But according to the Park District, lifeguard recruitment surged this year, with over 3,000 applications—a 55% increase from 2024.
Summer pool schedules
The full summer schedule kicks off Saturday, June 21, with most outdoor pools open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The district’s 27 indoor pools will also return to pre-pandemic schedules, operating six days a week starting Saturday.
View the schedule for your local pool here.
Chicago Park District Celebrates the return of pool season
“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,” said Chicago Park District Superintendent & CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa.
“Chicagoans can rely on parks to provide access to a vital resource during the hot summer months, while offering hundreds of lifeguards an important job in public service that equips them with strong work experience and essential lifesaving skills.”
