🏊 Where to swim
Public pools & aquatic centers
Curated by Simir Shah
10 spots across Southern California — add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you
William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center
Irvine · Aquatics center
Large city-run complex with multiple pools, good for summer rec swim and kids' lessons; open to non-residents.
🗓️ Open year-round; rec swim mainly summer
💵 ~$2–4 drop-in; juniors/seniors less
Costa Mesa Downtown Aquatic Center
Costa Mesa · Aquatics center
A rare year-round city pool with all-ages open recreation swim, lessons, and aqua aerobics.
🗓️ Year-round (some winter/holiday closures)
💵 ~$2–4 drop-in; juniors/seniors less
Magnolia Park Pool
Garden Grove · Municipal pool
Family-friendly neighborhood city pool with shallow-to-medium depths; Garden Grove also runs the Gary Hall Pool.
🗓️ Summer rec swim season
💵 ~$1–3 drop-in; kids/seniors less
Pearson Park Pool
Anaheim
One of OC's best deals: free lifeguarded family swim sessions all summer. Reserve a spot per person in advance.
🗓️ Summer-only public swim
Silverado Park Pool
Long Beach · Indoor municipal pool
Long Beach's reliable year-round indoor option for rainy or winter days, with free open swim for kids 17 and under inside Silverado Park.
🗓️ Year-round indoor heated
💵 ~$1–3; youth 17 & under free
Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
Pasadena · Aquatics center
Public-access nonprofit center in Brookside Park beside the Rose Bowl with year-round family rec swim; an adult must accompany swimmers 17 and under.
🗓️ Year-round; family rec swim first-come
💵 ~$5–10 drop-in; kids/seniors less
Annenberg Community Beach House Pool
Santa Monica · Historic outdoor pool
Swim in the restored historic Marion Davies estate pool right on the sand. Passes are first-come walk-up day-of, so arrive early on summer weekends.
🗓️ Summer season (~June–Labor Day)
💵 ~$4–10 day pass; kids/seniors less
The Plunge San Diego
San Diego · Historic indoor pool
Historic 1925 indoor pool (one of SoCal's largest) inside Belmont Park in Mission Beach, with a floating obstacle course and ocean-view glass walls.
🗓️ Open year-round; daily public rec swim
💵 ~$15–25 day pass for non-members
Hansen Dam Aquatic Center
Lake View Terrace · Swim lagoon
A 1.5-acre LA City swim lagoon (one of the largest public pools in the US) with waterslides, sand volleyball, and BBQ areas; a standout low-cost summer family destination.
🗓️ Summer (~mid-June to early September)
💵 ~$1–4 admission (kids ~$1, under 4 free), cash only
Allied Gardens Pool
San Diego · Municipal pool
City of San Diego municipal pool with year-round open swim, heated water, and weekend family hours.
🗓️ Year-round heated outdoor; hours shift seasonally
💵 ~$2.50–5; kids/seniors less
Beat the heat with ideas near you
We'll send the best family things to do near you every week. Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Where can families swim at a public pool in SoCal?
City aquatic centers and municipal pools across SoCal offer family 'rec swim': in OC, the Woollett Aquatics Center (Irvine), Pearson Park Pool (free in Anaheim) and Costa Mesa's year-round pool; in LA, the huge Hansen Dam swim lagoon and the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center; in San Diego, The Plunge in Mission Beach. Use the finder for the closest.
Are any public pools free?
Some are — Anaheim's Pearson Park Pool offers free reserved family swim in summer, and several Long Beach pools are free for kids 17 and under. Most others are just a few dollars' drop-in. Filter to free-only above.
Which pools are open year-round vs summer only?
Many neighborhood pools open only for the summer rec-swim season, while indoor and heated centers (Silverado Park in Long Beach, Costa Mesa's center, Allied Gardens in San Diego, the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center) run year-round. Each listing notes the season; confirm hours before you go.