🏊 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
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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.