Best Public Pools In Los Angeles
Public pools are all the rage in the Southland come summer when these water wonderlands come alive for the season. There are so many that the best options are almost too tough to tie down, but here are some hot spots CBS LA covered last year and another five are below for you to consider as your favorite places to splash down and around in a community pool near you.
Santa Monica Swim Center
2225 16th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 458-8700
www.smgov.net
Take the plunge not far from the Pacific at these community pools in Santa Monica. The 25-yard Splash Pool, a shallow pool with 10 lanes, is reserved for beginners and/or smaller swimmers to take on while the much larger fitness pool is for the more athletically inclined. Adult lap swims are regularly scheduled for the latter while family swim nights and special teen nights are periodically on tap. Like-minded swimmers can share in the glory of splashing around in a fun atmosphere that's also a health sport in which to indulge.
Griffith Park Pool
3401 Riverside Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 644-6878
www.laparks.org
At the corner of Riverside Drive and Los Feliz Boulevard in Los Feliz, this east side pool open to the public is a highlight in the summer when kids get to swim for free. Not only that, but the shallow end is reserved for little ones who like to splash about and not really get anywhere. The deep end serves as a serious place for more acclimated water rats (human ones) to get some exercise. Located at the entrance to the largest municipal park in the nation and home to the LA Zoo, this is a good place to end the day after meeting, greeting and even feeding all of the exotic animals living in another fine Griffith Park attraction.
Valley Plaza Pool
6715 Laurelgrove Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 756-9362
www.laparks.org
Valley girls and boys and their parents make this particular public pool a great place to relax, swim and fraternize with fellow Valley-ites. Water polo for beginners is offered at this heated watering hole as is synchronized swimming for the uninitiated. Want to learn how to dive? You can do that too at the Valley Plaza Pool this summer.
Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
360 N. Arroyo Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103
(626) 564-0330
www.rosebowlaquatics.com
Everyone in Pasadena loves Rose Bowl Aquatics located in Brookside Park (just south of the Rose Bowl proper), even the little old ladies The Beach Boys were always singing about. Especially popular at the community pool are the dive-in movie events and the family swims that bring everyone together for a playful evening or two in the still of the summer. The admission price is right too: $1 for kids and $2 for seniors.
John C. Argue Expo Center
3980 Bill Robertson Lane
Los Angeles, CA 90037
(213) 763-0129
www.laparks.org
This massive swimming complex ready and waiting behind the Coliseum has two pools on offer, one for wading (and splashing) and the other for serious swimmers out to hone their sport before, after and during competitions. And so, while the more accomplished are zooming up and down the lanes in one watering hole, the little ones are having a blast while dipping their toes in another. These pools are open all year long and are free to use by the younger set.
Related: LA's Best Summer Vacation Activities
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