Top Public Pools in Seattle

Looking for a place to take the kids swimming? Don't have your own pool or want to fill up the kiddie pool? Seattle Parks and Recreation provides an abundance of indoor, outdoor, and wading pools throughout the city.

For hot summer days, there's nothing like an outdoor pool. Take the kids and visit one of Seattle's two featured outdoor pools: Mounger Pool or Colmon Pool. Lowery C. "Pop" Mounger Pool, located on 2535 32nd Ave W, includes two pools to provide for needs of children of every age. With an extra-warm wading pool and an Olympic-sized deeper pool, Mounger Pool also features a 50-ft corkscrew slide. Mounger opens for the 2011 season on Saturday, May 14. Registration for the swim team begins April 5 at noon; the pool also has options for personal lessons and birthday parties.

Seattle's other outdoor pool, Colmon Pool, located on 8603 Fauntleroy Way SW, opens Memorial Day Weekend. A better choice for the family with just older children, Colmon Pool features high and low diving boards and a tube slide. In close proximity to the beach, Colmon is an Olympic-sized pool and provides an ADA lift and heated saltwater, although the pool has limited handicap accessibility.

For those days when the outdoor pools are being used for swim meets or other events, or the weather refuses to cooperate with restless children, take the family to an indoor pool. With seven featured public indoor pools, Seattle's selection can please any family. Ballard Pool, on 1471 NW 67^th St, features a diving board, rope swing, spa, and slide. Evans Pool, on 7201 E Green Lake Drive N, has a diving board and sauna. Madison Pool, on 12401 Meridian Ave N, has high and low diving boards and a smaller "teaching pool." Meadowbrook Pool, on 10515 35^th Ave NE, has high and low diving boards and a rope swing. Medgar Evers Pool, on 500 23^rd Ave, has a diving board, teaching pool, rope swing, sauna, and exercise equipment. Queen Anne Pool, on 1920 1^st Ave W, has high and low diving boards, a rope swing, and a sauna. Southwest Pool, on 2801 SW Thistle St, has high and low diving boards, exercise equipment, a therapy spa, and a sauna. All but Madison Pool advertise family changing rooms as well.

Both indoor and outdoor pools have an entrance fee of $3.25 for youth ages 1-17 (and seniors over age 64) or $4.75 for adults, with a $1 charge for waterslide use.

Many parks in Seattle also feature wading pools or water spray areas, which are scheduled to be open on any days where the temperature is forecast to be 70 degrees or above. The wading pools open for the 2011 season include Ballard Commons Park; Bitter Lake Playfield; Cal Anderson Park; Dahl (Waldo J.) Playfield; Delridge Playfield; E.C. Hughes Playground; East Queen Anne Playground; Green Lake Park; Hiawatha Playfield; John C. Little, Sr. Park; Judkins Park and Playfield, Lincoln Park, Miller Playfield, Pratt Park, Soundview Playfield, South Park Playground, Van Asselt Playground, Volunteer Park, Wallingford Playfield, and Warren G. Magnuson Park.

A more detailed schedule can be found on the parks and recreation website.