The best public pools in Philly

The best Philly pool is the one with water in it, said Mica Root, founder of Swimming Philadelphia, a blog that chronicles the happenings at city pools. And we agree.

Philly is opening 50 public pools this summer; the remaining 13 will stay closed. Here are a few pools worth visiting this year.

Happy swimming. Find the pool nearest you here.

This is the only pool in town with slides. So in a city where diving, running, jumping, and even having a floaty is forbidden pool behavior, this North Philadelphia pool — among the oldest in the city — is worth checking out.

📍 1401-55 N. 26th St. 📞 215-685-2709 🕑 Opens June 27

With its $3.7 million state-of-the-art renovation, this Northeast Philadelphia pool is the city’s newest. The entire pool was rebuilt — new floor, new walls, and a sparkling eight-foot deep end.

📍 4625 Richmond St. 📞 215 685-1247 🕑 Opens June 27

Make a day of it: Hike the winding — and generously shaded ― Cobbs Creek Trail and then lounge at the Cobbs Creek Park pool. The West Philadelphia park is the place for picnicking, reading, maxin’, and relaxin’ under the beaming Philadelphia sun.

📍 280 Cobbs Creek Parkway 📞 215-685-1983 🕑 Opens week of July 4

This Fishtown neighborhood pool is surrounded by a new playground. We’re talking $1.1 million worth of state-of-the-art swings, slides, and exercise equipment. Hours of outdoor play topped off with an afternoon swim? It doesn’t get any better than this.

📍 147 Master St. 📞 215-685-9886 🕑 Opens June 30

Planning a day trip to Bartram’s Garden and FDR Park? End it with a splash in the J. Finnegan Playground Pool. One of the only pools in Southwest Philadelphia, J. Finnegan is a destination hangout spot.

📍 6801 Grovers Ave. 📞 215-685-4191 🕑 Opens week of July 4

This West Philadelphia, Olympic-size eight-lane pool is known as the best city pool for lap swimmers. During the day, children are allowed to play in the pool, but the city’s expert swimmers don’t mind sharing their space. The deck of the pool is surrounded by a picnic area.

📍 42nd Street and Parkside Avenue 📞 215-685-0160 🕑 Opens June 23

Strawberry Mansion’s Mander Pool is a popular sprayground and recreation center. It’s just steps away from the Boxers Trails, a 5K loop for hiking and running where Joe Frazier trained. It has also been known for its daily water aerobics classes, though it’s not yet clear whether they are coming back in 2021.

📍 2140 N. 33rd St. 📞 215-685-3894 🕑 Opens July 2

This outdoor pool, the main attraction of the Fishtown community center, recently got a brand-new heating system in the pool and on its deck. So even if it’s chilly, swimming is an option.

📍 3539 Gaul St. 📞 215-685-1246 🕑 Opens June 21

This article has been updated since it first published.