When the sun is shining and the weather’s warm, is there anything more fun and refreshing than a dip in an outdoor pool with your kids? Luckily, Toronto and the GTA have a spectacular array of public outdoor swimming pools. Whether you live downtown, uptown, east end or west end, there’s no shortage of fabulous pools nearby to help you stay cool. Here are just a few of our favourites.
All of the outdoor pools open in mid- to late June and close in early September. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Sunnyside Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool
If you like a slice of history with your swim, the historic Sunnyside pool—built in 1925—is the place for you! When it first opened, this west-end pool was actually the largest outdoor pool in the world, with the capacity to hold 2,000 bathers and swimmers. At the foot of Parkside Drive, it’s still a popular place for Torontonians to cool off. The pool offers morning swimming lessons for all ages in the summer, followed by public swim each day until 8 pm.
Address: 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W., TorontoPhone: 416-392-7915
Schedule: Leisure swim (all ages) and lane swim (ages 7+) daily 10 am–3:55 pm and 5 pm–8 pm
Cost: FREE
Alex Duff Memorial Pool
At the edge of Christie Pits Park, Alex Duff Memorial Pool is anchored by a two-storey waterslide for thrill-seeking kids and kids at heart. It has a 25-metre lap pool for the serious swimmers, a shallow splash pool for younger kids, a “conversation pool” for those who just want to hang out, and a deeper pool with a 1-metre springboard for those who want to practice their dives.
Address: 779 Crawford St., Toronto
Phone: 416-392-0910
Schedule: Leisure swim weekends noon–8 pm, weekdays 10 am–8 pm
Cost: FREE
Monarch Outdoor Pool
Near Danforth and Coxwell Avenue in the east end of the city, Monarch Pool is 25-metre and boasts a diving area, a twisty two-storey waterslide, and a raised seating area. There are swimming lessons in the summer and plenty of public swimming hours. And for those with babies and toddlers, there’s the added bonus of a wading pool with separate entrance, which operates on the same schedule as the outdoor pool, ideal if you’ve got kids of varying ages!
Address: 115 Felstead Ave., TorontoPhone: 416-392-8188
Schedule: Leisure swim daily noon–8 pm; lane swim (ages 7+) daily 7 pm–8 pm
Cost: FREE
Donald D. Summerville Olympic Pool
In the heart of the Beaches neighbourhood right by the beach, this raised swimming complex overlooking Lake Ontario is also commonly known simply as “the Olympic pool“. In addition to the huge, 50-metre pool, there are two other pools: a 25-metre “training pool,” where most of the families with kids tend to swim, and a diving pool, where thrill-seekers can test out their courage by jumping off the higher-than-they-look 5- and 10-metre diving platforms.
Address: 1867 Lake Shore Blvd. E., TorontoPhone: 416-392-7688
Schedule: Leisure swim daily 10 am-4 pm and 5 pm–8pm; lane swim (ages 7+) daily 7 pm–8 pm
Cost: FREE
Goulding Community Centre Pool
A small but charming spot for a family swim near Yonge and Steeles, the Goulding Community Centre‘s outdoor pool is well-maintained and has a mushroom fountain in the shallow end. With two baseball diamonds in the park surrounding the pool and community centre, you can work up a sweat tossing the ball around with the kids before taking a dip in the pool.
Address: 45 Goulding Ave., North YorkPhone: 416-395-0123
Schedule: Leisure swim daily noon–7:55 pm
Cost: FREE
High Park Outdoor Pool
The High Park Outdoor Pool boasts a super-fun twisty slide, a kiddie pool, and a pool area for laps. And the bonus is that it’s located at the lovely High Park itself – so if you want to make a day of it, you can combine your swim with a visit to the High Park Zoo nearby.
Address: 1873 Bloor St. W., TorontoPhone: 416-392-8188
Schedule:Kids’ wading pool daily 10 am–5 pm; leisure swim (main pool) daily noon–3:55 pm and 5 pm–6:55 pm; lane swim (ages 7+) Tue. and Thu. 9:30–10:15 am and daily 7 pm–7:55 pm
Cost: FREE
Blantyre Park Outdoor Pool
Blantyre Park Outdoor Pool is a bit of a hidden gem, located near Victoria Park and Kingston Road in Scarborough. Though the pool itself is not huge, its charm is in its very relaxed vibe and its park setting. There’s also fantastic kids’ playground and baseball diamond right next to the fenced-in pool, making Blantyre Park a perfect place to pack a picnic lunch along with your bathing suits and spend the day.
Address: 180 Fallingbrook Rd., ScarboroughPhone: 416-392-8188
Schedule: Leisure swim daily 12:30–8 pm; lane swim (ages 7+) Tue.–Thu. 9 am–10 am
Cost: FREE
Lions Club of Credit Valley Outdoor Pool
For those who live just west of the city, Mississauga also has a number of outdoor pools to splash around in, including the Lions Club of Credit Valley outdoor pool, previously named the Port Credit Pool. This beautiful, family-friendly outdoor swimming facility has a low diving board, small slide, and a shallow wading pool for the younger ones as well, complete with funky looking objects that spray out water just for fun.
Address: 20 Rosewood Dr., MississaugaPhone: 905-615-4830 ext. 2630
Schedule: Parent/tot swim weekdays 11:35 am–12:30 pm; leisure swim weekdays 1:35 pm–4:30 pm and 6:05 pm–8 pm, Sat. 1:35 pm–4:30 pm and 5:35 pm–7:30 pm, Sun. 11:35 am–2:30 pm and 3:05 pm–4:55 pm
Cost: $3.95/adult, $2.80/child, $10.50 family pass (2 adults and 3 kids)
Looking for more ways to cool off? See a full list of free public outdoor pools operated by the City of Toronto. Plus, check out the splash pads we love within the city limits and Toronto’s best water parks and wave pools.
